Category — At travel

Most of the people, who are traveling for cultural purposes in Amsterdam, want to see the Anne Frank House. Like it wasn’t bad enough for her to live there. We have to witness, as well, the poor conditions the woman was forced to survive in. In fact, the only reason it is worth going there, is the beautiful building in front of the house. That is something not to be missed.

Less famous, but much more interesting from the historical point of view is visiting Willet-Holthuysen Museum and Van Loon Museum.
Those two museums are memorial houses owned by rich merchants who left a will saying that after their death, those 17th-century canal houses were to become the property of the city of Amsterdam.
Very well preserved, the houses offer an accurate image of how the wealthy lived in an Amsterdam canal house.
In Willet-Holthuysen Museum you’ll see on the first floor a magnificent ballroom, a dining room, a room looking over the garden, and an imposing corridor.
In other rooms furnishings have been brought from comparable 18th and 19th century houses, to recreate the atmosphere of bygone times.
On the second floor is the romantic bedroom with a wooden bed so wonderful that I felt like taking it home with me, or, better, ordering a copy of it.
In the basement are the kitchen and the scullery, suggesting what life must have been like for the servants.
At the back of the buildings is the garden, laid out according to the early 18th-century French fashion.

In Van Loon Museum you’ll see a collection consisting of of family portraits, furniture, silver and porcelain.
I specially liked the small interior garden and the richly ornamented rooms on the first floor.
Ferdinand Bol, Rembrandt’s most renowned pupil, first occupied the double canal house, built in 1672.
In the eighteenth century the interior was embellished with lavish stucco, marble and a grand staircase.
Willem van Loon was one of the founders of the Dutch East India Company in 1602.

In 1973 the family opened the house to the public.

Famous and interesting is The Rembrandt House Museum. For almost twenty years Rembrandt van Rijn lived and worked in the house on Jodenbreestraat in Amsterdam.
He bought it in 1639, when he was at the height of his fame. In 1656 he went bankrupt and everything of value was sold at auction.
A notary drew up a list of his possessions and that is how the historic interior of Rembrandt’s house was restored and furnished with items and works of art from the master’s time.

In Rembrandt’s workroom are demonstrations of how etchings are printed. Demonstrations of how paint was made in the seventeenth-century are staged in the studio, revealing what was a mystery over many decades. There are special activities for children, including a quiz quest through Rembrandt’s house.

The Amsterdam Historical Museum displays its collection of art, objects and archaeological finds in a building where Amsterdam’s orphans once lived (the former Civic Orphanage – Burgerweeshuis).
The team who created the concept and who realize it must be not only a team of historians but, as well, an artistically one, filled with love for Amsterdam’s past, history, people and spirituality.
They managed, better that other historical museum’s teams, to bring the past so closed to the contemporaneous understanding and feeling that everybody will fall in love with Amsterdam.
The photos and the film material are used to recreate (not just to show) the happy times as well as the drama of the modern city’s inhabitants.
Actually, that is how each object is placed in the museum.
It may be the reason, The Amsterdam Historical Museum is so alive that can capture the attention of people at all age.
The soldiers, the armours, the weapons, the ships create a scene painting enviously by the best movie directors in the world.

On the same page, from the historical point of view, is The Tropenmuseum.
There are thousands of stories and objects from a variety of cultures: New Guinea, The Netherlands East Indies, Southeast Asia, India, Latin America & the Caribbean, Africa, Western Asia & North Africa.
You will see in Tropenmuseum a forest of monumental wooden sculptures, some more than 12 meters high. They are used during bisj ceremonies, which are held to commemorate deceased members of the community.
These rituals, still performed today, are brought to life in an exhibition with a thrilling combination of light, sound and film.

The Tropenmuseum Junior is a lively museum designed for children from six to twelve years of age. It’s open on Wednesday afternoons, every weekend, during the holidays and on public holidays.

The Amsterdam Historical Museum and The Tropenmuseum are a must.

During my stay in Amsterdam, I was wondering how a city like this will look like if the buildings would have many different colours.
I found out the answer in Prague. It looks amazing.
The same architecture and the buildings painted, it is more that I imagined when I visited Amsterdam.
Of course, it is impossible to compare two cities. I don’t usually do this. Just in this case when I felt the need for lighter colours in the brown-black Nederland’s town.
Prague is a city to feel in love with. Myself, I am.
The only think is to ignore the fact that almost everything is very expensive. Also, you have to remain calm every time you enter in a museum or a castle and notice that the personnel knows no international languages.
But before entering, you have to find your way to the museum which can be a tricky think. Once you get there, an other story begins: founding the entry door.
You may find this interesting if you like the labyrinths and the puzzle.

But, Prague offers a solution for all the problems: it is full of tourist guides in The Old Town Square.

And what a beautiful square!

A town worth visiting in the summer. The harbor is so modern and so spectacular, that you will want to spend many hours on a bench, or on many of them, just looking at it.

Apart from the beautiful old buildings, you will also find there lots of futuristic ones.
The two very different styles makes Rotterdam a interesting place to pass through.

The people there, however, can put you in a bad mood.
From my arrival in the train station, I received a wrong information about the direction I had to take the tram to. Good somebody else, corrected it one station later.
I checked in at Room Hostel and asked the lady at the reception if it is possible for me to get a bed ar the ground level, because I have a health problem.
She explained to my that it is out of their hands to do this kind of arrangements, but I may be lucky being the second in the room.
And lucky I was.
I put my personal sheets on the bed and I slept like a child. My room mate was a very nice Polish man, looking for a job as gardener.
He was desperate not finding it, because his money were running out and he was no able to pay for the hostel more than three days.
He started looking for a cheap apartment, with no result. In the end, he told my that he can sleep with the rats, in the cold… Poor East-European man trying to work in a wealthy country.

The next day I visited part of Rotterdam and returned to the Hostel where I found my polish room mate doing the same like he did when I first met him: searching freneticly the internet on his computer.
However, something was changed in the room. My sheets disappeared and on my bed I found a note: “Reserved for Mrs. …”
So, I asked what is all this about.

The man explained to me what happened:
A guy from the personnel came in the room to do the cleaning. When he finished he said that in my bed should stay an old lady who has problems climbing on the bed from the top.
The polish man offered his bed, at the same level, saying that he doesn’t mind at all changing the beds, that he can even sleep on the floor if it is neccesary.
The guy wouldn’t consider the option.
He took my personal sheets and placed the note on the bed.

With this story in my mind, I went to the reception, looking for explanations.
And they came: an old lady made a last minute reservation and she is too old to climb in a bed from the top.
O.K., but what about the bed my room mate offered, which is at the same level? And what about: “we can’t do arrangements about the bed” policy? I had the reservation made for one month and I requested the same
favour like the old lady, from the same reasons.

The guy told my that he doesn’t know who was at the reception when I first came in, but they are doing favours for special cases, like this one.

Well, you will not do it on my expense!

I found my sheets, I took my bed back and this is the end of the story.

The biggest advantage in Amsterdam is that you can visit lots of museums and churches in only five days.
If you are buying a three days pass, you will pay 53% for it. You will find a map in the book they are giving to you. Also, you will have a transportation pass you can use separately from the museum pass.

Amsterdam 3 Day Pass Visiting Tips

1. Buy the pass.
2. The next step is to underline the museums you are interested in.
3. You will see that most of them are in three different zones.
4. See if you can go in one zone by just walking. If you can, go there in your first day. This way you are not using the transportation pass from the beginning.
5. You will be able to use it after visiting the museum. So you can go places.

Be aware: The Rijks Museum is closed for renovation. The big one. You can only see a small part of the masterpieces in the small Rijks Museum.

Next to Stedelijk Museum it is a library where you have free internet access.

A good service Amsterdam offers is the stop/go buses. For only 1 Euro you can see all the buildings around one canal, for one hour.

Also, don`t miss cruising on Amsterdam`s Canals.

How cool would it be to travel hassle free and to see a lot of places without having to carry all that heavy luggage which I’m sure you hate as much as I do?

If seeing lots of places while laying in the sun is your preferred style of travel, you may consider getting yourself a cruise. If you don’t know where to start your search from , go to Cruise Vacation Center and you’ll find there lots of cruises, from Princess Cruises, to Royal Caribbean, or even Norwegian Cruise Lines.

The website is easy to search, as it provides the visitors a few filters, such as the destination, the sailing date, the duration of your desired cruise and the cruise line you’d like to travel with.

By taking a look into the Hot Specials section, you’ll discover the latest discount offers, and you may be able to grab a good deal and save a lot of money. The website offers you the facility of booking online, which is by far the most convenient way to book your trips.

Due to a new policy that forbids cruise lines to show their discounts publicly, sometimes you may get better deals if you call the Cruise Vacation Center at the toll free number provided on the website.

Wouldn’t you rather go on a cruise, than on a common trip?

I got sick during my stay in Paris. For three days, it was a stormy weather. My asthma reacted immediately. One week with fever and all the rest.

By the time I had to leave, my luggage was a mess. I was too tired to put it in order, to throw away the unnecessary thinks.

In the Airport, the machinery started to make funny noises when my bag went through. A customs officer appeared and took the bag to be checked out. Good for him, he used gloves. With the flow I had, touching my thinks by a healthy person required gloves. Few minutes later he discovered the metal objects that made the machinery sing. He took out the case I kept all the thinks needed for the nails, the eyebrows, the tooth, the ears, e.t.c. in.

It is hard to imagine the mess in there: powder all over the place, stacked on the objects, pieces of toilet paper, a rest of toothpaste, few cleaning ears sticks warped in a piece of toilet paper.

He picked all the metal objects and put them aside, one by one. Because of the stories I heard before, from lots of people whose belongings were confiscated, I got scared. I was not sure what his intentions were, so each time he took an object, I immediately defended it, with desperation: “Please, don’t take that, I need it.”

At first, he said nothing. The next objects he put aside, the same reaction from my side: “Don’t take it away, it’s important.”

Very calm and serious, the custom officer asked me: “is this important?” showing me the old tweezers.
- Very important. They don’t do this anymore. Is a present from my mother. It is very good and very important.

He realized that for me, everything from the messy case was vital.

He took out the ears sticks, looked at it and asked:
- Are those important as well?
- No, those you can take, if you feel like.
- I won’t take anything. I’m just going to put them in a bag.
- Thank you!

While the custom officer did what he said and sealed the bag, he asked me:
- What country are you from, Mrs.?
- From Romania.

Looking for French food?

The best eating experience I had in Paris happened in Le Balzac Restaurant, placed near Arc de Triomphe, on 29, avenue de Friedland, 75008. The “escalope de saumon” you will find there is beyond description. And not just for salmon’s persons. Looking at the table opposite mine, I’ve noticed a couple who shared the same dish I had, after the man almost finished the stake with potatoes he ordered. He cleaned with bread his partner’s plate with “escalope de saumon”. And, believe me, all the portions are big.

Not to be missed is Hippopotamus Restaurant grill, on 80, Ave. General Leclerc, 75014. Try the “foie gras” with “tartare tomate”.

If you are in the mood for oysters, make sure you find Huitres et Saumons de Passy Restaurant, on 17, rue de l’Annonciation, 75016. If you want your oysters cooked, you have to call two days before to order, at the telephone number: 01 42 88 19 64.

At almost each corner of the street you can find the big sandwiches with smoked salmon. Cheep and good.

From the Patisserie, it is interesting to try all kind of fruitcakes, the famous French Cheese cake. However, I never managed to find a place to prepare that tasty banana bread recipe my mother used to bake for us when we were children.

The Spanish restaurants are authentic. If you like this kind of food, go and eat.

To be avoided:

• Le Carolus Bar a Biere, 130ter, Bd de Clichy, 75018. The “formula Carolus” is not the formula you wish for yourselves. If the fly in the drink is your thing, ask for “Kir Sauvignon”. All this, in a day you are willing to wait for half an hour for your order to be taken and other half to be served.
• In an Italian restaurant I ordered lasagna and, for 20 Euro, I got a frozen one, reheated, you can buy at the supermarket with 4 Euro. May not be the same story everywhere.
• Food from the menu without translation. You will probably get sausages instead. It is easier to boil than to cook.
• The French pizza served in Brasseries.

Are you an average income person? Do you feel like buying clothes in the famous Paris? If your answers are yes, at both questions, I will share with you my experience in the beautiful capital of France.

Few days before the end of the trip, I bought a ticket for a show at the theatre. It was a spontaneous act and I was unprepared for it, meaning the clothes I had in my luggage were good for walks in rainy winter days: mountain boots, sweaters…

My first stop was La Fayette Gallery, were even the sport ware clothes are so expensive that I decided to visit the shop like a museum. Time well spent. Wonderful cupola, nice view from the terrace at the top.
After that, I tried on some garments at the shops in the area. Still expensive.

The best idea that came into my mind was to find a small shop on a narrow street, nearby, with prices I could afford. And I found it, on 40, rue St Anne – 75002. The shop’s name is Camille SARL, 75 Paris.

Do not go there!

You may find (depending on their schedule) an apparently honest middle-aged lady, who doesn’t know English but is willing to try to understand a poor French if you show up as a customer. Her ability of understanding is directly related to the amount of money she can steal from you.

During the time I tried the outfits, she seemed to understand well enough my not so good French. The problems appeared when it came to the payment. She told me an amount of money I found to be way too much for the clothes I bought: 453 Euro. I expressed my confusion and asked the lady to please give me the price tags she ripped off from the garments, to see them. She said that is not possible, those should stay at the shop. Just to see them, I insisted. The woman took and put them in a notebook.

Very soon, I started to feel sick, to have speeding head, the calcium went down, and the hands started to tremble. I think (my French is not good) that she explained to me that something is wrong with the cashier machine and she is not able to give me a receipt. I said “OK, than give my in your hand writing (I was showing with the right hand, in case she didn’t understand) the price of each garment.” She had a problem with this as well. She kept saying that is “bon Marché” (a good deal) and that when I will return to my country I will be proud to show off with clothes from Paris. Nonsense. “That is not something to be proud of” I replayed. It seemed like she didn’t bother at all.

I paid 153.90 Euro with the credit card and the rest with cash. Leaving the shop, I entered in the first pharmacy to buy Calcium with magnesium.

Returning to my country, I noticed that the blouse had a float and it was knotted.

If you didn’t take my advice and you find the shop, send my regards to the crook.

These are a few things you can visit in Paris when you are on a low budget:

• Don’t miss the beautiful cathedrals and churches Paris offers with such generosity. You will find out how to reach there by looking on the map of Paris.
• Lots of time you may be interested to spend in ‘Cite des sciences & l’industrie’, on 30, avenue Corentin-Cariou, 75019, metro – Porte de la Villette. If you find the ladies room, please let me know. It was impossible for me to see it. I had to use the men’s room.
• Free entrance at Musee Carnavalet, on 23, rue de Sévigné, 75003, metro – Saint-Paul. You will be amazed. That’s also the impression an American roommate, who took my advice, had.
• Good to see: Cimetiere du Montmartre, at the North, Cimetière du Montparnasse, at the south, Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise, at the East.
• If you want to go for a walk, do go at Jardin du Luxembourg, Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la Concorde.
• Not so expensive to leave Paris by train and spend some time in Fontainebleau. SNCF gare de Lyon, station Avon-Fontainebleu. Apart of visiting the Museum, you will have the chance to see for yourselves the forest made famous by the impressionists.
• A full day you can have by going to Versailles and Trianon. Metro station: Pont de Sevres+ bus no. 171 up to Place d’Armes station. After seeing all those, on your way back, stop at Pont de Sevres and visit The Musee national de Ceramique de Sevres.

Still having time?
Well, something is wrong with you.