Tag Archives: Tourism

You Should Have Been Here Friday

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County Down

County Down

If there are nicer people in this world then the Irish, we sure haven’t met them. Not only are they friendly, helpful and curious, but also seem to take it as a personal responsibility that we enjoy their country. Every person we’ve met has apologized for the weather as if the country’s climate has had the effrontery to disappoint us in some way. To a man, everyone has said “You should have been here last Friday”. We were here last Friday and it was indeed beautiful. Apparently it was the most beautiful day of the year so far and perhaps has the potential of being the most beautiful day of the year to come. We’re from a place with unsettled everchanging weather and have come to accept beautiful days as a special treat and not the norm. But then you don’t really come to a place like Ireland for the weather. You come for the charming people, the green hills, the music and, of course, the beer.

We’re situated in Rostrevor, County Down, Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Carlingford Lough, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. A lovely place criscrossed with very narrow winding roads and longstanding stone walls.

The Ross Monument and Carlingford Lough -Rostrevor, NI

The Ross Monument and Carlingford Lough -Rostrevor, NI

The lovely home we’re in sits next to a monument for Major General Robert Ross. The Major General was born in Rostrevor and attended Trinity College in Dublin before being sent to American in the War of 1812 to avenge American  atrocities in the Battle of York (Toronto) where American troops were accused of many acts of vandalism, looting and burning of both private & public property.

Ross quickly captured Washington and burnt down the White House. Rumor has it that he intended to build a home for himself on the site but was shot at the Battle of Baltimore and fled to Halifax, Nova Scotia where he died and is buried. A villian to some but a hero to many.

The Ross Monument - Rostrevor, NI

The Ross Monument – Rostrevor, NI

Hogwarts and Beyond

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Ducklings

Ducklings

The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds are a range of hills in southwestern and west-central England, an area roughly 25 miles wide by 90 miles long, filled with lovely restored mill towns, some as old as the 17th century.

The Gloucester Cathedral

Over 1300 years old, the Gloucester Cathedral is an outstanding example of Gothic Architecture. In recent years it has become even more famous as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The Doc’s In

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Port Wynn is the mythical home of the cantankerous Doc Martin, lead role in the hugely successful BBC series of the same name. The town in the show is, apparently, the only location in Cornwall where the sun shines everyday and is populated exclusively with eccentric and good hearted folk. In actuality, Port Wynn is Port Issac, a small and very remote fishing village that was fading in obscurity until Bert, Louisa and the Doc arrived. Now an invading hoard of tourists fills the small B&Bs and roams the streets looking for any evidence of their idols. Well, we were lucky enough to be there while they were filming season 5. We were part of a group of about 50 adoring fans that was shuffled through the streets, like a well mannered and extremely quiet flock of sheep. I must admit, it was pretty exciting.

Bert & Louisa

Bert & Louisa

Port Issac’s real charm is it’s maze of narrow streets, some only 18″ wide, the madcap jumble of late 19th century fisherman’s cottages and the small but pristine harbor.

The View From Above

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View from the Tate MuseumView from the Tate Museum

London is a big crowded city. Driving and parking in it is a nightmare, walking it is exhausting, taking cabs costs a small fortune and the Underground is exactly that, underground, but the Double Decker Bus, now there’s a sightseeing vehicle.

St Pauls

St Pauls

The buses provides an affordable and fun conveyance that stops at almost every corner while providing a unique perspective of the city and everyone in it.

If You Can’t Beat’em, Join’em!

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Graffiti Tunnel - London

Graffiti Tunnel – London

In London, like all cities the world over, graffiti continues to spread like a rash on most every available surface. One approach the city governors have arrived at is to designate this nasty little underground passageway as a legal “Graffiti Zone”. The walls have turned into an everchanging tapestry of art, social commentary, vulgarity and all manner of craziness.

 

Has it worked? Well, no. Artful vandals still roam the city streets.

Spring Has Sprung – Almost

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I was getting a little fearful that spring would never arrive so I decided to do a little experiment. The pictures on the left are from April 3rd and the right side is April 29th. As you can see, slowly but surely, spring is creeping up on us.

More Ordinary Pictures

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Fun with Asians

For fear that we may not be back to Holland again, we have set about getting to all the “must see” tourist destinations and, apparently, so did a lot of other folks.

At Kinderdijk

At Kinderdijk

Now I know a lot of you think that Asian tourists may be, shall we say, moving a little too fast. As a group they’re more fun then they get credit for.

More Picture Taking At Kinderdijk

More Picture Taking At Kinderdijk

We pulled into the Cheese Market in Alkmaar as 7 buses were unloading a sea of umbrella wielding little people. It looked like Bingo Night in Okinawa.

And Man, do they stick together. Groups moved through the Rijksmuseum like schools of jellyfish. If you become an obstacle to it’s progress, the school just flows around you and quickly regroups. If the group fixates on a painting it will form an impenetrable wall and you just have to wait your turn. The only saving grace is that they seem to have a schedule to keep.

Don’t take me wrong everyone was friendly and respectful and, mostly, were just busily chatting nonstop amongst themselves.  One thing I did notice in Amsterdam was that there were very few Asian Tourists on the trams. That’s because they’re like JayZ or Willie Nelson. They bring their own Party Bus.

Whatever it is, they are happy to be here. Very happy.

Picture Taking At Kinderdijk

Picture Taking At Kinderdijk

With or without lots of tourist Kinderdijk is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and well worth the visit.

Down on the Farm

We were staying at a great little farm, De Appelgaard, in South Holland. I’m somewhat of a city boy and don’t do particularly well with farm animals. Cows and horses scare me a little and let’s face it, goats and sheep are pretty freaky looking.

Appelgaard

All that been said, if you want a B&B, this is your place. We had a big room, great shower and terrific breakfast, which is included in the price of the room, making it the most important meal of the day. An hour before eating, the eggs were still in the chicken and the milk was still in the cow.

Appelgaard

Appelgaard

Fun with the Dutch

It started innocently enough. We thought we’d just pop into Gouda for a little supper. After the standard half hour search for parking we walked through the Market Square and heard Wilson Picket coming from an opened door.

Stadhuis in Gouda

Stadhuis in Gouda

We ended up in this place called TOF. During the day it’s a café with chairs and tables on the Square, but at night it transforms into a Disco and is packed.

I know this photo may look a whisper shady, but the people couldn’t have been nicer to us. They made us a special sample plate and gave us some free drinks. After we admired the beer glasses they gave us each one.

TOF Gouda

TOF Gouda

You’re probably wondering exactly what these two lunatics are doing and all I can tell you is that the special on the menu is “Spicy Balls”. When Wendi asked to see them mayhem quickly followed. The guy on the right is manager #2 and the guy on the left is manager #3. We didn’t really see him do a whole lot of managing.

Manager 2 & 3 at TOF in Gouda

Manager 2 & 3 at TOF in Gouda

After a couple rounds and soothing effect of Motown they decided we were OK and dragged us up the street to their other club, Swing, for a very private “Cigar Party”.

Gouda7Off to Swing

It’s a little odd as none of us would ever smoke a cigar. As it turns out smoking tobacco is far more narfarious behavior then pot smoking. Let me explain. There are shops where you can go indoors to smoke the dreaded reefer and neither you nor the management have to fear a fine or arrest. On the other hand smoking tobacco in outlawed indoors everywhere. Young people love to smoke tobacco so club owners routinely turned a blind eye. Now clubs get two warnings. On the third time it’s a 10,000 euro fine and the fourth time costs you 50,000 euros and your business license for 6 months.

This all made the party feel a little outside the rules.

Swing in Gouda

Swing in Gouda

This is manager #4, we have absolutely no idea what he manages.

Manager #4

Manager #4

These are dear friends Harvey, left, and Fran, right. That’s Wendi in the foreground and two guys in the middle are the big dogs. The guy on the left is manager #1 and when he talks the walls rumble. The guy on the right is his Dad, owner of these two businesses, and apparently some other more secretive business concerns that we couldn’t really go into. He never seemed to stop giggling.

TOF owners in Gouda

TOF owners in Gouda

On a final note I should tell you that these folks told us in no uncertain terms that they love, adore , long to return to their spiritual home. Their Nivana on earth, their muse and constant inspiration, Las Vegas, Neveda.

Alleys = Paths

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In a previous posting I talked about my lifelong obsession with paths and county lanes. These old cities, with houses and businesses packed so close together, are filled with an abundance of narrow streets and alleys. Before the days of cars and trucks, these same lanes began as much traveled paths. They were small but bustling thoroughfares filled with people, animals and carts.

Today they have taken on a much different connotation, especially for tourists. We all get anxious when we feel displaced and on unfamiliar ground. A lot of people are very fearful of getting off the perscribed route. Some folks won’t travel at all for fear of finding themselves on unfamiliar territory. While alleys can be a welcome shortcut for locals they can also be a forbidding mystery for visitors. They can be a comfort for residents but filled with potential risk and danger for strangers who have very little idea where they lead or what potential danger may be lurking around the curve or at the far end. And yet I’m drawn to these dark passages, forever wondering how they fit into the immediate geography.

Now I’m not reckless or crazy, I don’t go trudging down alleys after dark. But, like most scary things around us, I find that if I try to overcome my natural reluctance and attempt a lane or two I usually learn a lot about the jigsaw puzzle around me.

The Rule of Two

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I have only been able to find two references to the Rule of Two. In one instance it is a bidding guideline for Bridge and the other is in Star Wars where the Rule of Two states that there would be only two Sith at one time, a Master and an Apprentice. In Dutch culture, however, I can find nothing particular or overly significant about the number 2. but signs of the Two are everywhere. Never three, rarely one and fours are only pairs of two. I mentioned this to a Dutch friend and they didn’t know what I was talking about. I showed them numerous examples and the clear evidence that it is an almost constant design and decorating principle, but they were completely surprised as if they had never noticed before. But with the evidence so prevalent how can that be?  Perhaps I’ve stumbled onto one of those secret code systems where people send messages to each other by moving objects in the window or leaving curtains half open.

Wendi says that I’m wrong. There is no conspiracy here they’re just neatniks, plain and simple. The only thing they are signaling from their front windows is “Look how tidy I am”.

A Little Limburger?

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We didn’t think that our Dutch Experience would be complete without a journey to the southern tip of Holland. We headed out for Maastricht, a very busy little city on the River Maas in the province of Limburg.

View from room 209 at the Hotel De Pauwenhof

View from room 209 at the Hotel De Pauwenhof

One of Holland’s oldest towns it’s surrounded on three sides by Germany and Belgium. Between the French, Germans, Romans, Spanish, Goths, Gauls, Papists and miscellaneous angry hordes it has changed hands many times over the centuries. To this day it still seems a little under siege, only now it’s tourists and probably not marauding mercenaries or religious zealots. The tourist promoters refer to it as the “Sunniest Town in Holland” and that may it true.  Much like South Dakota may be a whisper more tropical than North Dakota. In fact, it’s the only time we’ve needed an umbrella. Damp but fun none the less.

We’re here primarily to see the Bonnefantenmuseum, an amazing structure designed by Italian architect Aldo Rossi.  An interesting guy, he argued that a city must be studied and valued as something constructed over time and as such it holds our “collective memory”.

Bonnefantenmuseum

Bonnefantenmuseum

Bonnefantenmuseum

Bonnefantenmuseum

On to  ‘s-Hertogenbosch

S'Hertozenbosch Market Square

S’Hertozenbosch Market Square

‘s-Hertogenbosch was the birthplace and home of one of the greatest (twisted) painters of the northern Renaissance, Hieronymus Bosch, who’s painting  The Garden of Earthly Delights will still blow your mind 530 years later. And not in a good way.

Group of unknown German art students

Group of unknown German art students

While there some friends organized a great boat trip on the Binnen-Dieze, the city’s underground inner canal system. Apparently the canal had been an open sewer for centuries until in the 1960’s the city set out on a 25 year restoration project. Today fish swim in the water.

These are part of the Armada, a housing development designed by British architect Anthony McQuirk. From the air the eleven building project resembles a fleet of Spanish Warships moving across the water.