3 (Amsterdam --> Bruxelles):
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``Going down to Amster---shhh! Amster-,Amster-ssh shh shh!'' (part of a song we sang when I was a kid)
My last day in Amsterdam was yesterday. First thing, I went to the Anne Frank House. Prior to coming to Amsterdam, I had no idea it was in Amsterdam (yah, I know. Americans.). I think it was really well done. Also, very somber and eerie (well, modulo the loud and obnoxious Dutch teenagers wandering around). You actually walk into the storefront and up through the hidden door to the annex.
Here's someone else's picture of the moveable book-case and door
There's a lot more room than you might imagine. It had a full kitchen and toilet. Otto Frank requested that the annex remain unfurnished after the war (the furniture had been taken during the raid where the people in hiding were taken), so the place is quite empty, with descriptions on the walls and a display with miniatures of what the furniture was like, etc. Apparently both Margot and Anne Frank were taller than I by at least a few inches -- the markings of the childrens' heights were on the walls. I wish I had re-read the diary recently. There were excerpts posted on the walls, and the actual diary under glass, as well as videos of interviews with survivors -- Anne's childhood friend, and her father.
After walking through the house/annex (and its steep stairs that might as well be a ladder) you walk down and through the adjoining (modernized) building, and out.
I walked around a bit more after this, bought a sandwich at a bakery, bought the luggage and walked to the bus station. About 1-1.5 hrs longer than the fast train (2.5 hrs), and ~half as expensive (15 euros, versus 33. If I'd bought much earlier, it would have been 7 euros). A mostly-uneventful ride through the countryside and we arrived in Brussels about half an hour late. The countryside was quite beautiful. The grass is (still) very green here. There were a *lot* of sheep out grazing. Trees. Rolling hills. Farmland. Weensie canals/trenches. A few cows. More sheep.
I met Will at the station and we took the train to his place, which is right next to the European Parliament in Brussels. Pretty futuristic building. Realized tonight that the square there has a poster of the Berlin wall ringing the central round area and big pieces of the wall nearby. I like the poster; one of the pieces of the graffiti said 'if communism is so great, why do they need a wall to keep people in?'
Grabbed a Duvel nearby and went to the center of town for dinner, at a thai place ( rouge, jaune or vert curry), where I had a Krieck (sour-cherry sweetish beer) and afterwards got a waffle covered in rasperries (framboise), cream (chantilly), and powdered sugar. Delish. Forestine christmas beer at Cafe Poechenellekelder by the Manneken Pis (which thankfully has a non-smoking section downstairs), then back to Will's place.
On Europe and smoking -- How can people so concerned about C02 emissions etc not give a crap about their own lungs? Weird. Also, enjoyed the car with the 'baby on board' sign and the kid asleep inside, windows closed and parent smoking. Nice.
4: First 'real' day in Bruxelles/Brussels:
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Lots of walking. Got up late, walked into the city and got a sandwich and an espresso.
Walk walk walk walk. Plaza this, plaza that. Statues. The outsides of various museums, that I will venture inside probably Monday or Tuesday. At some point, grabbed a beer at a cafe (about when I was getting tired from walking). I commented on how the sun arcs funny. It does! Do not attempt to tell time from it, at least not if you're used to telling time from it in America.
The pigeons on the building above stealth-crapped on the tour map I was holding. Glad it wasn't me. Of course, they somehow got my hand later while I was walking. Seriously, pigeons. Or, ``oh no pigeons''
Walk walk walk. Went through a few outdoor markets, one in the Antique-y district. Will said he saw someone pay 1200 euro (in cash!!) for a painting at one of these (in response to my remark 'who carries the kind of money to spend at these?') The fashion here is more toned down than Amsterdam, definitely. Also, more dogs. Went to a cool cafe in the Antique-y district, ``Cafe Pixel", had some ``chocolat chaud'' and a fromage plate.
Walk walk walk. Dinner at a place serving ``Traditional Belgian Fare''. Had ``stoemp''. Which is mashed potatoes & veggies, apparently. Served with some very delicious sausages and washed down with a glass of trappist ale, a westmalle. The placemat was an advertisement by amnesty international, a sort of pixelated cityscape, were people were being shot, raped (no, seriously), beheaded, etc. Not what I was expecting. I should take a picture of it or scan it in later or such.
Mainly uneventful rest of evening. Looking for a bar that was recommended that has (honest) lambics *on tap* (which is rather crazy-sounding to me), but didn't find it. Had some ice cream (tasty and fluffy). In a (wait for it) waffle cone. Next time, I should actually get it *on* a waffle (which is an option). There are two kinds of waffles here, one light and fluffy (and necessarily made fresh on the spot), Brussels-style. The other kind is Liege-style, thicker, heavier, longer shelf-life. I've only had the Brussels-style so far.
Oh right yes. Europeans and cars. Good god. If these people lose their jobs, they could be cabbies in NYC or something. They pull some crazy maneuvers just to get around corners, let alone park.
Tomorrow --- Bruges!
Bon nuit
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