Bruges Medieval Buildings Cobblestone Streets, in fact I knew very little of this great place until I saw the 2008 movie called “In Bruges” with Colin Farrell, then I knew I just had to visit, I had the same feeling about Versailles after seeing the Woody Allen movie “Midnight in Paris,” so actually this European trip was planned around both those fascinating destinations. I was not disappointed the city is quite special, expensive but really special. 😆
Bruges waterfront homes.
Definitely a city that should be on your bucket list.
Now we all know how famous Belgium is for its chocolates however I am willing to bet you don’t always get a warm smile from a lady when you give her some of these.
Coffee in the sunshine
Here are my two English friends Bill Austin & Dave Catchpole not looking too happy, maybe it was something they ate. 🙄
I have no hesitation in recommending this beautiful place for you to visit, remember to book your hotel before arriving. Check the weather forecast as well, it is so much nicer walking around the village taking photos with a beautiful blue sky.
Thai Festival
What a coincidence, I’m living in Thailand & here when I visit Bruge there is a Thai festival happening. 🙂
Bruge Plaza
Interesting sculptures and fountains.
Waterside dining
A beautiful sky & French food by the water, what more could you want?
Nice restaurant
So many restaurants & such little time. 🙂
Wonderful terrine
Always on my list in Belgium or France.
Cruise the canals
One of the popular canal tours.
Or take a horse & buggy if you prefer
Personally I prefer to walk the city.
Bruges Medieval Buildings Cobblestone Streets
Lots of shops & restaurants to keep you busy.
The Park hotel is in a perfect location across the road from the above square.
There are many good restaurants and bars to choose from, however if I visit again it will be during the week as the weekends are so busy in summer most of the hotels are full. We paid 200 Euros for room at the Park Hotel with 4 single beds. For a good discount on rooms just book through THIS LINK.
Waterfront restaurant.
An interesting restaurant beside this wonderful tree.
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Catch fish from your window.
Picture postcard perfect in Bruges beautiful Belgium city.
Red wine & desert.
As you would expect there are many nice restaurants in Bruges.
Bruges beautiful Belgium city
Bruge was a wonderful experience.
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Thanks for visiting my blog on Bruges, and thanks to the movie “In Bruges” for inspiring me to visit this wonderful city. Please send the link to your friends https://fivestarvagabond.com/
Amsterdam sex drugs & bicycles are what comes to mind when I think of this great city. The red light district attracts tourists like moths to a flame. Marijuana is freely available if that’s your thing, & every time you walk down the street you are in danger of being run down by Cyclists who believe the roads & footpaths were built exclusively for them to use.
In Amsterdam, this is the only windmill I saw, I know there are many more in the country however my 6 days were spent exploring the city.
Central Station
My journey started & ended here at the very busy Central station. I arrived by train from the airport and my wonderful B & B was only a five minute walk, then 6 days later I caught the fast train to Brussels.
Did I mention bicycles by any chance?
Authorities say there are well over 600.000 bikes in Amsterdam. The population is 747,290 in Amsterdam proper, and 2,158,592 in the metropolitan area.
Opposite Central station
Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, has more than one hundred kilometers of canals, about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges.
Lots of good restaurants
There are hundreds of restaurants to choose from in Amsterdam, just wander around until one catches your eye.
Fresh seafood in Amsterdam.
THE FRESH SEAFOOD LOOKED FANTASTIC.
Late night cafe
This is one of my favourite Amsterdam photos, I was wandering around the back alleys looking for somewhere to dine.
Ava Thomas, Italian restaurant
This Italian restaurant was the one I chose, nice food at a reasonable price.
The Grasshopper
The Grasshopper — one of the world’s best-known Cannabis cafés — is no longer selling cannabis, hash, or related products. The coffee shop located in landmark building across from Central Station, is one of the first of more than two dozen such shops in and around the Red Light District that are to be closed down over the next few years.
Amsterdam want to create a “grand entrance” — Amsterdam’s ‘visiting card’ — to include high quality hotels, shops and restaurants — and coffee shops simply don’t fit into that picture. To make this ‘grand entrance’ a reality, in December 2007 Amsterdam introduced Coalition Project 1012. Named after the postal code for downtown Amsterdam, the project is designed to clean up the entire medieval center of the city. That includes the Red Light District, where the city has been working to take back control over the area from what one alderman referred to as ‘riff-raff.’
The project’s goals are to ban window prostitution from all but two locations, close down businesses set up with (or ‘susceptible to the involvement of’) white-washed money, reduce the number of coffee shops in the area, combat organized crime, and to promote the ‘Red Carpet’ vision.
At the introduction of Project 1012, then-alderman Lodewijk Asscher said that Amsterdam wants to recapture the historic city center in order to “give it back to the Amsterdammers.” Clearly, it’s not just the locals the City council was thinking about, but also well-heeled tourists more interested in fine dining and upscale shopping than in using soft drugs. Sadly if this eventuates Amsterdam will never be the same. NB: Coffeeshop (yes, one word) is a Dutch euphemism for establishments where soft drugs are legally sold and used. Enjoy this while you can.
Amsterdam sex drugs & bicycles
De Wallen is the largest and best known red-light district in Amsterdam and consists of a network of alleys containing approximately three hundred one-room cabins rented by prostitutes who offer their sexual services from behind a window or glass door, typically illuminated with red lights. These “kamers” are the most visible and typical kind of red light district sex work in Amsterdam and are a large tourist attraction. Amsterdam sex drugs, you can count on it.
De Wallen Amsterdam
I imagine this whole district will just move to another location, Amsterdam can’t afford to lose the millions of tourists that come to see the RLD with Amsterdam sex drugs & rock & roll. 🙂
Amsterdam sex drugs & rock & roll
It really is a wonderful city.
Window shopping at its best
May I remind you when I think of Amsterdam I think of sex drugs & bicycles. 😆
Amsterdam sex drugs & bicycles
As with other countries, estimates regarding the total number of prostitutes vary. Most sources place this number between 15,000 and 30,000. An article published in 1997 in the International Encyclopedia of Sexuality claimed that the total number of prostitutes in the Netherlands was about 15,000 to 20,000. CATW has stated that there were 30,000 prostitutes in the Netherlands, citing “Sex tax Ticks off Dutch,” Associated Press, 14 October 1997. According to Radio Netherlands, in 1999, there were estimated to be 25,000 prostitutes in the Netherlands, with 12,500 working at any one time at a total of 6,000 locations. A later study by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2000 estimated that there were a total of between 20,000 and 25,000 prostitutes in the Netherlands
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Watching the boats
This bridge was 30 meters from my B & B and 20 meters from my favorite restaurant, De Belhamel.
De Belhamel
I had dinner twice here and on two other evenings called in to the delightful bar for a nightcap.
Lamb at De Belhamel
The Australian lamb at De Belhamel was magnificent, put this delightful restaurant on your list.
De Belhamel bar
That’s my red wine sitting on the bar, this was my compulsory stop before retiring for the night.
de belhamel is Dutch for “the rascal” – literally translated, but the Dutch translate it as “naughty child”
My friend visits in September 2015
The blonde lady Joyce Weir has been a friend of mine for over 40 years, I told her about this great restaurant, I’m so pleased she took her friends there, naturally they loved it. 🙂
One of the 2500 house boats in Amsterdam
All year long canal tours show people from all over the world how amazing the historical canal houses of Amsterdam look from the water. Some people enjoy this view every day from their own houseboat. Holland counts many houseboats, but Amsterdam holds the record with approximately 2500 houseboats.
Always lots of activity on the canals.
There is never a dull moment in Amsterdam.
Stout Restaurtant
Another good restaurant close to where I was staying.
Nice atmosphere.
TripAdvisor rate it #109 of 3,243 Restaurants in Amsterdam.
A pie at Stout.
With such a high rating it seems a shame to only have a pie, however I only found out about the rating when I was back home. 🙂
Cafe de Prins
I had lunch here twice, good food, cold beer and a great spot for people watching.
Cafe de Prins
The perfect lunch. 😎
The traffic can wait
Another way for the tourists to see Amsterdam.
Science Center NEMO
NEMO proves that there is a fun way to learn more about science and technology. The largest science center in the Netherlands has five floors full of exciting things to do and discover. All your senses will be stimulated by exhibitions, theatre performances, films, workshops and demonstrations.
The replica of the three masted “Amsterdam”
The replica of the three masted “Amsterdam”, a large vessel of the Dutch East India Company, which in its maiden journey to Batavia sank in a storm in the English Channel in winter of 1749, stands high above the waters of Ij Bay, directly at the museum quay. The wreck of the ship has been discovered off the English coast in 1969, and the museum replica has been completed in 1990. Visiting the ship, you may see how small and primitive spaces were to house 350 people during the ship’s journey, with more comfortable but equally minute quarters for the ship’s captain and officers.
A wonderful B & B
Of all the places I stayed on my “seven super cities” adventure, my B & B in Amsterdam was the best accommodation by a long shot. There are only 2 apartments in the building beside the delightful couple Tony & Loes who live there.
The breakfast room
The location was perfect, only 10 minutes walk to Central Station and close to shops & restaurants.
What a fabulous city.
Amsterdam sex drugs & bicycles is one of my favourite posts, I hope you enjoyed it.
The Luxer is a short walk from the station, use THIS LINK for a discount.
