Bus Service in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands most bus schedules can be accessed on the Internet. At bus stops you will see signs which display when the bus is expected to arrive when the next one is coming. Please be aware that drivers will not stop unless you signal (wave them) down. You are able to pay for your fares on the bus and the drivers are quite friendly and able to speak several languages. Wi-Fi is free on the bus and you simply collecting on the mobile_connextion Internet Provider. The sign in page would be pulled up to appear you agree to the terms and conditions. See your stop press one of the signaling buttons and the driver will pull over at the stop.

European Baggage Lockers

Most major rail stations in Europe have banks of lockers where you can leave your luggage while exploring a city. Usually there are differing sizes of lockers available at different prices. You need to pay by credit card or some only work with coins. You simply put your luggage in a locker close the door and pay the required fee: a barcoded receipt will be generated which you carry with you until you want to call reclaim your luggage

 

Locker Rental Panel

A Garbage Truck in the Red Light District

Cyclists in Amsterdam are wild: through a bizarre mixture of traffic planning, legislation and momentum bikes often take the right of way on the city's streets. Against my host's recommendations I decided to try a bicycle tour with Mike's Bike Tours of Amsterdam  (http://www.mikesbiketoursamsterdam.com/) my reasoning being that having completed a couple triathlons I had the aggressiveness to navigate the traffic.

Our tour leader was Mike 2 who knows the city well and is quite personable. Our first stop was Leidseplein which is an entertainment center criss-crossed with tram tracks. Everyone navigated the square successfully and proceeded to Vondelpark and then to the Museumplein (an area surrounded my art museums). We were equipped with seven speed bikes which worked for the terrain we cycled: while the city is flat some of the bridges offer the challenge of an incline. Eventually we arrived at  the Little Bridge where a barge was dredging bicycles up from the canal and illustrated the fact that bikes are frequently stolen then dumped.

De Waag - One of Amsterdam's Medeaval Gates

Proceeding past the Hermitage and Zoo we ended up at the Scheepvaartmuseum (it is a naval institution not zoological) which is close to Centraal Station. At this point traffic became very congested and we took a side street through the red light district with it's mass of pedestrians. Rather than invite hostility of prostitutes in the area we were advised to glance not stare (or take photos). The streets narrowed and unfortunately we got snagged behind a garbage truck that was breaking down drywall. This was where the trip ground to a halt: while Mike was able to get some of the participants through the bottleneck eventually the workers would not allow the rest of the group to pass. Our guide eventually found a detour but for fifteen minutes our tourist site was the sanitation truck.



Dam Square



 

Our tour continued through the packed streets of Dam Square, past the Anne Frank House and ended at the Noorderkerk (North Church) in the Jordaan District. I found that I ended the tour with a better understanding of Amsterdam and a the knowledge about where in the city cycling works best.

Delft Tower close to the Flower Market

Antwerp

The Antwerp Centraal Station hosts train, subway, bus and tram services for the city. It abuts the Diamond District as well as the Zoo. There are significant art collections shown with in the city and if you get a subway pass you can easily access the city’s museums.  

Antwerp Old Market Square

The Old Market, Town Hall and Our Lady of Antwerp Cathedral are in close proximity to each other and a network of pedestrian streets surround these sites. South of this district is the Fashion Museum and a number of high end stores are located there as well.

Our Lady of Antwerp Cathedral

 

Bruges

 

Bruges is a historical trading city located east of Ghent but is smaller and more touristy. Two major streets lead to the Centrum and the pedestrian area is limited to the Market Square (Grote Markt). The Belfry of Bruges is located at the south end of the square and many people climb it to get a view of the city.

Belfrey of Bruges

Canal cruises are popular in Bruges and let tourists experience the city from a historic perspective. While Bruges is picturesque most stores and attractions usually close at five o’clock limiting the activities tourists can pursue in the evening. However the upside is that the crowds dissipate and the streets are peaceful to walk through.



View from the Canal

 

We travelled to Bruges by train and could not find any public transit to access the historical area so we walked for twenty minutes from the rail station to the city's Centrum. 

Molded Chocolate

One of Our stops was "Juliette's Artisanale Koekenbakkerij " to sample some of their chocolate creations: Pastachio Intense, Basilic (savory basil flavor which I loved), Tea, Pastachio Artiste, Croquet Nougat and Amaretto.

Towers of Bruges

Ghent Running Tour

I love Running Tours: you get to see a lot of sites in a short period of time, understand the distance between places and experience the destination through the eyes of a local. This morning I got to explore Ghent with Wim Van de Putte from City Running Tours Ghent (http://www.readytogo.be/#_=_) .  Ghent was historically a significant port city and continues to offer a port container services in its industrial area. My tour centered around the historical pedestrian area of the city.

One of the cities first wells (five were privately owned)

Ghent's Initial Port Canal with tax house in the distance

 

Ghent has attempted to bring people back into the city by excluding scars from the heritage areas. Parking lots have been moved underground and replaced with cobblestone Plaza's. Canals that were covered over are now being reopened. The city plans to double the space designated as "pedestrian access" within the next year.

Sint Peitresplein with underground car-park facilities in the foreground.

 

August 11 Rotterdam and Ghent

Using intercity trains with Eurail offers you a great deal of flexibility when traveling between two cities. An example is that on my trip from Haarlem to Ghent  I was able to add a stop in Rotterdam and explore that city.

Rotterdam Centraal Station "The Shark"

 

Rotterdam contrasts with the more traditional Haarlem and Amsterdam because of it's modern architecture. There are sculptures in the streets and design of the Centraal Rail Station has gotten it the nickname "The Shark".


Fountain in the Street

Rude Garden Gnome Sculpture

 

Continuing on from Amsterdam I transferred trains again in Antwerp which is a gigantic station extending over five stories with three levels of rail platforms.

Topmost Victorian Level of Antwerp Central Station

The city of Ghent has a number of train stations and I ultimately got off of the train at St. Peter's. 

One hundred meters west of the train station doors is the tram platform and it costs EUR3.00 to get to the Centrum you can also get a taxi to your hotel for about EUR8.00. Cars our banned in the historic area but underground parking is located beneath some of the city's cobble stone squares. Ghent's medeaval core is very picturesque with many sidewalk cafes and restaurants overlooking the canal. I chose the "Trollkelder" (Troll Celler), a beer bar with low vaulted ceilings in the basement which made you feel like you were in a scene from "Lord of the Rings".

Canal in Ghent

 

August 10, Amsterdam

Viewed aerially Amsterdam looks like an onion with a series of concentric canals expanding from Dam Square. Many of these canals are connected by intersecting waterways and through history served as the city’s transportation network. The Amstel River is  one of the main ones and figures historically: so we started our tour of the city along it's bank. This morning we followed the waterway past the Amstel hotel, Hermitage Museum, Opera House, Thai open air market and visited Rembrandt’s House Museum.

The Amstel Hotel

 Rembrandt’s House Museum is a restoration of the artist’s original home and gives the visitor insights about how he was inspired and captured realism in his historically themed paintings. Once you have completed your tour you can cross the street to de Sluyswachl, a bar established in 1695 and picture yourself in medieval times drinking a beer just as the artist had.

Drinks at "de Sluyswachl"

From Rembrandt’s House we continued eastward to the Nieuwmkt Square and ultimately Dam Square before visiting central station. Many of the squares exclude cars and you will see Café’s which extend far into the space. Centraal station is a major transportation hub located in the center of Amsterdam on the Rhine River. Several hotels at varying price ranges are adjacent to the station and you can find Currency exchange and banking services inside.

Centraal Station and all the streets that connect it to Dam square are quite busy. City has many streets designated only for pedestrians. There are number of middle and upper end shops and restaurants situated on these open alleys. Walking down these streets you frequently see buildings and architectural details from the 16th century. Our return took us through the Leidsplein and we enjoyed dinner at Diverto, a Mediterranean restaurant that served their dishes family style.

August 9, Haarlem and Ijmuiden an Zee

Upon approach to Amsterdam airport our plane circled over the ocean and I saw groups of fishing trawlers cruising past large arrays of off shore wind generators. Then as we got closer to Schiphol canals, reservoirs and long thin farm tracts came into view. The airport itself has a lot of retail shops and passenger services are well signed. Ground transportation services are clustered at the airport plaza and central to all terminals. The bus station is unmanned and located on the ground level while the train station is down one level. I was meeting my friend in Haarlem and able to take a direct bus.

Bus schedules are posted at the airport stop and detail differing routes with the post number of the next departing coach: the Red Line is the major airport service around Amsterdam. Once determining the route number and final destination on your route wait for a coach displaying the corresponding information and board. Video panels are located at the front of each bus and detail the upcoming stops with your estimated time of arrival at each point. Outside from the airport most bus stops have LED panels which list when the current and next available bus depart.

Windmill on Main Canal in Haarlem

Haarlem is located thirty minutes northwest of Amsterdam and is popular with tourists. Both the train and bus station are merged together: travelers can also find a bicycle rental location and secure baggage lockers. South of the station you find an old town square adjoined on opposite sides by the Cathedral and Town Hall which were both built in the 1400s. We ate lunch at XO, one of the square’s sidewalk cafes and I enjoyed a “Radler Grapefruit” (a grapefruit flavoured wheat beer). Servers in the Netherlands feel that it is rude to interrupt patrons so you may have to request that someone take your order or prepare your bill. Walking east of the square you see canals with traditionally styled houseboats and a gigantic Windmill.

Beach at Ijmuiden

The expansive beach at Ijmuiden is a popular spot for kite boarding and there are sandbars which create shallow areas extending far out into the water. Ijmuiden is located on the North Sea but the water felt quite warm. Back from the shore you see beach cabins which families own or rent during the summer months. After visiting the beach you can go back to the port where seafood restaurants are located in heritage buildings along the waterfront.