Cannabis and Canals

Sunday, October 8, 2017

This morning we had another fabulous breakfast (those eggs! that bread!) in our hotel before walking back to the Maastricht train station for the last time and boarding our train to Amsterdam. We pulled into Centraal Station at about 11:30 and made our way to the Citadel Hotel, where we dropped our bags before setting off to explore the city. As usual, Tony did an amazing job of choosing a hotel - close to the station, Dam Square, and more.

We sort of stumbled into Dam Square, since Tony needed an ATM (through a series of missteps, we were literally down to our last 2 Euros), but what a great introduction to Amsterdam. This huge, fabulous square, full of people, full of crazy side shows, full of life! (full of pigeons!)

I have to admit, we were all running on empty at this point - so we spent a great deal of the day just wandering aimlessly. But first - LUNCH! We found a good Irish pub near one of the canals and Spring Flower and I ordered fish and chips on the recommendation of her Chemistry teacher (who claims that fish and chips in The Netherlands are the best). I'm not sure they were the BEST, but they were good and they came with a healthy pint of beer, so it totally worked for me. 

After lunch, we were able to check in to the Hotel Citadel and it was an adorable little property. We got everyone sorted and then headed back out to wander the streets, through the wafting plumes of marijuana and trying to steer clear of the red light district. Our next venture was a canal tour, which I really enjoyed. First of all, I got to SIT. Second of all, I got to sit on a BOAT. Third, I got to do numbers 1 and 2 in a city as cool as Amsterdam. Got to see lots of great historical sights, amazing architecture, and even the Purse and Bag Museum before disembarking. 

After some additional aimless wandering, we popped back to our hotel for a brief break and stumbled onto a useful piece of information. We all really wanted to visit the Anne Frank House, but it routinely sells out two months in advance. Our buddy Rick Steves shares in his book that same-day tickets start selling in the late afternoon, and that it can sometimes work to stand in line at about 7pm and try your luck. We had planned to at least try this tactic. But then I read another section where he mentions that it can sometimes work to visit the official website either the day before your visit or the morning of - as often people cannot use their prepurchased tickets. Tony tried and BOOM! Five tickets. Just like that. We were able to bypass the line of about 200 people at 8pm (I felt bad, but not THAT bad) and immediately enter. Of course, my euphoria was short lived due to the incredibly moving experience that is visiting the Anne Frank House. We spent an hour snaking our way through the tiny space and museum and I loved how every person was respectful about allowing each other the time to absorb the information and surroundings. It is nearly impossible to take in that you are standing in the tiny space that Anne and her family inhabited for two years. And that, as tiny and unbearable as it was, it was better than the alternative. Very, very sobering experience.

After our visit, we took a slow walk back to the hotel, mentally saying goodbye to Amsterdam and its beautifully lit canals on the way, because we had to leave the hotel at about 8:30 for our flight back home. 

Three Meals in Three Countries!

Saturday, October 7, 2017

Fortunately, we made the decision to "sleep in" until about 8am instead of the earlier start time I initially had in mind. Even though we all slept very well, 8am felt (as it should) like 2am to us. We were all very groggy, but once I got moving around, I felt okay.

Our Novotel Hotel had an awesome breakfast and I was honestly impressed with the food. I cannot get over how good the simple things tasted: the eggs, the BREAD! I'm not sure how they do it, but I already miss it. 

After breakfast we walked back to the train station where we met the Bigs and purchased train tickets for our foray to Liege, Belgium - a quick 45-minute train ride. After arriving in Liege, we popped on to a different train that took us closer to the downtown area - maybe possibly without an official ticket, but we're sincerely hoping our original tickets covered this extra bit of travel. 

Then we were in the streets of Belgium, in another adorable little European town. Coincidentally, Liege was celebrating "La Nocturne des Coteaux de la Citadelle," which would have both positive and negative consequences for us. The first was negative - we made our way to a famous set of stairs that, once climbed, afford a beautiful view of the town. However, because of the festivities, the stairs were "closed" - except to locals. Tony was convinced we could pretend to be locals ourselves, but I suspect we had zero chance of pulling that off - if not by looks alone, then the second one of us opened our mouths.

No stairs for us!

Without access to the upper parts of the town, we really just wandered around, enjoying the sights and smells of Liege. Many wonderful smelling bakeries and even more important, Gaufre du Liege - a fabulous fresh waffle shop. Waffles are a THING in this area of Europe, and for good reason.

After more wandering, and a stop for some hilarious pantomiming with a pharmacy employee regarding feminine hygiene products, we stopped for lunch and I had the best bowl of mushroom soup of my life. BG, B, and Tony all had mussels, which are apparently a regional specialty. 

As seems to often be the case in Europe, our server completely abandoned us at the end of our meal, which caused us to miss our intended train back to Maastricht. However, at this point a positive consequence of the festival came into play - we stumbled onto a fairly large carnival, complete with arcade games, entertainment, and rides including a huge ferris wheel. All of the Four Winds hopped on the ferris wheel and had a good look all around Liege before we made our way back to the train and Maastricht. We spent a significant part of the ride photographing macarons. Because...macarons.

Before the trip, I had been toying with the idea of "popping" into Germany, which I have never before visited (nor have the rest of us). Maastricht is SO close to both Belgium and Germany - why not make the most of it? If we can have lunch in Belgium, why not dinner in Germany? So after returning to our hotel, we took a short break and then regrouped for a one-hour bus ride to Aachen, Germany. Tony and I had scoped out a Brauhaus near the bus station that we thought might be a good spot for a legit German dinner. And we were right! This was probably my favorite meal of the entire trip. We encountered the following:

So, so good. And the atmosphere of the Brauhaus was exactly how I pictured Germany - except for the Asian family sitting at a table near the door (not us!). We felt like we had really accomplished something by having three meals in three countries in one day. Also - it was just a true joy for me to have all Four Winds in my direct line of sight for an hour or two. #itsamomthing

After dinner, we hopped back on the bus and made our way back to Maastricht, at which point, we had to say goodbye to Baby Girl and B. It was hard, but I absolutely took comfort in the fact that now I can picture her going about her day. The Bigs are thriving and happy and living an actual adventure. I'm so proud of them both - two of the smartest - and wisest people I know.

A Ray of Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

Friday, October 6, 2017

We managed to drag our weary selves off the plane at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam and stumble into the arrivals area and customs. We were hoping to be on the 8:30 train en route to Maastricht, but long lines were making us doubt that possibility. Once again, Tony shows what a master he is at kiosk transactions and he had our tickets in hand with about four whole minutes to spare. Not to mention this helpful sheet of directions:

Doesn't that seem simple? It actually was - all we had to remember was to change trains in Utrecht, and that was a matter of crossing over from "Spoor 19" to "Spoor 18." Piece of cake! The train gave us all a welcome opportunity to doze and we had the added benefit of having landed in the "Silent" train car. Perfect!

At just after 11am, our train rolled in to Maastricht and I honestly forgot about how tired I was and just got darned excited to see Baby Girl! 

Here she is, ready to corral all of us through the streets of her temporary hometown. We soon met up with B, who was sorting out bus day passes for all of us (after having accidentally purchased "day passes with bicycle" tickets. I'll say it again - Dutch is confusing! 

We took the soon-to-be-familiar Number 6 bus to BG and B's adorable studio apartment on Ambyerstraat-Nord and enjoyed a lovely smorgasbord lunch. We immediately realized that there are quite a few foods that are superior to American food, particularly the cheeses and meats. 

After our yummy repast, we set out for "Maastricht Underground" - in one of the highest spots in Holland, miles of tunnels make for a unique experience. A tour beneath Saint Peter’s Mount allows you to explore the caves that were excavated by men through the centuries. We spent about an hour underground and it was pretty cool. One of the most memorable parts was when our tour guide had us extinguish all lights, put a hand on the wall, and walk as a group for about two minutes in utter darkness. Creepy and cool at the same time. When we emerged, even the gloomy Dutch skies looked bright! 

Next BG and B took us on a meandering tour through their sweet little town and we saw adorable shops, quaint cobblestone streets, an ancient city wall, french fries swimming in sauce, BG's digs at the University of Maastricht Law School, and lots more. I was very concerned about the weather prior to the trip, and while pretty chilly at times, it was easy to duck under cover for the very brief periods of rain and then just continue on your way. Layering was key!

We wound up on the more suburban side of the river (where BG and B live) for dinner and found a great restaurant with very good food. Only one problem - this menu, which took a LOT of Googling to decipher:

After dinner, we said goodnight to the Bigs' and jumped back on our trusty #6 bus - hoping we could remember enough letters in the name of our stop to find our hotel. It was no problem, but I have to say that long walk in the cold mist, dragging suitcases, after a night of almost no sleep nearly did me in. It was ALL I could do to drop my bag in the hotel, wash up, and collapse into bed. Hilariously I pulled out my book, but never got past the very first sentence. 

Daar Gaan We!

October 5, 2017

Daar gaan we (off we go) on our whirlwind Dutch adventure! We don't have a lot of time but we fully intend to make the most of it. First and foremost, it's an opportunity to lay eyes on Baby Girl during her four months living in the Netherlands, but also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit a country that we probably wouldn't have otherwise. 

Our flight left at the somewhat "inconvenient" time of 5:20pm. Meaning that while we arrive in Amsterdam at 7am, it's actually 1am EST - so not a lot of sleep opportunity. Regardless, the five of us: Tony, Billy, Spring Flower, Flying Sparrow, and I were determined to make the best of it. Also helping was United's free service of beer and wine. Regardless, it's hard to convince yourself to try to sleep at about 7:30pm, especially when there are literally hundreds of entertainment options a foot from my face. Nevertheless, we did our best to get a few winks before our all-too-soon arrival in Amsterdam. The trip was thankfully uneventful except for a landing that was someone described as "angry." 

A Decent Bite of the Big Apple

We returned from NYC two days ago and I've been meaning to fire up the blog ever since. Truth be told, I had great plans to blog DURING the trip, but there really wasn't time - and that's a good thing!

On the drive up to New York, the first thing that struck me was the tunnel in Baltimore. 

 I had a flashback of all the times we drove through the Harbor Tunnel on our way to my grandmother's house - very excited to be leaving Frederick and going SOMEwhere, ANYwhere. I flew on a plane for the first time at 24 years old. Other than a few car and bus rides up and down the East Coast, I was almost completely inexperienced in terms of travel.

Contrast that with my dear children, who have had the good fortune to visit many, many places. I am often just as excited as they are when embarking on a trip, since I doubt I'll ever take these opportunities for granted. 

I did obsess a bit over planning the details of the trip, but I think it paid off. We managed to stay on budget and still see a LOT. Tony did his usual fabulous job of selecting just the right hotel. The location and decor of the adorable Kimberly Hotel were big pluses, but the over-the-top win for me was our personal balcony overlooking 50th Street - and even all the way to the East River. Here are the girls enjoying the view from just outside our living room (aka their bedroom). 

We arrived a bit later than planned so basically dumped our luggage, changed clothes and rushed off to begin our adventures. First stop - Rockefeller Center and Top of the Rock. Here we had our first encounter with big crowds and not so polite New Yorkers, but it was worth it and having our first glimpses of the city be from 70 stories up was pretty novel. 

Next we wandered towards Times Square and our dinner destination, which as luck would have it was directly across from the Broadhurst Theater and a performance of Anastasia. It was fun to see the girls so excited about their first show in NY and this show did not disappoint. It was fabulous! Afterwards, we had the memorable opportunity to experience Times Square at night - what a hoot but SO MANY PEOPLE. It took us a while to work our way back to our hotel.

Day 2 had promised to be rainy all morning so we did not rush out the door. Then, nearly miraculously, just as we emerged from our hotel at about 8:45, the rain stopped and was soon followed by sunshine. An unexpectedly beautiful day. After another incredibly rude experience at breakfast (I knew to expect it, but it still just seems so unnecessary), we made our way to our day-long rental bikes. It was hilarious trying to figure out how to actually bike up Fifth Avenue towards Central Park without getting killed, particularly with two teenagers who have NOT spent a lot of time on bikes.

Once we got into the Park and got the hang of the bikes...blissful. A nice breeze was blowing and there was a great bike lane just for us to enjoy the greenery with the tall buildings of New York as a backdrop. Our first stop inside the Park was The Met, where we parked (and locked) our bikes and quickly made our way inside. Thereupon the girls realized this was THE Met and asked if we could take photos on the steps outside, a la "Gossip Girl." Sure. 

We enjoyed several areas of the Museum before hopping back on our bikes and going "around the horn" of the Park before heading south down the west side. Next we popped into the Museum of Natural History for a bit. Bummed that the butterfly pavilion was not open but we did get to see some well done exhibits before heading to our next stop. 

Here we left the relatively safe confines of the Park in order to bike to the Hudson River waterfront to take park in a Circle Line Cruise (touristy, yes - worth it, yes!). We dodged insane amounts of traffic and I have to be honest, it seemed that the vast majority of people we encountered - pedestrians and motorists alike - HATE bicycles. We were not wanted on the street or on the sidewalk. We did see bike lanes fairly often - but more often than not the cars used them to double park. It was just a bit stressful, but we made it! Fortunately the riverside had a great actual biking/walking lane and the last part of our ride was very enjoyable. 

We hopped onto our loud, tacky boat and savored every moment once we located the bar. One adult beverage perked up the adult members of our party. Once we set sail, things continued to improve - sunshine, river breezes, and some pretty spectacular views of the city, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, etc. It sure beat trying to see it all by bike! 

After our cruise we began the LAST leg of our bike journey - we were all grateful to return to the land of the pedestrians afterward - but those bikes really gave us an opportunity see and experience more. In the moment it was a bit nerve wracking, but looking back, we all agree it was a lot of fun and a unique way to experience our chunk of the city. After dinner in a fun Irish pub, we dragged our sweaty, exhausted selves back to the hotel and promptly collapsed.

On Sunday we lucked out with another gorgeous day. Before heading downtown, we walked less than a block in an attempt to experience "real" New York bagels at Ess-a-Bagel. Don't get me wrong, the bagels were damned delicious, but I think if we knew that we'd be in line for over an hour, we probably would have cobbled together some kind of Plan B. Did I mention that the bagels were delicious?

Next the girls took their very first NYC subway ride, from Grand Central all the way south to the Battery. We emerged to sunshine, breezes, and lovely water views. We spent some time wandering around the Battery before making our way to the 911 memorial and museum. There are no words to describe how moving an experience it was. Both the memorial and museum are SO WELL DONE. So many details just right. So evocative. It brought back so many memories for Tony and me, while enlightening the girls about what that day was like. While neither of them had been born yet - they were both being carried by their birth mothers on 9/11. 

After that sobering experience we took a leisurely stroll towards Chinatown, stopping to let the girls shop a bit on the way. We made it to Chinatown just in time for a late lunch at a "semi-famous" dumpling shop that will soon be moving from Chinatown to Chelsea. Really? The shop was crowded and we were seated with three white women who we think were a grandmother, mother, and daughter - ranging in age from maybe 70 down to 30. While we jumped right in to order a number of dumpling dishes and soups, they spent a great deal of time studying the menu and letting grandma try to practice with her chopsticks. By the time our dumplings started to arrive, they had made their choice - fried rice and FORKS. Noooo! While waiting for their food, they couldn't disguise their curiosity over our family (why is that white woman with those Asians?) and our enthusiasm over the food (while devouring it all using chopsticks - proficiently!) It was equal parts awkward and entertaining. It's how we roll.

After lunch we really enjoyed wandering through Chinatown and especially the park area, filled with Asian elders playing mah jongg, dancing, singing, and just getting OUT. The girls happily slurped down some legit bubble tea and Tony's day was made upon finding one of his favorite childhood snacks: Black Bean Hopia. ("Same wrapper!")

A bit tuckered out, we subwayed back to our hotel and took a bit of a siesta before heading back out. Actually while the girls "siestaed" Tony and I took the opportunity to visit the hotel's rooftop bar - a SUPER cool area on the 30th floor with a fully retractable roof, where we enjoyed sunshine and adult beverages before heading out on our next mission: to scale the Empire State Building in time for sunset.

After a quick dinner - and catching the tail end of the Pride Parade (yay!) we got to go to the front of the ESB line with our CityPasses (go us!). It was very crowded at the top, but doable. Claire set up a sunset over the Hudson timelapse on her phone and had to keep an eye on it for about an hour - but it was worthwhile! A great way to end our last full day in the city.

On Monday, while my family slumbered, I slipped out a bit early and made my way back to Rockefeller Plaza to try to set eyes on my "friends" from the Today Show. Yes, I'm a dork. I stood in a large crowd for just over an hour, but was rewarded just before the end of the show when Matt and Hoda gave me some great photo ops. : )

Afterwards the rest of the family joined me and we headed south to explore Grand Central Terminal and the market. Before that, we stumbled onto a food place I had wanted to try: Urbanspace Vanderbilt. What a COOL place to eat. So many unique choices and the girls were in heaven. Afterward, we did make it to Grand Central Market and had fun exploring before wandering back to our hotel and starting our drive home. 

As much as I enjoyed the trip, just the experience of driving cross-town was enough to make me want to go HOME! I can definitely see why cars in the city are a bad idea - feet and subways rock!