Vermaakjeanne's travel blogs:
|
|
  | |  |
Coaching it to the Netherlands and back again...
Entry 27 of 50 | show all | print this entry |
|
25 August 2006 - Friday
8pm and all meeting up at Paddington Station in London to join the PP (Party Professionals) Travel tour group. The trip has been organised by Jeanette Engelbrecht (a friend of Peter's having studied vetinary with him). We met up with her and her boyfriend, Brendan. While queuing up and waiting for our coach to arrive, we were well provided with beers (£1) and "girlie drinks" (£1.50) by our tour leaders, Jamie and Jim (both Australians - they're EVERYWHERE!!!).
After a 9.15pm start out of London, we took a steady drive through to Dover where we almost immediately boarded the ferry having gone through customs. The ferry trip over from Dover to Calais, France, took approximately 1.5 hours, but gave us a bit of time to explore and settle down for a snack and drink. By the time we headed off from the ferry it was well past midnight having included the time change. For the rest of the night we drove through France, Belgium and The Netherlands towards Amsterdam. I managed to sleep most of the way. Don't know how but I've managed to perfect the art of sleep on long distance travel, whatever the transport may be... Peter however seemed to have quite some trouble catching even an hours sleep.
26 August 2006 - Saturday
Woke up about an hour or so out of Amsterdam as we'd stopped for a bit of break for the bus driver, though think it benefitted everyone... Topped up on some coffee and headed off to reach Amsterdam round about 8am. Though, despite us being booked into the Hans Brinker Hotel / Hostel (very central near Leidseplein), we were only able to check in after 2pm, so lugged our bags into storage and headed off to the Heineken Brewery Museum for a tour start of 10am.
 
We mosey'd on through the museum sampling some beer, played foozball, watched the best of the Heineken ads, did some DJ'ing, experienced what it would be like to be a Heineken bottle, went through their shop and then sampled some more beer... Really enjoyed the place... Straight after, we headed out right across the road to do a canal cruise. Very relaxing, and yet again well supplied with beers by our two tour leaders Jamie and Jim. About an hour and a half later we returned to land yet again in front of the Heineken Museum...
 
We were told to try out Febo, a take away's place that's rather popular in The Netherlands. It sells burgers etc, but has these little windows where the food is on display and you can put in your change, open the window up and grab whatever it is that you wanted to eat. The thing that caught our, or rather mainly Brendan's, attention, was the Krokets... They were absolutely devine. Really different. It's like a sauce/stew/something in the middle with like crust around the outside, in a sort of a round bar shape... Really, really nice... Must try it...
Well, then this is where it all starts going one way... Hmmm... a stroll through the smart shops, and then finally a stop at the Bulldog in the Leidseplein square... We had a couple of muffins and played some pool then after a while decided to head back to the hostel which is where it hit us... Advice to ANYONE - do NOT eat a WHOLE muffin EVER!!! You're incapable of talking or thinking or holding one thought for a very, very long time!! Which was a bit of a waste as I really enjoyed the initial experience.. it just turned out to be a bit much...
27 August 2006 - Sunday
Well, as Peter and I both didn't make it out the night before we were all set and ready for the next day. Had some lovely breakfast - bread, boiled egg, jam, butter, processed cheese and some cold meats... Mmmmm... ;-) Then headed to Dam Square from which we were to start our bike ride. These bikes are just beautiful... nice and old looking... but better yet... they absolutely kill your ass!!! My bum was so sore the next day!!! Anyways, we did a lazy bike ride towards the south of Amsterdam, stopped for a snack on a few occasions, and also a photo every now and then... and managed to lose half the people on the way back home due to flat tires etc...
 
Once back in the Dam Square, we decided to mosey around for a while just window shopping and looking at a bit of everything around while strolling back home.
Back at the hostel, we sat down for a couple of drinks during happy hour... before heading to the Red Light District for a bit of a wander. I was just as... I don't know what the word is... amazed? (not really)... surprised? at how the girls just stand there and offer themselves to passers by. And there were so many people going in for a quick "session"... It all seems so surreal...
Finally headed back to Leidseplein to join the rest of our group for a couple of drinks and a bit of party...
 
 
28 August 2006 - Monday
An early wake up to get back on the coach and head back to London. Actually pretty glad the trip back was in the day opposed to the evening this time just knowing that it's two good nights sleep rather than a intermittent sleep on the bus, and then back to work.
The only not so fun at all bit about the trip back was the ferry from Calais to Dover. I managed to get so sea sick that the only thing that sort of cured me was standing out on the deck in the very cold air. Took a while after getting back on the bus even to get to feel better. I'm definitely going to keep some motion sickness tablets on me and have them before I get on next time if there is...
Arrived back at Paddington at about 8pm, said our goodbyes to the group, Jeanette and Brendan and then headed on back home for another start at work the next day...
 
|
|
If you like this entry, search for other entries by vermaakjeanne, from Netherlands or try a new search. |
| |
Back to Entry - Back to Home
|
1 vote 
