Adelaide - Austin's Sister City

I awoke this morning to a beautiful view of the sun rising over Austin's Sister City - Adelaide. My goal today was to find out about this long-distance relationship we have. Fortunately, we didn't leave the Hyatt until 9am so I started researching the topic and found lots of info.

"Adelaide is surrounded by hills and enjoys a Mediterranean climate and ranks as one of Australia's most attractive cities..." Another major connection is that both cities are centers for the visual and performing arts and have a love of sports. Adelaide groups have visited Austin to study the high-tech industry and various Adelaide musicians have performed in Austin. The major connection I think is the fact that both cities have a very laid-back environment. A perfect example was dinner last night which was at the Good Life Mordern Organic Pizza Restaurant. Great fun and delicious pizza -- exactly what I would expect in Austin.

A special treat for us today was going to an Australian Rules Football game. One of Australia's most popular sports, the game is a combination of soccer and our football. Before we got to the stadium, our host, Southern World Australia, gave us the traditional scarves, gold, red and blude to wear to the game. The ball is like our football, but the rules are definitely different. From my limited observations, it appeared that the ball is advanced toward the goal by kicking, bouncing and throwing. This was an important game and the stadium was sold out as the Adelaide Crows were playing the reigning champions, the Hawthorn Hawks from Melbourne. Their fans wore gold and brown scarves which I didn't think were nearly as attractive as ours. With our support the underdog Crows triumphed over the Hawks. The photo is of me as we entered the stadium. Naturally, food accomnied the event, and we enjoyed delicious Aussie meat pies.

Backing up a bit, we started the day with breakfast on The Ghan, one of Australia's famous trains that travels from Darwin in the very north to Adelaide on the southern coast. Besides a delcious breakfast in the Queen of Adelaide car, we got to view the other parts of the train including the Prince of Wales car. Included on my "Bucket List" is a trip on The Ghan.

After the game we boarded a small charter plane to fly to nearby Kangaroo Island. The island isn't on the map you can see, but it is just south of Adelaide and is the 3rd largest island in Australia. We are spending the next 2 nights at the Southern Ocean Lodge and it is fabulous but more about that tomorrow. The photo of me was taken on the coast of Kangaroo Island.

From Kangaroo Island...

Linda

Aborigines - Ancient times to the present

Having said good by to a few of the local kangaroos waiting to see us off, we headed south with Adelaide as our final destination today. First stop was Arkaroo Rock where ancient Aboriginal paintings dating back 30, 000 years were found a few years ago. The weather was crisp (about 50 degrees) and clear, perfect for a hike. We climbed to about 2500 ft. over red sandstone rocks passing occasional kangaroos who blithely hopped away as we huffed and puffed our way up the rough path. The climb, however, was definitely worth our efforts. When we reached the overhang there were ancient ochre and charcoal images depicting the creation of the Wilpena Pound which we'd flown over yesterday.

I love Australia and Aussies for many reasons and one is the fact that they never go very long without an excuse for eating. In less than an hour after leaving Arkaroo Rock, we pulled off the road and drove to the Kanyaka homestead ruins for a native bush morning tea with scones. The homestead was once a huge sheep station in the pioneering days of the 1800's. The photo is one of me standing in front of one of the remaining structures.

As we left the ruins, the scenery changed to vast expanses of scrub brush flat lands, reminiscent of The Thornbirds. Hayden, our Aboriginal guide since landing in Adelaide, was passionate about his culture and arranged a stop for us to meet his Auntie Clara. What an enlightening and delightful experience this was for our group. In 1934 Auntie Clara at age 6 became one of the Stolen Children. Beginning in the 1920's the Australian government felt it would be beneficial for Aboriginal children to be taken permanently from their parents. The goal was to erase any connection they might have with their native culture and be raised in the missionary culture instead . Auntie Clara was delightful and her story was very moving as she never saw her mother again. Amazingly, she had no bitterness. Having become a kindergarten teacher, she eventually reconnected with her relatives and related her story to us in the photo.

By now we had gone almost 2 hours without food so it was time for lunch We stopped in Melrose, the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges and nestled at the base of Mt. Remarkable. It was a center for copper mining when the mineral was discovered in the 1840's.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent driving to Adelaide where we are spending the night.
Tomorrow will be a busy – and fun day – as we have breakfast on the famous Ghan train and then go to an Aussie football game before flying to Kangaroo Island.

From Adelaide, Austin's Sister City....
Linda

Outback in the Flinders Ranges

What a glorious day!! It began with a 4WD tour traversing mountain ranges, continued with a scenic flight over Wilpena Pound and concluded with a walk through the Old Wilpena Station just before sunset.

The road (and I use the term loosely) makes the roads in Costa Rica seem like the Loop 1 Toll Road in Austin. I can't recall driving over such difficult mountain terrain with no guardrails, but the views were absolutely breathtaking and well worth the bodily stress! We spent the entire 4 hours on a huge working sheep station that afforded magnificent views of Wilpena Pound and the Elder Ranges which are part of the Flinders Ranges of South Australia. The term “Pound” is an old term to describe a cup-like structure and Wilpena means “closed fingers.” Picture your two hands cupped together with fingers bent to hold or catch something. Red gum eucalyptis trees can be found in areas containing rivers or underground streams while other areas were covered in scrub grass and bushes. Vivid colors shown in the strata of the rocks.

Following a very quick lunch back at the resort, we drove to the nearby airfield – simply a dirt runway with a shack for the office. I now understand why the only way to truly see the Pound is by air. We flew in 2-6 and 4-seater Cesna aircraft. The afternoon was bright and sunny and the views incredible. I took a lot of photos ln the 30-minute flight as we crossed back and forth over the Pound and then through the surrounding valleys and got a few good shots.

Again, no rest for the weary. By the time we got back from the flights, it was time to depart for a 2-hour walk through the old Wilpena Station. What a living history of the original settlers who arrived in 1856 and described the area as “the prettiest place in the Far North.” The area still contained many of the huge old gnarled red gum trees that are the true representation of the Australian Outback. I felt as though I was on a movie set as I walked through the old Homestead, seeing original buildings and sensing what life must have been like for these sturdy pioneers. We weren't alone as numerous kangaroos stared curiously at us along with a few emus and wedge-tailed eagles soared overhead. The photo is of a mama 'roo' with her joey(baby).

Time hasn't permitted me to go into detail about the history of the Aborigines in Australia, but, needless to say, the life of these native people was drastically altered with the arrival of the Europeans. Two years ago on April 28th 2007, an Ikara sculpture was dedicated to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum that gave Aboriginal people full citizenship rights. The 2 dominant forms represent 2 akurras (Dreamtime serpents) – a fluid shape representing the Adnyamathanha (Aboriginal ) approach to the land and the flat-topped bench-like structure depictive of the European approach to living on the land.

I could have spent much longer in this beautiful peaceful setting, but darkness was rapidly descending. Tomorrow we leave Wilpena Pound and head back to Adelaide but on the way do more hiking in this amazing country.

More adventures tomorrow from the Australian Outback and Austin's sister city, Adelaide.
Linda

South Australia wine country

Had a great night's sleep. No wonder, since I was absolutely exhausted by day's end yesterday and almost fell asleep at the elegant welcome dinner hosted by The Four Seasons. I managed to stay awake long enough to appreciate the beautiful view from our room at night – the Harbour Bridge was lit as was the Opera House, but the latter is having a very special display for the next few weeks with the shells lit in vivid designs that change colors every few minutes.

The morning dawned bright and sunny as we boarded another Qantas flight, this time to Adelaide in the state of South Australia. I love Qantas; even on a brief flight of less than 2 hours passengers are served a light meal – US carriers take notice! There is a 30-minute time zone difference between Sydney and Adelaide. Don't ask me why -- Aussies just have their own way doing things.

Arriving in Adelaide, we boarded a 20-seater coach and headed north to the Claire Valley. The landscape changed to flat farmland as we left the city. Known as the Adelaide Plains, the major crops are wheat and other grains. After a hour we turned east, and again the terrain changed to rolling hills covered with vineyards. Since it is late autumn in Australia, the harvest had ended and the leaves on the vines were beautiful golds and reds. The Claire Valley has numerous historic townships but is best known in the US for their wonderful wines, especially the light and fruity rieslings. Arriving at the Skillogalee Winery we enjoyed a delicious lunch and and some of their wines. Australian riesling grapes are harvested earlier than the German ones which have a sweeter taste. The Skillogalee name can be traced to the original settlers who survived the early years only by making a "skillogalee" --a sort of thin porridge, probably from grass seeds and water. The word is Celtic in origin and was a dish commonly fed to prisoners in Ireland at this time.

Back on the road we were soon in the Australian Outback. This describes any region in Australia more than 300 miles from a city and includes most of the continent. Since the season is almost winter, the sun began to set and the horizon was enormous. I don't think I've ever seen such vast expanse as a sunset in the Outback. Suddenly our driver hit the brakes as a kangaroo hopped across the road. Several more crossed our path before we reached out destination -- Wilpena Pound Resort where we will stay for 2 nights. What a change from the Four Seasons! We are in the Flinders Ranges National Park and the resort is reminiscent of US National Park Lodges. The temperature dropped as night fell and the roaring fire in the fireplace felt wonderful --as did a good meal and glass of riesling.

More from the Outback tomorrow as we go exploring.

Linda

Sydney-- City of Arts and Architecture

Famous for its Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I enjoy ranking various sites and in the category of most beautiful harbours, Sydney is right up there with Rio and Hong Kong.

We landed on time at 6am Wednesday morning. I must have slept too long as I only got to watch 2 movies. Clearing customs would have been fast, but I decided to keep my peanut butter crackers and wound up having to stand in 2 lines before they were approved for entry into the country. The woes of being a "foodie."

Leaving the airport, we had a leisurely drive as the sun rose over the city. With a brief stop at Bondi Beach for coffee to give us a caffeine jolt, we continued on to Watson Bay where we boarded a boat for a Harbour Cruise. As we cruised past the famous landmarks, I thought about the changes that had occurred since the British First Fleet landed in 1788 with their human freight of convicts, soldiers and officers sent from England to forge a new British colony. Our Qantas flight in Premium Economy class was definitely an improvement over 2 months in steerage class!

Landing at Circular Quay right beside the Harbour Bridge, we were treated to a lovely lunch at the Park Harbour Hyatt. I remember staying there several years ago and loved the view of the Bridge and Opera House from my room. Lunch was lovely, but the Australian wines didn't help our energy level. From there we went to The Observatory Hotel where I had also stayed and were treated to desserts and coffee -- more caffeine to balance the wine and keep us going. I slipped out a little early to check into the Four Seasons and run down the street to buy a new camera. Mine breathed its last as we crossed the International Dateline.

It's been a wonderful day, and my only regret is that I don't have more time to savour this beautiful city. We leave in an hour for a cocktail reception at the Intercontinental and then back to the Four Seasons for a welcome dinner.

Tomorrow is an early day as we bid adieu to the Four Seasons at 5:45am to catch a flight to Adelaide. So much to see and don't won't to waste precious time on sleep!

More to follow from South Australia as we head to the Outback!

Linda

Australia -- Just 1 more movie than Europe!

I am leaving this afternoon(Memorial Day) on a nonstop flight from Austin to Los Angeles. If all goes well, I'll have a brief layover and then join other Aussie Specialists on a Virtuoso Educational trip to Australia.

Since this is my fourth trip to Australia, I have a "tried and true" routine that makes the flight enjoyable. As the title implies, rather than being a very long flight, it's only one more movie than Europe! Qantas is a great airline and with far more movie selections than time allows (new releases, classics, family themes and even a category for movies about Australia) , the hours pass quickly. After a glass of delightful Australian wine and a tasty dinner, I watch a couple of movies, take an Ambien and sleep 6-7 hours.

Upon awakening, I will eat breakfast and have time for one more movie(hence the title.) Soon Sydney's beautiful harbour and Opera House come into view as we descend into the airport. It's now Wednesday as we have crossed the International Date Line. I'll will never have a May 26th but will have two June 4th's when I return.

Virtuoso and South Australia Tourism has put together a wonderful 8-day trip with 1 night in Sydney, 5 in South Australia and 2 in Melbourne. It's a non-stop itinerary and has a warning in our packet that "due to the vigorous pace of this Educational and the amount of walking and other physical activity involved, it is recommended that all participants be in good health and physical condition.

After looking at the itinerary (and it is wonderful), I have visions of my collapsed body on the beach on Kangaroo Island with a kangaroo staring at me and a MedJet evacuation tag on my toe!
More from Sydney on Wednesday.

Linda

Amsterdam and the Keukenhof Gardens

Today is our last day in The Netherlands, but it was a wonderful day. First of all, the weather was absolutely perfect which was really important today as we were outside all day long.

As I mentioned yesterday, I had been looking forward to the Keukenhof Gardens from the first time I heard about the cruise. Located about 45 minutes from Amsterdam, these gardens were begun in 1949 and attract almost a million visitors each year. It's impossible to portray the beauty of the gardens in words, but the picture is a start. We had 3 hours there and Tana and I were once again late to the bus. We couldn't stop taking photos.

Most of the passengers will have not leave until Monday, but Tana and I are flying home tomorrow. Realizing our time in Amsterdam would be limited to this afternoon, I had asked our Cruise Director to arrange a local guide to take us on a 3-hr walking tour of the city. Fortunately a guide he recommended was available. So, after a very quick lunch, five of us took off with Norbert to explore this fascinating city. I can't even imagine how far we walked along canals, over bridges, through courtyards and squares, but it was delightful. With the weather so beautiful most of the city was also out. We stopped for a drink of "local beverages" at an outdoor cafe in the Rembrandt Plein (square). It was quite an experience as there were about 10 guys from Ireland next to us having a Bachelor Party. We were about 2 blocks away at the Flower Market when I realized I'd left my backpack at our table. I raced back to the cafe, and was in luck -- a Brit who had taken our photo was holding my pack!

Tonight is the Captain's Farewell party and it's going to be sad to leave. We've had wonderful experiences, eaten delicious food and made many new friends. Once again, I highly recommend river cruising and Tauck is perfection!

Signing off from Amsterdam...

Linda

Zuiderzee and Windmills

Totally different sailing this morning when we woke up. We were in open water as we crossed the large Ijsselmeer Lake (see map) from Kampen to Enikhuizen where we went ashore to visit the Zuiderzee Museum.

Back in the 1930's the Afsluitdijk was built to reclaim land flooded by storms from the North Sea. This closed off the Zuiderzee to salt water and formed the fresh water Ijsselmeer (meer = lake.) This destroyed the majority of the fishing industry and local villages were deserted as fishermen and their families moved to more profitable locations. Fortunately, the Zuiderzee Museum has preserved this era. Various structures from the deserted villages along the former salt water sea were moved to Enkhuizen where a Buitenmuseum (open-air museum) despicts seven centuries of life in an old Zuiderzee town. It was fascinating to wander through homes and stores from the villages I loved the one-room school house with a bench holding the small wooden shoes of the students. Demonstrations of how herring and eel were smoked as well as how rope was made from hemp further depicted local life. Today was a beautiful day and the attached photo is of us on a canal running through the village.

Back on our river boat, we started cruising toward Horn, but everyone ran up to the bow when we got to a large lock that allowed us to sail on top of a major highway. Funny experience to look at cars and trucks speeding by under the boat.

By the time lunch was over we had arrived at Horn, the capital of ancient West Friesland and one of the great seafaring towns of the Golden Age of the 16th century. Again, choices had to be made. We could either spend time exploring this charming medieval city or visit the Schermer Windmill Museum and a Dutch cheese farm. We opted for the latter.

And what a wise choice! We drove out into the Dutch countryside along beatiful small canals and fields of cows and windmills. After a very interesting demonstration on the process of cheesemaking we were taken to the barns where the cows were being milked. This was my favorite part. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I'm doing a study of happy cows. I know where the happiest ones live (Normany, New Zealand and The Netherlands) and now I've found the happiest farm. These cows are robot milked. They lounge around in the lush green fields until they have eaten so much grass and so full of milk that they stroll into the barn. When the urge hits them, they line up and enter one by one into the milking trough where a robot mechanically milks them. As they get into position a laser guides the milking tube to the fullest teat, cleans it off and then proceeds to milk the cow. We could see the milk being siphoned through clear tubes to a collecting jar. Once the "job" is completed, the cow is given a cookie. If she is faking it and just trying to get a cookie but doesn't have enough milk, the robot does not give her a cookie. Each cow produces about 25 liters a day of milk. Once the milking is completed, she steps in a trough to wash her feet and then is free the rest of the day. What a life!!!

From this exciting and informative venue we drove to the Schermer Windmill Museum. I can't fully convey how vital windmills are to life in The Netherlands. Although only a thousand still remain, at one time there were 9000. Initially windmills were used to grind grain; however, as the Dutch defeated the Spanish in the 17th century and Amsterdam grew along with the wealth of merchants and seamen, there came a need to reclaim land from the sea. This led to the development of draining mills which have reclaimed tremendous amounts of land. We passed fields and fields of windmills and spent time at this wonderful museum and saw how windmills are still used to move water from low areas to higher areas. The battle to salvage land from the sea is truly a tribute to Dutch ingenuity.

We've met delightful people on this cruse and even had dinner tonight with a couple from Sun City in Georgetown! We have been sailing from Horn since 6:30 and are arriving in Amsterdam as a I write. From the large windows in our cabin, I can see a full moon over the water with the city in the background -- what a view!

Tomorrow will be a highpoint in the cruise for me as we spend the morning at the famous Keunkenhof Gardens. I was last there in 1972 and was overwhelmed by acres and acres of beautiful tulips. I'm charging the camera battery to be able to capture some new memories.

From Amsterdam...
Linda

Arnhem... Van Gogh - Nature and Art Combined!

Today we were given 2 choices of shore excursions for the morning, and the choice was difficult. We are still immersed in areas of the Benelux that are rich in WWII history, and the tour of the region by a local guide based on the story of “a bridge too far” where Allied troups suffered horrible casualties trying to capture Hitler's last big defensive barrier, the Rhine fascinated me.

The choice we opted for however, was De Hoge Veuwe National Park and the Kroller Muller Museum. With “Quietvox's” around our necks we drove to the park, about 45 minutes away. The Dutch towns we passed were something out of Disneyworld with their beautiful flower gardens and well-tended small red brick houses complete with big picture windows. The windows are always spotlessly clean with curtains drawn to show to their neighbors that they have nothing to hide.

Having visited many great museums in Europe, I have a definite interest in learning about art history, and today's excursion definitely provided a step toward that goal. The photo on the left of Tana and I was taken at a stop in the National Park. A very wealthy couple in The Netherlands, Antone and Helene Kroller-Muller, helped found the National Park De Hoge Veluwe. This beautiful park provided not only a retreat for the Mullers from their busy schedule but also a wonderful park for others to enjoy. The park has numerous bicycle stations where you can pick up a bicycle and cycle through the park or enjoy a picnic in a scenic location.

Helene Kroller-Muller loved art and virtually "discovered" Van Gogh long before he was recognized as one of the greatest artist of the 19th century. The Kroller-Muller Museum has the second largest collection of Van Gogh paintings in the world, second only to the Rijksmuweum in Amsterdam. We spent a wonderful couple of hours seeing the works of this great artist and learning a great deal about his life and struggles. The grounds contained many impressive sculptures.

Back on ship we had another wonderful lunch followed by very informative lecture on the history and future of the EU. The afternoon weather was delightful, and we sat up on the top deck and watched the river scenes -- windmills are starting to appear in the towns we pass!

Our ship docked at Kampen at 5pm, and we immediately went ashore for a stroll through another delightful village. Kampen was a major commerce center in Th Netherlands until it was surpassed by Amsterdam in the Middle Ages. The second picture is the old city gate (the midgets at the bottom ar Tana and I -- It was a tall gate.) It was fun to just explore the little shops and the park with it's lovely flowers. Wish we could grow flowers like this in Texas but think we lack this great climate.

Tomorrow promises to be a fascinating day as we expore the Zuiderzee in the morning and visit the Schemer Windmill Museum and a Dutch cheese farm in the afternoon.

Until tomorrow...

Linda

Maas River --Cruising thru Dutch Countryside to Nijmegen

This morning's view as we awoke was lush pastoral scenes --contented cows grazing in meadows of dark green clover, beautiful horses chasing one another nearby and ducks swimming in the Maas River. I think I'll start an index of the world's happiest cows. In addition to Holland the other leading contenders would be Normandy and New Zealand's Northern Island. We cruised all morning -- just relaxing and enjoying the scenery after several busy days of sightseeing. Holland is actually only the southern part of The Netherlands whose name comes from the Dutch words neder = low, land = country.

We did manage to get enough energy to attend a very informative lecture on the Golden Age of Dutch Artists given by Mary, one of 3 outstanding Tauck Directors on board. The 17th century was the height of Dutch influence in trade, science and art. Artists from this era included Rembrandt and Van Gogh. We will be seeing some of their works tomorrow.



We docked right at the city center of Nijmegen(one of the two oldest cities in Holland --the other being Maastricht) and strolled into town after lunch. This is another charming city that I should have heard of but hadn't. It was founded on the Waal River, a branch of the Rhine, in the first century by the Romans and still contains ruins from this period. Charlemage loved staying here and built a castle where the Valkof Museum built in the 18th century still remains. Other sites include St Stevenskerk, a 14th-century Carolingian chapel.

Unfortunately, the city became a strategic battle area in the European theater of WW II when it was bombarded by Americans in February 1944. By September it was still in the midst of heavy fighting during the Battle of Arnhem. Although a lot of the beautiful medieval structures were destroyed, enough remained to give us a visual image of what life was like in the Middle Ages. The photo is of the Grotes Markt in the center of the city.

Tonight we cruise to Arnhem.
Linda

Maastricht -- Magical, Mystical, Medieval!

Shortly after breakfast we gathered in the lounge to pick one of 5 colored "Quietvoxes." These are wonderful soundsystems that allow us to listen to a tour guide's commentary and be quite a distance away; for example, stopping to take a picture or spend additional time viewing a site. The 5 groups left the ship and headed into Maastracht.

I must confess that I don't think I had ever heard of Maastricht prior to this cruise. That is shameful for an experienced traveller and travel consultant. This lovely town was founded by the Romans in about 100 AD and still retains much of its historic charm. Situated on the Maas River from which it took its name, the city is the thriving provincial capitol of Limburg and a vibrant university town. Due to the high cost of petrol (almost $7/gallon) students and residents utilize bicycles and bike lanes are strictly respected by cars and pedestrians alike. Walking through the cobblestone streets I found the scenes similar to the wonderful medieval German village of Rothenburg . The spires of St. Servaas Basiliek form the focal point of the city, but one of my favorite sites was a small museum featuring rooms decorated in period furniture from the 18th century. I found a charming wooden piece containing a hidden sink used by staff to wash wine glasses in the dining room without leaving the room.

Having been promised by the Tauck staff that we could return during the afternoon for further exploration and/or shopping on our own, we drove to the American War Cemetery in Margraten (the only American cemetery in The Netherlands). At this beautiful and moving site, thousands of American service men and women were laid to rest after the invasion of Europe in 1944. We felt a deep sense of gratitude to the bravery of these individuals who gave their lives for our freedom. Each of us placed a rose on one of the graves.

By now it was time for lunch, although it's hard to remember when I was last hungry! Today's lunch at Chateau Neercanne was a truly incredible experience. The photo was taken as we arrived at the 17th centur chateau built by a baron who became wealthy looting towns and villages. He found this beautiful piece of land that included a small village of about 200 people. Taking limestone from the mountain behind he built the chateau and caves for storing wine at the same time. Completing the construction in 1700, he lived there until his death in 1718.

Lunch was a wine and culinary delight (seat belt extension is now certain!) I didn't count the reds, but there were 4 wonderful whites along with local beers. Appetizers included salmon, shrimp, carpaccio, mushroom mousse, etc. Following this was a delicious main course ending with none other than a spectacular chocolate creation.

We managed to get back to the ship and are now sailing toward our next destination - Maasbracht (somewhere on the Maas River in The Netherlands. )

Until tomorrow...

Linda

Antwerp's Treasures -- Rubens, Diamonds, and Chocolate!

We woke this morning to a beautiful, sunny day about 60 degrees. The boat was still anchored at Antwerp, and after breakfast we were taken on a tour of the old city. This photo was taken of Tana and me near an old castle that had been restored. I had never heard much about Antwerp and was suprised to see what beautiful medieval buildings the city contains. It's an undiscovered gem. I am becoming conviced that Belgium has the lovliest city squares in Europe..

Peter Paul Rubens, a famous 17th-century Flemish painter, lived and worked in Antwerp. Unfortunately, his home is closed on Mondays, but we were able to see several of his major works on display in the Cathedral of Antwerp. The Jewish section is home to one of the major diamond-cutting centers of the world. My favorite stop, however, was at the Burie Chocolatier where we had a fascinating demonstration of how fine chocolates are made and what is involved in hand-made varieties. This company not only makes world-famous chocolates but is also known for their enormous chocolate structures. They actually made a life-size replica of an automobile completely from chocolate both inside and out for GM. Each month they have a different large chocolate creation in their showroom window.

One of the aspects that raises Tauck Tours above other companies is their selection of dining options. Following our tour we were treated to a delicious lunch in a Belgian restaurant. Our table companions were a delightful couple from New South Wales, Australia, and it was great fun to discuss various Aussie destinations.

After lunch we walked along the narrow cobblestone streets as we slowly made our way back to the ship. Bidding farewell to Antwerp we began to cruise the Albert Canal en route to Maastricht.
Tonight is the Captain's Reception and another wonderful dinner. I'm going to have to get an extension to my seat belt for the flight home.

Later this evening we will be crossing the border into Holland with more adventures ahead.

Linda

Brussels - Waffles, Lace and Chocolate

After a very uneventful flight from Austin through Atlanta. Tana and I landed in Brussels about 8:30am Sunday morning. I'm an advocate of Ambien for overseas flights and was able to sleep soundly sitting upright in coach. Awoke refreshed and "hit the deck a runnin'."

A driver Tauck Tours was waiting to whisk us to The Amigo Hotel in Brussels where we dropped our luggage and headed out to see as many sites as we could before meeting the rest of our group back at the hotel by 1:30.

The Amigo Hotel is very centrally located -- just a couple of blocks from the Grande Place (above photo) . This is the beautiful old city square surrounded by ornate medieval buildings. They must have been recently cleaned as the gold spires were gleaming in the sunlight. Flower markets in the center of the square further complimented the beauty of the scene.

One of my favorite memories from my first visit 30+ years ago was seeing the little Manneken- Pis statue which is the mascot of Brusssels. This small boy 'spraying foliage naturally' is visited by thousands of tourists annually. I was so disappointed today -- someone had dressed him in tourist attire and instead of holding his anatomy he was holding a digital camer. I guess the city fathers are cleaning up more than just the spires on the buildings!

By now Tana and I were feeling pangs of hunger so we headed down a quaint street, the size of an alley, lined with restaurants. Delicious aromas of local seafood enticed us as well as a friendly maitre d' greeted us with a friendly "Bon Jour." I was feeling confident in my high school French and returned the greeting with another "Bon Jour" to which he immediately answered, "Hi". So much for my fluent French! Lunch was a delicious salad, shrimp croquettes (local speciality) and local wine.

With only 20 minutes remaining we managed one more stop at a chocolatier on the Grande Place and hurriedly downed a coffee and decadent fudge torte.

Back at The Amigo again, we met the rest of our group -- travel agents from various areas in the south and southwest. We had been invited to join the cruise by Cissy Searingen, our Tauck Busines Development Manager. Our very comfortable motor coach had seats that almost totally reclined, and most of us were asleep by the time we left the hotel.

Our ship, the MS Swiss Emerald, was docked in Antwerp when we arrived, and we were warmly greeted by the staff and escorted to our cabins. The ship is elegant, and I was so pleased to see that we had cabins with French balconies providing great views of the Albert Canal. I took a quick peak at the dinner menu which looks fabulous -- beginning with escargots and finally ending with Death by Chocolate. Must locate the Fitness Center soon!!

Tomorrow we tour Antwerp and then cruise to Maastricht. A very full day but looking forward to more adventures tomorrow.

Au voir,
Linda

Belgium and Holland in Springtime

Picture tulips and windmills and what comes to mind? Springtime, of course.

I'm looking forward to discovering spring in one of the most beautiful regions of the world, the Benelux (also known as Belgium and The Netherlands.)

The adventure begins tomorrow as I fly from Austin to Brussels with my good friend Tana Taylor, another a travel consultant. We are going to spend next week cruising the centuries-old waterways of Belgium and the Lowlands of Holland on a Tauck River Cruise.

Most of our fellow passengers will be arriving in Brussels a day ahead of us, but we will join them on Sunday in Antwerp, Belgium. Immediately upon arrival in the Brussels airport they will be driven to the medieval city of Bruges for a day of sightseeing. Fortunately, I have been to Bruges on several trips but do wish time would have permitted one more visit. It is one of Europe's best-preserved cities and contains beautiful buildings that are hundreds of years old along with charming canals that flow under arched bridges.

This is my third Travel Blog, with the first from Costa Rica last September and the second from the Danube River as we travelled from Budapest to Prague. Each edition has a new twist. I was really a novice in Costa Rica, frantically searching for a computer after a day of adventures that included ziplines over the rain forests and rappelling down 185 ft. waterfalls! In December I added photos to each posting as we travelled from Budapest to Prague exploring the magical Christmas Markets of Europe . The latest addition is my new Netbook, a small 10" laptop that only weighs 3 lbs. Hopefully (with occasional IT support from Austin and San Francisco), there will be daily postings as we search for windmills, sample local cheeses, indulge in delicious chocolates and savor the charm of Europe!

Next update -- Belgium!

Linda