Amsterdam

After Luxembourg and Belgium, the last continental country I visited was the Netherlands, so that I could take the ferry to the UK. So of all the western European nations I had omitted Spain and Portugal because the Iberian peninsula was a bit out of the way. This deficiency I would remedy a decade later.

This sort of street organ is often seen in the Netherlands. It plays from book music using pneumatics to sound the pipes. Usually the operator will be soliciting donations by rattling a container of coins.

Speaking of coinage, the Dutch had an interesting system of guilder values: 1, 2.5, 5, 10, instead of the more common 1, 2, 5, 10. That's history now with the Euro. Another anomaly was that guilder was often abbreviated Hfl, for Hollandse Florijn (page in Dutch).

To be honest, I'm not sure that this photo and the preceding ones are from Amsterdam as I don't remember a park with deer there. It could be from Rotterdam or Utrecht, taken en route to Amsterdam. But what the heck, at the risk of offending the Dutch, let me say that superficially, Dutch urban areas are similar and only cognoscenti will be able to resolve the details and say aha, that's so and so street in that town.

A endearing aspect of the Netherlands is the provisions of many parks, canals and flowers. Balconies will often be decorated with planters. Makes for a bit of colour on dreary days.

This photo is definitely from Amsterdam; it's of the flea market at Waterlooplein. What can I say, the miniature windmill on display seemed so emblematic if kitsch.

One of the streets ending in Muntplein with the Munttoren in the distance.

I stayed at the Hans Brinker Budget Hotel which even today gets a wide spectrum of reviews. I don't remember much so it can't have been too bad.

I do however remember meeting girl backpackers who had the fairest complexions I had ever seen. They said they were from Iceland. I guess the shortage of sunshine has something to do with it.

Hans Brinker incidentally is a character from a US children's book. The same book popularised the legend of the boy who plugged a leak in a dike with his finger. It is however US invented folklore, not Dutch. Though they are not adverse to using the legend for tourism purposes.

The Bloemenmarkt in view of the Munttoren. It's the largest flower market in Amsterdam and indicates the popularity of flowers in Dutch homes. If I'm not mistaken those are clogs on the racks.

Most likely the Ten Kate Markt. It's a good place to get daily produce. Also found there are household goods and clothing.

For culture I visited the Van Gogh Museum. You can see one of his sunflowers series on the wall.

I probably visited the Stedelijk which is nearby, but I have no photographic proof.

This was most likely taken on a canal cruise (rondvaart) where they pointed out the several bridges lined up.

Amsterdam of course also lays claim to the title Venice of the North.

Brussels

Whenever possible I prefer to strike new paths instead of doubling back. And so it was when I left Denmark, I took the night sleeper train to Paris with a ferry crossing of about 18 km from Rødbyhavn in Denmark to Puttgarden in Germany. The train was actually loaded onto the ferry. It would have transited Hamburg, so strictly speaking I visited Germany again for a few hours. I alighted at Namur, Belgium in the small hours of the morning, and proceeded to Brussels.

They were very kind at the independent (non-IYH) hostel I had chosen; they let me check in early, and have breakfast without additional charge; strictly speaking the bed tariff included the next day's breakfast. Years later a friend remarked to me: When a stranger asks for a glass of water, we naturally say yes. Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a world where when a stranger asks for food, we naturally say yes?

Of course everyone goes to see Grand Place in Brussels. This is the Town Hall.

Still in the Grand Place but another side. I was fascinated by the flower market.

The skies are often gloomy like that in Belgium and even more so in the Netherlands.

One of the many streets in the city centre. I'm surprised I don't have a photo of the Manneken Pis. All the tourists go to see him, and many are surprised how small he actually is.

I had forgotten that I had visited the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels.

I do however remember sampling some of the hundreds of beer that Belgium produces, including the interesting Kriek Lambic which is flavoured with sour morello cherries.

Another thing I remember is that ordinary Belgian chocolate sold in the supermarkets was very tasty for the reasonable price. Of course, coming from Scandinavia, all the prices looked much more reasonable.

From the evidence of the photos I also took side trips to other Belgium cities using the railpass. This is the statue of Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp.

And this is Saint Nicholas' Church in Ghent.