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Exploring The City In Copenhagen, Denmark

Posted on May 14, 2012

Copenhagen - View from Our Saviours Church

One of the firs things that I noticed when I arrived in Copenhagen is how they write the city name on tourist posters. They change how the capitalisation so it is written cOPENhagen, and open is not a bad way to describe the city.

Copenhagen is a very open and welcoming city, especially for those who speak English. The people in stores and cafes speak English and are willing to help. There are other European cities where this is not so much the case, and as a traveller, it does make things a lot easier.

Getting Around Copenhagen

There are some tour options in the city, such as the Hop On Hop Off bus, or other more specific tours. However, I choose to walk since the city is somewhat small and compact with many sights quite close together. I find the idea of walking to explore an excellent idea since it can help you to see a little more at times. Instead of just whizzing by on a bus and trying to see something out the window. It also gives you the opportunity to decide if you want to go a slightly different way.

Nyhavn

Even though I did not take the Hop On Hop Off bus, I still made use of the route map as a rough version for my walk. The area I started in is known as Nyhavn and is one of the quintessential images often used for Copenhagen. The string of brightly painted houses with many boats moored along the canal sets the scene.

Amalienborg Castle

The walk along the Copenhagen waterfront is quite nice, and there are some interesting sights along the river. The first I wanted to visit is Amalienborg Castle, which is the home of the Danish Royal Family. My timing was reasonably good, arriving at just the right time to witness the changing of the guard. The changing of the guard takes place on a daily basis at 12 midday.

Frederick’s Church

Not far from Amalienborg Castle, is a rather beautiful building. It is a church by the name of Frederick’s Church and also commonly know as the Marble Church. The construction of this church started around 1749. However, progress slowed dramatically, and it was left in ruin for some time before finally being completed in 1894. The outside of the church is very striking, with a dome that could be inspired by St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The interior is quite simple, but still rather impressive due to the size of the building.

The Little Mermaid

Further along the waterfront, there is a rather iconic statue in Copenhagen. The Little Mermaid sits on a rock just on the edge of the water. Even if you are not familiar with the statue, there is a good chance you will have heard the fairy tale which inspired the statue. The Little Mermaid was original written in 1837 as a ballet by Hans Christian Andersen and later adapted to an animated musical film by Disney. The statue of the Little Mermaid itself was unveiled in 1913 and has been in the same position for almost a century.

Kastellet

If you have ever looked at a map of Copenhagen, you might have noticed a particular feature near the mouth of the river. Kastellet shows as a star formation on the map and is North Europe’s finest and best-preserved fortification.

The interior fortress today belongs to Danish Defence and is used as a modern military establishment. However, it is possible to walk through and visit a couple of interesting places within the fortress. One fascinating feature on one of the rear embankments is a windmill, which is pictured below.

St Alban’s Anglican Church

I had noticed the spire of a church while walking through Kastellet and it turned out to not be far from the exit. The church is St Alban’s Anglican Church, with a quick construction between 1885 and 1887 in the Gothic Revival Style. Constructed for the growing English congregation in Copenhagen and is often referred to as “The English Church” by locals.

In some ways, it is the most aesthetically pleasing church I have visited, but maybe it is the building style that forms this impression. Inside the church is quite beautiful, with many stained glass windows, which are currently in the process of being repaired and restored.

The Gefion Fountain

A short walk from St Alban’s is a fascinating fountain. The Gefion Fountain was completed in 1908 and features a large-scale group of animal figures being driven by the legendary Norse Goddess. The original location for the fountain was to be near the Town Square and City Hall. However, that eventually changed to the current location, which seems much better.

Our Saviours Church

A short ferry ride later I was on the southern side of the river, arriving not far from the Copenhagen Opera House. I set out and walked past Christiania, which is a sizeable hippy commune in Copenhagen. My destination was Our Saviours Church in Christianshavn.

When you look at Our Saviours Church from the outside, it is a rather drab and ordinary brick building. The only exception is the conical spire on top, which is interesting.

I found two very interesting features to Our Saviours Church. The first is the conical spire above; it turns out the rings around the spire are the handrails for a staircase. It is possible for a small fee to walk the stairs to within a metre or two from the highest point of the spire. In total there are around 400 steps to reach a point of around 90 metres above the ground, giving a great view over Copenhagen.

The second rather interesting feature of Our Saviours Church is the organ. I cannot be certain, but I believe it is the largest organ by physical size I have seen. The organ was built between 1698 and 1700 and is built into the wall. The organ appears to be resting on the back of two elephants with an intricately carved wood facade.

Inner City Beach

One interesting thing I found while walking Copenhagen is the ingenious solution to not having a beach in the city. You take a floating pontoon add some sand and a few beach chairs and problem solved.

Five Lakes

On the western edge of the city of Copenhagen, you will find a series of five large lakes. In earlier days of the city, these lakes were a single waterway which formed a part of the cities fortifications. While at another time they were part of the cities water supply, acting as a reservoir. Today though they are a protected area serving more of a recreational purpose, with walking/running tracks encircling them.

A Great City

Copenhagen is a great city to visit and explore. Even with its small size, there is a lot of interesting landmarks and places to visit. But I think to some extent the small size is a part of the attraction. I can say for sure Copenhagen will be a city I am going to return in the future.

Destinations

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Day 2

Posted on May 13, 2012

Today was my second full day in Amsterdam. Like yesterday I had back to back tours booked which would fill the majority of the day. The morning tour visited Zaanze Schans, Volendam, and Marken. With the afternoon tour visiting Delft, The Hague and Madurodam.

Morning Tour

The tour For the morning had three stops, Zaanse Schans, Volendam, and Marken. While all were of interest the stop in Volendam had a little extra to capture my attention from the name. MS Volendam was the name of the ship which I completed my second cruise.

Zaanse Schans

Zaanse Schans is a village famous for its windmills. Between 1961 and 1974 a lot of the building from the wider area were brought together at Zaanse Schans. At one point around 1760, there were up to 700 windmills in the area. Today it would appear there is around eight still in the immediate vicinity, for preservation.

There is more to Zaanse Schans than just windmills, though, and there is more history to be discovered itself. The village prominently features the traditional Dutch architecture, which dates back to the 16th century.

Even in this much smaller village some 15km from Amsterdam itself, canals are still fairly prevalent. I suppose there are numerous benefits to the canals, in forming boundaries, and an alternative method to get around. Although from my point of view today they just help create some beautiful scenes.

Volendam

Our time in Volendam was rather short, with just enough time for a short stroll before boarding a ferry. It is hard to tell from the small part of Volendam I visited, but the town is home to some 22,000 people.

Marken

The tour departed Volendam on a 30-minute ferry trip to Marken. Marken forms a peninsula on the Markermeer, which was formerly an island in the Zuiderzee. The connection to the mainland occurred in the 1950’s transforming Marken from an island community.

The architecture in Marken is again very traditional, and the canals are again present. There are two local industries in Marken which we got to see demonstrated today. The first trade explained is that of cheese making. Some of the aspects of cheese making the equipment used were on display and a short explanation is given on the process they use.

On the other hand, the second industry is that of clog making, which is something so often associated with the Dutch. The demo was quite amazing, at the speed the craftsman worked. He was able to take a solid piece of wood and transform it into a pair of clogs in under 10minutes. The specific machinery for making clogs was also quite intriguing.

Afternoon Tour

The two tours today while operated by the same company, are separate. One aspect in Amsterdam that I have found to be great. A range of half-day tours are available with a variety of combinations to make full day tour packages. The afternoon tour visits three more locations Delft, The Hague, and Madurodam.

Delft

Delft is a city located an hour south-west of Amsterdam and is home to nearly 100,000 people. The primary focus of our visit to the area today was to visit a Delft Blue Pottery factory. Delftware is a form of tin-glazed pottery made in Delft, which is part of a worldwide family of Blue and White Pottery.

The interesting part to all of this is that originally this style of pottery was created when the locals brought back beautiful pottery from China. However, the tables have turned back, and the copies are now coming from China.

There was some free time available in Delft to walk around the city a little. I got a chance to see some of the lovely older buildings here including the new church. While it may be called the new church, it is still over 500 years old. The City Hall is also quite an impressive and striking building which has now become too small for the city.

With limited time I had to chose where I spent my time carefully and ended up exploring a church I found. The church was named Maria can Kessekerk. The church has some beautiful stained glass windows, and beautiful organ, which is made up of some 2,500 pipes.

The Hauge

The Hauge was the next destination for the tour. Located just north of Delft, The Hauge is a much bigger city with a population of over half a million people. Unfortunately, this was a minimal part of the tour and more of a drive by of numerous interesting landmarks.

The only stop in The Hauge was a photo stop at a building by the name of The Peace Palace. This building is the home of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.

Madurodam

Madurodam is an interactive park with miniature models of many Dutch buildings, landmarks, turbines and depictions of daily life. Even after spending just one or two days in Amsterdam and some of the surrounds, there are many recognisable buildings here.

Miniature villages or displays such as this are something that I love to visit. What they do is give you an entirely different perspective of real life buildings on a much smaller scale. Often when you see a building in a city, the area can make it difficult to distinguish the full size or scale of a building. But in miniature, it is an entirely different story, especially when they in isolation to other buildings.

Goodbye Amsterdam

With the end of the tour today, my time in my time in Amsterdam is coming to a close. I took a little time to explore some more of the city and then headed for the train back to the airport and my hotel for the evening. Tomorrow I travel onwards to Copenhagen and a new city to explore.

Amsterdam has been a great city to visit. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave a comment below. Alternatively, you can find me on social media at Twitter – @joel_travels, Instagram – @joel_travels, Facebook – Joel Travels & Pinterest Joel Travels.

Destinations

A Day In Amsterdam & Keukenhof Gardens

Posted on May 11, 2012

While last night I took the opportunity to take a canal cruise through Amsterdam, today was my chance to see the city from a bus. There were two tours that I pre-booked, a city tour for the morning and afternoon tour to Keukenhof Gardens. Like the past few cities, I have visited tours are the best way to maximise my time here and to see as much as I can.

Amsterdam Morning Walk

I had a little time before the tour begun this morning and walked a street named Damrak. There are many interesting buildings along this street, which leads from the Central Train Station to Dam Square. A number of important buildings surround Dam square. The World War II Museum, the gothic styled 15th-century church, Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) and the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace sees minimal use except for State visits and other important events.

Morning Tour of Amsterdam

With only a little time I headed back towards the train station to join the tour. The city tour is not too long about two and a half hours. However, it was I think a fairly comprehensive tour. The first part of the tour drives through the streets of Amsterdam, where you get to see the style of the houses, and also some of the most prominent buildings, such as museums and galleries.

As the tour headed towards the outskirts of the city, we stopped to visit one of the remaining windmills actually in the city area of Amsterdam. This particular windmill is from the 17th century and is still inhabited today. At their peak, the Netherlands had over 10,000 windmills which had various uses such as grinding grain or pumping water. Today there are around 1,000 left in the whole country. However, this number is increasing, as only fully operational windmills get counted, and recently some complete rebuilds have helped.

In both the canal tour last night and the bus tour today it is hard to miss the many houseboats along the canals. There are around 2,500 such boats in Amsterdam today. However this number is not increasing due to new government limitations on the addition of new houseboats. Some of these rival some houses for quality and luxuries, and in the right one I could easily imagine living.

Keukenhof Gardens Tour

There was a short break between tours for lunch, which I enjoyed with a couple I met this morning. The afternoon tour was to visit Keukenhof Gardens, a 40-minute drive from the Amsterdam City Centre.

The arrival at Keukenhof Gardens coincided with the sun making an appearance this afternoon. Something that the tour guide indicated was lacking over the past few days. It definitely is much more comfortable and enjoyable to walk gardens with the sun out and no rain.

The flower that often comes to mind when you think of Holland is the Tulip. So it comes as no surprise that Keukenhof Gardens have extensive garden beds of tulips. There are so many different varieties and of course colours.

The tulip is not the only flower that is in abundance though there are many other flowers in just about every colour you can imagine. With mixed plantings throughout the gardens mixing different flowers and colours to create some unique and pleasing views it the garden. Also thrown into the mix are other landscape features such as how stone, pathways, and water is incorporated into the garden.

Another feature of the garden that was fun to see was the sculptures and artwork integrated into the gardens. One which I quite liked was “The Friendly Dragon” by Joshua Pennings. It was quite an interesting statue and almost felt like this little dragon could be a pet.

One of the pieces in the gardens that caught my eye was their windmill. When I did a little reading in the guide book, it says that this windmill was a gift to the Keukenhof Gardens in 1957 by Holland America Line, the cruise company which I have sailed with three times now. It is again a little different to the windmills I have seen, however I think that this might be the case with many windmills, each will have their own individual touch.

Ready For More

Tomorrow I have two more tours lined up to see a little bit just outside of Amsterdam. Today was great to get to see some of the city and some lovely gardens as well. While Amsterdam does have a certain reputation, it is also a beautiful place to visit and see a little of the city, whether you see the attractive side of the city or the maybe slightly questionable side.

I always love to hear your stories or answers your questions, so please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. You can also find me on social media just follow the link for your favourite network below.

Destinations

Travel Day – Copenhagen To Amsterdam

Posted on May 10, 2012

One of the great downfalls of my travel schedule is moving between cities and the time spent in airports. Today was more productive than some days spent travelling. The morning started in Copenhagen, where I did have some time to see a couple more sights. Finishing the day with a canal cruise in Amsterdam.

Copenhagen

I set off this morning to take a walk through the Botanical Gardens. A beautiful green space located in the middle of the city. The garden was a little disappointing due to large areas of replanting and others in need of maintenance. However, considering winter is not long past this could be expected, and there were some beautiful areas still to be seen.

Kings Garden

Another garden, located not far from my hotel was Kings Garden. Another beautiful green space, that mainly consists of manicured trees, shrubs and hedges. I also did find a couple of statues and a water fountain.

Rosenberg Castle

While walking Kings Garden, I discovered there is a castle here that you can visit. Rosenberg Castle, built between 1606 – 1634 as a summer castle for King Christian IV. The castle is also the home to the Royal Treasury, including the Danish Crown Jewels. It is possible to walk through the entire castle and see extensive displays of artwork, furniture, silver, crockery and glassware.

Attached to the castle is the Royal Treasury, with an extensive collection of royal artefacts. The collection includes guns, swords, vestments, gold and jewellery. The centrepiece of the collection though is the Danish Crown Jewels.

As of midday arriving, I knew it was time to find my way back to the hotel to collect my luggage. I made my way to the airport and with around 90 minutes before my flight had some time to relax and enjoy lunch. Soon on my way to Amsterdam and a new city to explore.

Amsterdam

Although not always practical, in Amsterdam I opted to stay at an Airport Hotel. A decision motivated by price, I got a much better room and saving $400. So the first thing I needed to do was work out my timing in getting from the hotel to the city. I needed to do this tonight as I had a tour booked for the morning.

Airport To Amsterdam

The cost from the airport to Amsterdam city centre via train is 4.20 Euro each way and takes about 16 minutes. I will admit that this is a small additional cost, but for three days with the saving on the hotel, I was still well in front. With the choice of tours that I booked, the inconvenience of getting from hotel to city each day was not noticed.

Amsterdam Canal Tour

Although it was late afternoon by the time I arrived in the city centre, I decided to find something to do. Not far from the station is a part of the canal where many boats set out on canal tours, dinner cruises and the like. I secured a ticket for an hour long tour seeing some of the city of Amsterdam from the canals.

A canal or river cruise where available is a great option to see a city from a different perspective. Many aspects are easier to see from the water. There are also some things that you just do not see any other way. Specifically in Amsterdam is the 3,000+ houseboats and 1,000+ bridges that line the canals.

More to Come

There is more to come over the next two days; I have two fantastic tours booked. These tours cover some areas near to the city and also the surrounding areas. So keep watching, and we will see what Amsterdam has to offer.

Have you visited Amsterdam or have a question. Please consider sharing your experience or question below in the comments. Alternatively, you can find me on social media at Twitter – @joel_travels, Instagram – @joel_travels, Facebook – Joel Travels & Pinterest Joel Travels.

Destinations

Exploring Copenhagen and Surrounds

Posted on May 9, 2012

I get to do something a little different to my usual travel day today. One of the reasons for my visit to Copenhagen is to meet some relatives that live here. As such they have arranged a day out to show me around some of the Danish Countryside near to Copenhagen. It is very nice to get to meet some family that I have not met before and see their home country through their eyes.

Taarbaek

There was a sort of plan for the day, and I was happy to follow along and see what was here. The first stop was a small seaside town just north of Copenhagen by the name of Taarbaek. On a clear day from here, you can see Sweden across the water. Unfortunately, today is not a clear day. The area has many nice older homes and along the foreshore, you will find many sailboats.

Fredensborg Palace

The next stop today was at Fredensborg Palace, the home of the Danish Royal Family. Located on the eastern shore of Lake Esrum in Fredensborg on the island of Zealand. The most used of the Danish Royal Residences, Fredensborg Palace often hosts important events and state visits.

The timing of our visit coincided with the changing of the guard. There is a choreographed process to the changing of the guard. For much of the process, there is the accompaniment of flute and drums.

Frederiksborg Palace

Frederiksborg Palace is a palace from the early 17th century originally for King Christian IV. The palace was built on the site of an earlier castle from the era of Frederick II. The palace itself resides on a series of three islands in the middle of Palace Lake. The building is of primarily red brick in the Renaissance Style. In fact, it is the largest Renaissance Palace in Scandinavia.

Surrounding the palace is a series of gardens that are very beautiful and well kept. The gardens incorporate a series of monograms made from small box hedges. Along with extensive flower displays and water features running the length of the gardens.

Herlev Kirke

From the outside, Herlev Kirke is rather indistinct and not so impressive. However, once you enter the building, it is such a beautiful old church. There are a series of beautiful paintings that cover the ceiling, and there is a very nice feeling being inside here.

Today has just been an incredible experience getting to see the Danish Countryside through the eyes of my relatives. It is such a beautiful country that does share some similarities with Australia. There turned out to be a couple of points when we were driving down the country roads that I could have been in Australia.

If you ever have the chance to visit Denmark, I would highly recommend it. Even if the only excuse is it being a beautiful country. Just don’t let the language barrier stop you, as it is not an issue at all.

Destinations

Exploring The City Of Copenhagen, Denmark

Posted on May 8, 2012

I arrived in Copenhagen today around midday, after leaving Brussels on a relatively early flight this morning. I love travelling between cities on short early flights. Where you do not have to be up to early in the morning, but you still arrive at your destination early in the day.

Copenhagen

Getting into the city from the airport is super easy in Copenhagen. Unlike some cities I have visited that make it difficult, here there are plenty of options. I choose to take the metro train, but there are also buses and other trains. The cost was quite reasonable as well at 36 Danish Kroner (about $6-$7). The metro is reasonably frequent and only takes about 15 minutes from the airport to the city.

After checking into the hotel and collecting a packet of information my relative had left for me, I went to find some lunch. The information my family had left also included a couple of suggestions for the afternoon and evening. One suggestion was to take a canal cruise which is about an hour and looked to be the best option to get started.

Copenhagen Canal Tour

Like many European cities, I have visited the bridges can be quite low, which in turn means boats that sit low in the water. But even still I have found many cities here a boat can often afford you the best view. Often this is because the streets are not wide enough to get great photos, but the canals often are.

One of the newer buildings in the city is the Skuerspilhuset (Royal Danish Playhouse). It sits on the waterfront and has quite a distinct look to it.

Copenhagen as a city has a very long history, being founded in the 10th century AD. Along with this long history, there are some beautiful older buildings throughout the city. However, just like the Royal Danish Playhouse above, there are some other rather new buildings that stand out. One such building is the New Opera House, which sits on the bank opposite the Royal Danish Playhouse.

A city, of course, is never truly defined by one or two points, but by the collective of everything that makes the city. I find this to be true, particularly when water plays a big part in the way the city has form. In many ways, it creates some rather interesting scenes from the right angles.

Tivoli Gardens

Another suggestion that my relative had made was to visit Tivoli Gardens. They suggested that I visit during the evening, I was not quite sure that to expect. However, when I looked it up on the map and brochure provided it seemed to be a mixture of gardens and inner city theme park. There was a mix of restaurants, rides and also some gardens.

Earlier I had posted a message on Couchsurfing and found a few people who were also looking to visit Tivoli Gardens. I was not so interested in the rides, but the gardens were nice, to look walk through. Along with how the buildings get lit at night.

It has been a great start to my visit to Copenhagen. It has been much easier to have some suggestions on how to start seeing the city from my relatives. I look forward to meeting them very soon and getting to see some of the countryside around the outside Copenhagen with them.

Destinations

Exploring The City Of Antwerp, Belgium

Posted on May 6, 2012

Many people when they travel to city spend their time in and around that city. But it seems I am bucking this trend a little while staying in Brussels. Today was to be my second full day in Brussels, yet I have taken the train to visit the nearby city of Antwerp. Essentially in total, I will not even have a full day in Brussels itself.

Getting To Antwerp

Getting around Belgium is rather easy to do with the trains. Like my trip to Bruges yesterday the ticket on the train was almost half the weekday price, costing just €7.80. It also helps that the train takes just 35 minutes to get from Brussels to Antwerp.

Exploring Antwerp

I was somewhat prepared for my visit after getting a map from www.use-it.be at a tourist centre in Brussels. A great suggestion from my friend and it made it much easier to find my way around.

Even though I had not put together a particular route for the day I had the few points I wanted to see. So getting started was quite easy, although the most interesting place to start is the train station. It is a beautiful older building with some amazing architecture.

The Buildings

Antwerp like many cities in Europe is a mismatch of the old and new. In a way, you can date some buildings in the city, especially the old ones. But there is such a mix of old and new that looks like the opposite. But in a way, I have found that Antwerp seems to have much less in the way of nice old buildings than other cities. They either seem to have been modernised or in some state of disrepair.

Churches

I have found it nearly impossible to visit a city and not come across some churches to visit. While I did find a few nice churches today, there were none that I could visit inside. Being a Sunday, I was surprised at just how many churches were not open today. With some other churches currently in the process of performing Mass.

Photo Fortress

Along the waterfront, I came to what appeared to be a rather impressive building. The castle which goes by the name of Photo Fortress at the moment was built around the 1200’s. While it was another location that was closed today, from what I could read on some nearby plaques it has had quite the past.

Museum

In stark contrast to the older buildings, I came across this rather new building on the waterfront as well. Here you can find the 360 degrees view museum, and the building offers some spectacular view over the city I understand. Unfortunately, it was only after the fact I discovered admission to go to the top was free. Something to keep in mind for a future visit maybe.

Green Space

It seems that parks and green space are not a priority around Antwerp, as I did not see very many. That is except for one park that is rather large and not far from the train station. The park is called Stadspark and from the small amount of time I had to look around it appears to have everything. There is a lake for waterbirds, a walking/jogging track, a large playground for children and a skatepark. There is also a lot of greenery, and in some ways, it is like they are trying to make up for the lack of other parks through the city.

As a whole Belgium seems to have a lot to offer and is a rather nice place when you get to look around. There is a reasonably good mix between city and countryside. While getting around in and between cities is rather easy as well. In respect to Antwerp, it has not turned out to be my favourite city, but it was nice to have the chance to visit and look around for the day.

Destinations

Exploring The City Of Bruges, Belgium

Posted on May 5, 2012

Bruges - 1 of 4 Windmills left in Bruges

One lesson that I have become familiar with while travelling is to be flexible. Plans until they happen, are not set in stone and have the potential to change. The friend I was going to explore Brussels with end up not being available today. So instead of wasting a day waiting I decided to take the train to see Bruges.

Bruges, Belgium

The city of Bruges is located around 100km north-west of Brussels. By train, it takes just over one hour and costs around €13.60 each way. However, today being a weekend I was able to take advantage of a weekend ticket saving almost 50%, for €14.40 return.

On The Train

The train is the perfect way to travel here, besides being cost-effective, it is also very comfortable. Although it might be a different case during the week, there were not many people on the train. While enjoying the beautiful countryside passing by, I had the opportunity to also get some writing done.

One of the towns we passed that I think would be great to visit in the future was Ghent. The below picture is from the train as we arrived at the Ghent Train Station.

Arriving In Bruges

I had a chance to work out a sort of plan to see Bruges, thanks to some maps I discovered. The map is created by a group called Use-It and they have made some youth-focused maps for a number of Belgium cities. You can find some more information on their website at www.use-it.be. I think they day would have still been great without the map, but it definitely allowed me to plan ahead and find my way.

Getting Into Bruges

I set out along the canal that almost completely encircles Bruges. A winding path along the beautiful green riverbank is a great start to seeing any city I think. Even the lightly drizzling rain was not going to hold me back, from enjoying the city here.

One of the last things I spotted before heading into the city itself was a number of windmills. Originally Bruges had a total of 25 windmills, but now just four remain. One of these is in its original location, while two are open to the public as small museums. However, only at the right time of year, and I believe they are still operationally intact.

Bruges The City

To some people, Bruges is known as the Venice of Belgium, although I might not go that far myself. There are a number of canals that break the city of Bruges into a number of small islands, which I guess inspires this idea. The biggest difference in the canals here though is very few boats, except for the occasional tour boat. It does allow for some very nice photo opportunities.

Bruges Churchs

Like many cities in Europe Bruges does not seem to be short on churches. There is a number located near the city centre, each one just a little bigger than the last. One main difference I have noticed around Bruges is many churches are built from brick, rather than stone. It does create an interesting contrast and a different look and feel.

Market Square

Market Square in Bruges is something quite different to some of the other squares I have visited around Europe. In other areas, they seem to be simple squares with a few cafes. Market Square is somewhat similar but it is overlooked by an 83-meter high belfry. It is possible to climb to the top via 365 stairs, but I will leave that for another day.

Belgium Chocolate

So we have all heard the rumour that Belgian Chocolate is quite good. So it was hardly possible to pass by the opportunity to try some true local chocolate. I found a small shop on my way back to the train station and grabbed some to try on the train. I must agree that the chocolate is quite good. But I have been told the locals tend to just buy from the supermarket that is just as good.

Back to Brussels

The return train journey to Brussels was just as good as the trip to Bruges this morning. It was not a bad way to relax after walking around all day.

I had planned to see a little more of Brussels this afternoon. However, it seems the rain had chosen to set in a bit heavier than this morning. Making it rather uncomfortable to be walking around in the rain.

Destinations

Travelling Brussels to Copenhagen

Posted on May 5, 2012

It might have just been a few days since I arrived in Brussels, but it is now time to say good buy as I head onwards to Copenhagen. I might have been staying in Brussels, but I end up seeing a lot less of the city than I expected. Mainly due to side trips to visit Bruges and Antwerp. So today I will share with you just a little bit of what I did get to see around Brussels.

Exploring Brussels

My visit to Brussels took an entirely different direction to many other cities I have visited. The time I spent looking around was mostly with a friend who lives here, and there was no plan what so ever. For a little bit I did point out interesting looking area’s on the map, and we headed in that general direction. However, in general, we just took random turns and found some interesting spots.

The map that I had with me was one my friend insisted we go to find by www.use-it.be. They are excellent maps that instead of focusing on the details of the streets, they give you the gist and concentrate on the important attractions. The map is double sided, and each side is the same but highlights different areas by day or night.

Churches

Like many cities I have visited, I seem to find the churches in a city, of course, this was no different in Brussels. But there appears to be a much different approach to showing churches here. While there is the occasional church that is freely open to the public, many do not open except for services. Plus there were a couple that charged for general access outside of services.

Big Beautiful Buildings

Brussels has quite some rather lovely large older buildings. These are buildings that have some real character and an air of grandeur to them. One such building is the Courts of Justice building. Even though it is a huge building and looks rather beautiful on the outside, much of it is not in use. The problem is that much of the building is in disrepair and cannot be used.

Another large and beautiful building I just got to visit the outside is the Royal Palace. It is a building that holds a dominant position and is surround by some rather lovely gardens.

Brussels Views

I had wanted to get a photograph over the city, but there seemed to be rather few spots to do this. Below appears to be the best place that I could find for the moment.

Night Photography

Something that I love to do when I get the chance is to head out and take some photos at night. In Europe at this time of year though that is not the easiest thing to do with the sun not setting until around 8.30pm. But somewhere around 9.30pm I headed out to a square near to the hotel and was able to get the photo below.

The Things You Find

Sometimes when you are wandering the streets of a city, you come across some random stuff. In one case I was walking around Brussels with a friend, and we came across the scene below. There were some cars painted all yellow and full of plants. The road around the area was painted yellow, and so was a bunch of the sidewalk. Upon doing some research, it seems to be for a project called “Walking Madou” to create pedestrian space. Not something you see every day and the installation was only in place for around five months I believe.

I am leaving Brussels and Belgium for that matter rather happy. I have made excellent use of my time here getting to see parts of three beautiful cities. Having spread myself a little thin in seeing so many different cities while I have been here. It leaves me in a position that I will happily return in the future. I would be happy to spend more time in any of the three cities and explore a little more.

Destinations

Exploring The City of Monte Carlo, Monaco

Posted on May 3, 2012

When I was planning my trip to Europe, I added Nice in the French Riveria for two reasons. The first I knew it would have a beautiful coastline to explore. However, the second is the proximity to Monaco and the city of Monte Carlo. In fact, Monaco is just 20km east of Nice, and relatively easy to get to from the city.

A Tour From Nice To Monaco

I decided to take a day tour from Nice to visit Monaco so that I did not end up wasting to much time. With a tour, they want to make sure you see what you have come to see, without having to figure it out for yourself.

The first stop on the way to Monaco is a lookout with one of the best views of Nice. I got a similar photo to this yesterday, but the location I captured that photo is the green hill in the middle of this image.

From this vantage point, it is also able to get a photograph of the view to the east. The area around this bay is known as Ville Franche. The peninsula here is known as one of the most expensive areas in France. They talk of nothing costing under 2-3 million Euros.

Eze

Before reaching Monaco though there was another stop to explore the small hilltop town of Eze. The town was founded between the 11th and 13th century. However, this are has been inhabited much earlier going back hundreds of years.

Eze is a beautiful little town with winding streets and unique architecture. Exploring the majority of the town did not take long at all, and I think I spent more time looking at the church. The church stands out from below to the right of this image.

Monaco

The next stop was the focus of the tour, Monaco. There are signs as you are approaching Monaco stating the distance. However, as you pass where the border is it’s hard to tell where France ends and Monaco begins. Monaco is the second smallest country in the world, well technically a principality, but recognised as an independent state. The land area is just over 2 square kilometres.

Old Town Monaco

The first are we visited was Old Town of Monaco. I found this area to have some of the most interesting points. There is a rather beautiful cathedral, from the outside it has a very nice finish. Once you go inside, there are some rather nice features as well, specifically the organ but at the same time, it is not over done.

Also within the area of the Old Town is the Palace. The tour arrives just in time to see the changing of the guard. The changing of the guard starts promptly at 11.55am and concludes on the hour at midday. I was not expecting to see this, but happy for little extras like that.

The building is all a shade of apricot, except for one section constructed of stone. It’s hard to tell though if this is an earlier part of the building or a recent addition.

There was also some time while in Old Town to enjoy some lunch and have a little look around the area. There is one thing that you don’t notice but is very prominent when brought to your attention. Which is the cleanliness, not just of the area but also the buildings. All of this is the result of the laws, which require the cleanliness.

Additionally, even though there is a courthouse and jail in Monaco, there is no crime. So it could be almost the perfect place to live except for two problems. First, it is a rather expensive city to live in, with properties starting int he millions. Secondly the number of tourists.

Driving Monte Carlo

After leaving the Old Town are, there was a short drive around some of the streets of Monte Carlo. One particular route we took followed that of the F1 Grand Prix Circuit. They are currently working on setting up for this event which takes place later this month.

Casino Square

The final stop of the tour today was in Casino Square. It is one of the hubs of activity in Monte Carlo. It is the location where money and wealth is either thrown around or flaunted. The square is bordered by two casinos and the best hotel in town. While multi-million dollar supercars sit parked on the street. The Lamborghini caught my eye, parked next to the Bently.

Monaco is another example for me of what you can find in Europe that is not quite what you might expect. In many ways, the movies paint a picture of an area that in real life may or may not be true. Monaco in some respects does fit just what the movies show, but in many other ways is much more than that image as well. If I am in the area in the future, there is no doubt I will return, but purely as a tourist.

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Getting Around Copenhagen

Nyhavn

Amalienborg Castle

Frederick’s Church

The Little Mermaid

Kastellet

St Alban’s Anglican Church

The Gefion Fountain

Our Saviours Church

Inner City Beach

Five Lakes

A Great City

Morning Tour

Zaanse Schans

Volendam

Marken

Afternoon Tour

Delft

The Hauge

Madurodam

Goodbye Amsterdam

Amsterdam Morning Walk

Morning Tour of Amsterdam

Keukenhof Gardens Tour

Ready For More

Copenhagen

Kings Garden

Rosenberg Castle

Amsterdam

Airport To Amsterdam

Amsterdam Canal Tour

More to Come

Taarbaek

Fredensborg Palace

Frederiksborg Palace

Herlev Kirke

Copenhagen

Copenhagen Canal Tour

Tivoli Gardens

Getting To Antwerp

Exploring Antwerp

The Buildings

Churches

Photo Fortress

Museum

Green Space

Bruges, Belgium

On The Train

Arriving In Bruges

Getting Into Bruges

Bruges The City

Bruges Churchs

Market Square

Belgium Chocolate

Back to Brussels

Exploring Brussels

Churches

Big Beautiful Buildings

Brussels Views

Night Photography

The Things You Find

A Tour From Nice To Monaco

Eze

Monaco

Old Town Monaco

Driving Monte Carlo

Casino Square

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