2023 Europe Trip Highlights
Arrival and Volkshotel
The Volkshotel occupies the previous headquarters of de Volkskrant newspaper (the people's paper).
The newsletter is a clever nod to the building's origin.
Lighting vibe.
Fish-Shirt-Friday is still happens on vacation (if a little cheesier).
Bikes. Everywhere. This is just one section of one street and each street looked like this. Something like 38% of ALL trips in Amsterdam are taken by bicycle. I loved this as a previous bike commuter.
Each metro station has a theme. The Wibautstraat theme is journalistic for the historic location of 3 news organizations. Public transportation was about as nice as it can get.
The theme of the Nieuwmarkt station is 'self-aware'. Artworks represent the protest and demolition that occurred prior to the development of the station itself.
Amsterdam Tour
No one seems to agree on the meaning of the 3 crosses on Amsterdam's flag.
The original "Wallstreet". The Amsterdam Stock Exchange was founded in 1602 to trade shares of the Dutch East India Company. The LED signs came later.
The Dutch are famous for large-scale civil engineering to "reclaim" land from its marshy existence. Unfortunately, most foundations did not account for the weight of a quickly expanding city. Black anchor plates are seen on many large buildings to counteract the effects of shifting soil.
She leanin'! Another visibly failed foundation.
The Dutch may say they've "spent the night in the monkey bar" after experiencing extreme misfortune. The Ape Cafe is the closest bar to the original port and Intoxicated men in the "wrong place at the wrong time" were abducted for service in the Dutch East India Company.
The Waag is oldest non-secular building in Amsterdam originally served as a city gate. First stone laid in 1488.
Someone made a joke about Shaquille O'Neil's shoes.
Amsterdam was and is a highly diverse city and these reliefs advertised above business doors and aided in overcoming language barriers.
Some were more cryptic than others...
Rotterdam Wedding
The couple was married in a beautiful town hall.
Then we went on a 6 hour party cruise for the reception!
We were told the old windmills are maintained with public funds in case the modern canal pumps ever fail.
Fresh stroopwafel before touring the dairy.
Holy cow, I almost got licked for this picture.
Tour of the old dairy equipment
The cheese was incredible.
Munich Tour
Church?
Definitely a church.
The inside of a church.
Also probably a church.
Like a bagel sandwhich, but better.
A fountain in the original Munich Marienplatz market. Goods traded included meat (our guide offered me a horse sausage) and salt from the near by Bavarian alps.
A tower in the market area. The architect was only 26 when he designed it!
Close up of the Glockenspiel. Built in 1908, it is a large mechanical movement that reenacts stories with 32 life-size characters including a fight between knights.
Munich's "Englischer Garten" is a giant urban park at 910 acres. Totally free to enter, swim, sun, and play.
The garden also features a very popular standing wave that can be surfed endlessly in the midle of a land-locked city.
Tegernsee, Bavaria
I tried to do this place justice but no photo could come close. It is easily in the top 3 most beautiful places I have ever been.
An abolutely stunning experience.
The adorable alpine town of Tegernsee. We were told the "footballers all live there".
I was eating cinnamon gelato when I took this picture.
Bonus section: Vehicular Oddities
My favorite walking past-time spotting vehicles with unusual form factors.
A very narrow trike.
Street legal four-wheeler?
No more than 5 feet tall...
Cheesemobile.
That one song by the Beatles.
Clogcycle
Loading onto the ferry.