Friday and its a food day

On Friday 11-4 we had a rainy start so we just had breakfast in our apartment and watched people start the day.  There are many dogs in Amsterdam and in the morning they get their walks, exercise and yes a ride on the bicycle.

Morning view from apartment

We went of the Jordaan Food Tour through Eating Amsterdam with our guide Rudolf who has been an Amsterdam resident for much of his life an has a deep knowledge of the history, art, architecture and the way people live their lives in Amsterdam. He also has a love of american blues, especially early delta blues.  We learn about Amsterdam humor and how over powered the less than a million Amsterdam residents feel about the 17 million tourists that visit each year.

Rudolph

We visit 8 places in the Jordaan our adopted neighborhood.  They were tastes foods that the Dutch calls snacks: poffertjies (small pancakes) at the Cafe De Prins,  advocaat pastry at Patisserie Anesta, herring and kibbeling from the north sea at Vis Plaza, beer and bitterballen at Cafe De BlaffendeVis, ossenworst and grillworst sausage at Butcher Louman, local farm cheese of various ages at Jwo Lekkernijen, broodje pom and baka bana sandwiches from Surinam and Indonesia at Swieti Sranang and finally Dutch apple pie and beer at Cafe Papeneiland.  Remember we had just a taste at each location and it was great walking through the neighborhood. We learned that on a visit to this cafe Bill Clinton had 4 pieces of apple pie.

Poffertjies

Pastries

Vis Plaza,

Bock beer and bitterballen 

Butcher Louman,

Cheese at Jwo Lekkernijen

Apple pie

Tom, Grandpa Papeneiland and Rudolph at Papeneiland

We then did a bit of food shopping and home for a rest. We met up with our friends from North Carolina Ed and Linda at De Regeir in the heart of Jordan is from 1896 and is one of the oldest pubs in the neighborhood. The property has been decorated and restored to what it is today: a characteristic combination of authenticity, Art Nouveau and Art Deco influences.  We had a great dinner of Venison, lamb and short ribs.  We walked back to our apartment enjoying the neighborhood in the evening, very lively and to be a part of.

Our neighborhood in Amsterdam

We had a great flight to Amsterdam by way of Washington Dulles, landing in Amsterdam around 7:00 AM local time.  Luckily our apartment wasn't rented the day before and our host Cido allowed us to check in early.  So with the usual logistics of getting some Euros, sorting out the cell phone situation, we were in our apartment by about 9:00 AM.  It was exactly what we had hoped for, right on the Prinsengracht Canal in the Jordaan neighborhood.

Living room

The neighborhood was originally a working-class neighborhood, that fell into ruin and has become one of the most expensive, upscale locations in the Netherlands. It is home to many art galleries, particularly for modern art, and is also dotted with speciality shops and restaurants. Rembrandt spent the last years of his life in the Jordaan, on the Rozengracht canal.

We took a stretch your legs walk and visited the local supermarkets Jumbo and Al Heijn.  We purchased caesar salads or lunch that included an odd dutch treat, potatoes. which we promptly took out. A quick nap and then off to a walk about going by the Anne Frank House and we check out the Cafe de Prins where we will begin our Jordaan food tour tomorrow.

View from apartment

Amsterdam to Zurich by way of the Rhine River

“To wander is to be alive.” - Roman Payne

Part 2 of this journey

This is the second journey of our long planned 4 trip retirement adventure.  First we went to Vietnam and Cambodia now Europe, then next year we are off to Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.

Itinerary   

We start our journey in Amsterdam. We have rented an apartment in a canal house right on the Prinsengracht canal or Prince's canal. The apartment is the top floor of a 17th century canal house. Many of Amsterdam’s canal houses were built during the height of the Dutch Golden Age, serving as home and workplace, and were distinguished by the striking gables and dual entrances.

We then board the "Amaprima" in Amsterdam for an 7 day cruise down the Rhine River disembarking in Basel, Switzerland.

We will be stopping in Cologne, Germany, Rudesheim, Germany, Heidelberg, Germany,  Strasbourg, France, Breisach, Germany and ending our cruise in Basel, Switzerland.

Many of these towns date back to the 13th century with cobbled streets, castles and cathedrals

Then we travel travel to Zurich to get our flight back to the US.

Mekong Delta Floating Market

We visited a floating market during our time in the Mekong Delta. A farmers market on water.

The market is divided into two parts, buying and selling places. Rafts and boats are anchored along the two sides of the river. Approximately 400 to 500 boats filled with fruits, vegetables, and other products are anchored along the banks of the river. The merchandise sold in each boat is hung on a pole in front of the boat to attract customers. From the floating market, goods are shifted for selling at inland markets or small boats take them for delivery along
canals.

A squash hanging from a pole indicates what the boat sells.

The blue boat sells onions. 

This couple approached our boat selling water and coconuts. 

Hanoi Outtakes

Hanoi's Old Quarter and our cooking class.

Tom taking a cyclo to the Old Quarter market

Buddha's hand. A fruit that is placed at many alters.

Ginger, garlic, chilis.

Vermicelli noodles for spring roles.

More spices

Mushrooms of all types

Our chef picking out the fish 

Vendors in the Old Quarter

BBQing the fish Hanoi style. Notice the fan and open window.

Our last day in Siem Reap

Saturday the 30th our last active day was more temple exploring see much of the Grand Circuit, including the great temple of Preah Khan and the brick sanctuaries of Pre Rup, this vast complex, covering several square kilometers, has carefully engineered canals and reservoirs to control flood waters and survive droughts, was once, the largest city in the world, housing as many as one million inhabitants.

Preah Khan

Banteay Srei is something of an anomaly. It wasn't built by a king, but rather a spiritual teacher, Yajnavaraha, the Brahman of King Jayavarman V, in AD 967. At that time it was called Tribhuvana Mahesvara, and stood in a town called Isvarapura. The name Banteay Srei means the "Citadel of Women", and is one of the first temples to be restored by the French. It is sometimes called the pink temple.

Banteay Srei 

We drive by a number of sites, but our group is very tired and we head back to the hotel.  We catch a late lunch at il Forno tucked away in a charming little alley just a few steps away from the bustling main street, is the perfect place to relax. We have a pizza and take it easy before a great dinner with the people we traveled with the past weeks.

We have our last dinner at Touich Restaurant run by  Sobey, a friend of our guide Peter. The owner was a child soldier in the Cambodian army laying land mines and hoped they wouldn't kill anyone. Years later he was part of the effort to remove the land mines.  He put ribbons on the mines he placed, and upon removing some of the same mines he saw some that didn't blow anyone up.  He studied culinary arts in France and now runs this amazing restaurant with his wife Touich.  What a great finish to a great trip.

The next morning we head home with a rest stop in Hong Kong before the big 14 hour flight home to San Francisco.

Angkor Wat

Saturday the 29th in the morning we wander the grounds of the splendidly preserved 12th Century temple of Angkor Wat. Considered the best example of ancient Khmer architecture, it is the largest and most impressive of all Cambodian monuments and generally regarded as one of the finest religious structures in the world.

Angkor Wat

Another view of Angkor Wat

We then visited Angkor Thom the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire, it was established in the late twelfth century by King Jayavarman VII with an area of 9 km². There are many monuments from earlier eras as well as those established by other kings. At the centre of the city is Jayavarman's state temple, the Bayon, with the other major sites clustered around the Victory Square.

Angkor Thom

Most of the great Angkor ruins have vast displays of bas-relief depicting the various gods, goddesses, and other-worldly beings from the mythological stories and epic poems of ancient Hinduism which were modified by centuries of Buddhism. There are images are actual known animals, like elephants, snakes, fish, and monkeys, in addition to dragon-like creatures that look like the stylized, elongated serpents with feet and claws found in Chinese art.

God riding elephant

We were also treated to monkeys following us in our trip.  The weather was very hot and humid and we take a break for lunch at a local restaurant before heading to a few more temples.  The vast space and sheer number of things to see is beyond belief.

Monkeys viewing a temple

We visit the Elephant Terrace which was used by the king as a platform from which to view his victorious returning army. Then to the Terrace of the Leper King with a statue depicting the Hindu god Yama, the god of death. The statue was called the "Leper King" because discoloration and moss growing on it was reminiscent of a person with leprosy, and also because it fits with a Cambodian legend of an Angkorian king Yasovarman I who had leprosy. The U-shaped structure is thought by some to have been used as a royal cremation site.

Elephant terrace

We head back to the hotel for a swim and some R&R and then decide to hire a tuk tuk to watch the sunset at Sras Srang or the Pool of Ablutions. We watch the local kids climbing over the tuk tuk and offering us all sorts of things to buy. We enjoy the sunset before heading back to town for a relaxing evening a bit overwhelmed at what we saw.

Sunset at Sras Srang

Our tuk tuk driver