Hi again We spent a day in Zandvoort with the Lizzie & Michel Dijkstra and their children, Safira, Joancey and Vijay (very confusing when you also have P.J.!!) The town was swarming with weekend visitors attending the Mega-Market - so it was difficult to enjoy the usual ambience of the seaside town. But, we managed to eat some amazingly delicious fish and of course a few good helpings of Flemish Fries with mayonnaise, satay sauce and onions! This is called "Patatje Oorlog"or "Chip War". [View Full Entry]

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Tag 79: Zebrugge - Schouwen, 87.74 km, Fahrzeit 5:10, Durchschn. 16.95 km/h, Gesamtstrecke 3934 km Mittags erreicht die Fähre Zeebrugge in Belgien. Das Wetter ist stark bewölkt, immer wieder regnet es. Ich habe keine Karten für Belgien, was nicht so das Problem ist, da ich mich gerade mal 20 Kilometer südlich der holländischen Grenze befinde. Für den holländischen Teil der NSCR habe ich das entsprechende BikeLine-Buch. Leider fängt das erst in Rotterdam an, und das ist noch anderthalb Tagesreisen entfernt. Ich folge der holländischen Radroute "LF 1b", und die ist so gut ausgeschilder [View Full Entry]

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The Zaanse Schans is a township which lies in the industrial area along the River Zaan. Here lie perfect examples of homes as they were in days gone by, together with 6 working windmills, some of which have been reconstructed on this site, and some which have always stood on this site, but which have had bits and pieces from other windmills added to them to reconstruct them completely. Of course it was raining! We took the train to Zaandam, then a bus to the Schans. On the way home we stayed on the bus just a little too long and [View Full Entry]

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I haven't spent a Saturday night in Amsterdam for at least a fortnight. The fact I came here on my pre-season tour with FC Hockley at the start of the month was both a blessing and a curse. Good because I was able to navigate us around with confidence and I was almost an authority on the red light district. But on the flip side it lost a bit of its magic and occasionally felt as though I was retracing my steps. For a capital, Amsterdam is a relatively small city and all the key areas can be taken in on [View Full Entry]

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Well, This is one of the most interesting places to spend my birthday, about ten thousand miles from my Tempe home. I rented a bike and half-heartedly tried to adjust to the jet-lag and managed to sleep in till about 8. The weather was pleasant today, and only began a tiny drizzling while I was in the park, riding my rented bike back to the hostel. The hostel is part old, part modern, and adjacent to the east end of the park, which is a bonus. [View Full Entry]

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I can pinpoint exactly where my affection with SC Cambuur Leeuwarden began; when I steered them to Champions League glory on Championship Manager. What? It's a fine way to pick a club. A little geeky perhaps but at least I was following it through by taking a three hour train to Friesland in the north of Holland to see them take on VVV Venlo. Some Man Utd 'fans' never go to a game in their lifetime. Si never complained about going along with my hair-brained scheme, and indeed seemed rather pleased with the idea as it meant a private hotel room [View Full Entry]

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Rotterdam and Amsterdam don't get on to say the least. Residents of the former take pride in their gritty, hard-working image manifested by the city's position on one of the world's biggest harbours and the busiest port in Europe. Amsterdam is the 5th most popular tourist destination in Europe and its economy is fuelled by its substantial financial districts. Amongst people of my age it is renowned for its party atmosphere and relaxed attitude. Where Rotterdam stands for work, Amsterdam stands for play. Only fair to sample them both for ourselves. Thursday morning saw us leave Essex, biddin [View Full Entry]

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No visit to Holland is complete without going to the miniature village of Madurodam where all the major cities of the Netherlands are reproduced in minute detail. This is just the best place for kids and adults alike. I remember visiting Madurodam when I was aged 10 years, and thinking it was just about the best place (especially if you love dolls's houses!). Trains, boats, planes, cars and figures of people all move about in this magical place! [View Full Entry]

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First day, not much to say but free internet access in hostel while drinking. So to get this bad boy started: * Ferry uneventful except for a boat near us catching fire and lifeboat having to rush out and save it * Si has personal crisis from home before we've even entered Dutch waters * Rudi Voller lookalike boards ferry and is photographed by both of us in a covert manner * On arrival in Rotterdam, tram is the chosen method of transport. Except we fail to get off at the right spot and end up going through the Dutch equivalent [View Full Entry]

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Over 4 weken hang ik in de lucht.... En jeetje wat is het spannend. ‘Zenuwachtig?’ Nou en of! 11 september vertrekken Miriam en ik naar Zuid Amerika. Plannen? Tsja het mooie van ’n lange reis is dat je vooral niet al te strak wilt plannen, dus dat doen we ook maar niet. Het enige plan is ’n vooruit geboekt hostel in Lima. Want als je na meer dan n dag reizen erg brak arriveert is ’n vooraf geregeld hostel wel zo prettig. En de tijd daarna is ’n groot open (avonturen)boek. Lima is ’n metropool in ’n grote woestijn, dus die [View Full Entry]

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