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Published: March 12th 2011
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Chambres-en-Ville
John's work room! Wednesday 9 March to Friday 11 March 2011
John started work in earnest on Wednesday, with a meeting in Brussels which went well. Ali recuperated from the hectic schedule by staying in the big round bed all day - reading and eating John's share of the Pim's biscuits! Once John finished work, we spent the evening wandering around Brussels a bit more, including the flash
Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert (in the Wallonian) or
Koninklijke Sint-Hubertusgalerijen (to give it the Flemish name). It gets really confusing sometimes when there are two names for everything! We finished the day with dinner at
La Fin de Siècle - a very cool cafe style restaurant that is obviously popular with locals and visitors (thanks again Lonely Planet).
Off early next morning by train to Utrecht (in the Netherlands) via Rotterdam. We were on a Thalys (very fast) train for the first leg - it was very cool (there was even free food - just like on a plane!). John was able to do some work on the train, thanks to power outlets and wifi for the laptop! Buying the tickets in Rotterdam was interesting - there was a huge queue (no idea if it's always
Chambres-en-Ville
So lovely to have fresh flowers - 'Spring is sprung'! that busy or if we just lucked out) - but they have a great 'take a number' system that ensures you get served in turn - there were about 30 people ahead of us when we took our number!
So far, we've had a great run with our B&Bs - the one in Utrecht is excellent! When we arrived at "Chambres-en-Ville", we were warmly welcomed by our host, Ida, with coffee and Madeira cake while we sorted out the paperwork and breakfast details. We were pleasantly surprised to find a complimentary bottle of red in the room (quite a nice South African Cab/Sauv/Merlot). (This set the scene perfectly for our stay in Utrecht, which we both really like). As an added bonus, we have a two-room suite so John has been able to set up the laptop in the sitting room to work - even at night when Ali's trying to sleep.
On Friday, John had a full day of meetings in (very) nearby de Bilt while Ali swanned about town shopping! For a big Friday night out in town, we somehow managed to end up in a (very) French restaurant - oops, so much for trying the
local cuisine!
Saturday 12 March 2011
Utrecht is the 4th largest city in the Netherlands (according to Wikipedia) with a population of around 300,000 (a little smaller than Canberra - but much more interesting!). It's a canal town where the buildings are mostly two or three storeys high which gives the town a very open feel (enhanced by the total lack of hills!). Only the churches, of which there are many, exceed this height. One of the most famous (the
Domkerk), has the highest tower (the
Domtoren) in the Netherlands. We used it all the time as a point of reference when walking around today, as the top of the tower is visible from just about everywhere!
We've always heard about the popularity of bikes in Amsterdam, but they're also the main mode of transport here. There are few cars in the town centre but hundreds of bikes - carrying everybody from babies (often in baby seats with windscreens on the front) to uni students to grandparents. There are even bikes with 'boots' for carrying a load - these are very cool and consist of a wheelbarrow-like attachment on the front of the bike with a reticulated steering
The [i]Domkerk[/i]
From the 1300s the [i]Domkerk[/i] was joined to the [i]Domtoren[/i]. However, in 1674 a particularly vicious storm swept away the connecting nave! Now there are only markers in the cobblestoned square to show where it had been! mechanism to the front wheel. There seems to be a real culture of only using cars when absolutely necessary (we saw this also in Belgium, to a lesser extent). It's quite impressive how they ride perfectly comfortably on the cobble-stoned streets (even the rare 'road bikes' with skinny tyres). Given John's recent riding history, he'd fall off in no time!
There are a lot of young people here. Utrecht is home to the largest university in the Netherlands (around 30,000 students) as well as other higher education institutions. It's quite a vibrant town and feels really friendly.
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wendy duff
non-member comment
PALACES ALL THE WHILE!
I can't believe the places you have found to stay in! They sound and look like they are 5 star, to my mind! I think we may need help for our next trip! It's the consistency that is surprising me I think. We've had some amazing places, but then the odd second rate dive as well (despite the 'ratings' and the photos carefully provided on the site).