Other people's (boring) travel photos, part 3...

The European installment

And she doesn't even have any pictures scanned in yet!

In October, 1996, my then-new employer, QualiTau, sent me to Enschede, The Netherlands, to bravely staff our booth at the annual ESREF conference. Being a new college grad, I had no presentable clothes and went out and bought a suit (picture to come. And you'd better look at it when it's here as it will undoubtedly be your only chance ever to see me in a suit. Are you looking mom???)

So, I spent 6 pleasant days in Enschede, and then took off to see a bit of Europe on my own (not in the suit, either. Altho I did have to schlep it around with me.). Enschede is a very sweet small city on the Eastern border of The Netherlands. After leaving there, I spent 3.5 days in Amsterdam and 4 days in London.

Amsterdam

I was ready to pack up my considerable book collection and move to Amsterdam on day 1. This city is amazing! It is very much like San Francisco, my home. Or should I say SF is like it, seeing as how Amsterdam was founded in around 1200 when they dammed up the Amstel River. It is a compact little city that is extremely flat and very easy to navigate. Most streets have a canal running down the middle of them. And the canals don't smell, either, unlike most waterways in the US. (and what about that horrible smell coming out of the gutter drains in SF??) I was lucky enough to stay in a beautiful 4th floor room overlooking a canal all 3 nights. I resided in the Hotel Keizerhof B&B, on Keizersgracht. This glorious house (mansion??) was built in the 1700s and had these amazing windy staircases that were not designed for 5'9" indivuduals!

Some of the highlights:

Anna Frank's House--Anna and her family hid here for 2 years before being discovered and slaughtered by the Nazi's in the Holocaust. The rooms didn't seem that small at first, until I thought about not being able to leave for 2 years. This is a very moving place.

The Rijksmuseum, where I got to see nearly all the VerMeers I didn't see in DC.

Glorious Indonesian food. (The Dutch colonized Indonesia, among other places).

Van Gogh Museum

Stedelijk Modern Art Museum

I took a day trip to Delft, home of Delft pottery, and also VerMeers home town.

I saw some very amazing old (ca. 1300) churches. Those buildings are unreal. They are very quiet (being nearly empty of people, unlike Westminster Abbey, the original zoo), and dark, and cool because of the stone walls. And the ceilings just go up and up, and are made out of very delicate intricate woodwork! I can see why religion was so powerful back then--if they could build such a building!

I was very sad to leave this beautiful city to move onto

London

Unfortunately, I was sick the entire time I was in London, so I didn't have a very good time, and the place I stayed in was a dump--mildew and a very lumpy bed (I've had lots better at a Youth Hostel. I still can't figure out why I didn't go to one there). I did hit the big sites--

British Museum--they have Gutenberg Bibles and original Bronte manuscripts!! Plus all these massive stone works from Egypt and Greece!

Theatre-- I saw The Lady in Black, and An Ideal Huband. Both were excellent!

TO BE CONTINUED........

Well, maybe when I get some pictures scanned in I will update these adventures.
 

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