Mike D Goes to Europe!

As foretold in the previous post, it was time for me to take a little break from trying to see every sight in Europe and relax a little. Amsterdam was a good place to do so. My hotel was in what seems to be one of the best neighborhoods in the city, the Jordaan. It’s full of old houses, picturesque canals, and lots of cozy cafes and pubs. By contrast, the city center, radiating out from Dam Square, is one giant tourist ghetto. The Jordaan feels like the place where the locals hang out.

Speaking of tourists, the Red Light District is unbelievably crowded with gawkers. I even saw several elderly couples wandering around taking pictures.

I did do a little sightseeing. I went to the Anne Frank house, which was very humbling. I also took a boat tour through the city’s canals and around the harbor. But that was about it.

The people were very friendly. I had a great dinner, sitting at the bar, at a neighborhood joint called Vlaming Eten en Drinken. The two bartender/waitresses were very chatty and eager to discuss LA.

I would love to go back to Amsterdam some time. There are more sights to see, but moreover, it’s a great place to hang out and have a beer. And a pancake!

Update: here are some photos from this part of my trip:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/therealmiked/sets/72157608744323627/

Waffles, chocolate and beer! What more could a man ask for? I scheduled only one day for myself in Bruges but I wish I could have stayed longer (Dave, you were right). One could easily spend two or three days here. Since I only had the one day, I saw it at a fast pace, but Bruges fosters a relaxing atmosphere. It’s a good place to just sit on a bench by a canal and soak up the scenery.

And there’s plenty of scenery to soak up. Bruges is essentially a preserved medieval town, although some of it has been built in the last two centuries to look medieval. There are 17 churches and over 100 cafes and pubs. Those of you who have seen the film, “In Bruges,” will be familiar with the bell tower, which is the tallest and most central building in the town. What they don’t mention in the film is that the climb to the top involves some 400 steps up a spiral staircase that’s too narrow for more than one person. The view from the top is impressive, although it’s very windy and when the bells ring (every 15 minutes during the day), it’s really loud.

Other highlights included taking a boat tour through the towns network of canals, touring the local De Halve Mann brewery (where they make the delicious Brugse Zot), the Church of Our Lady, where they have the only Michaelangelo statue to leave Italy during the artist’s lifetime (there are now some in the Louvre), two homemade chocolate shops, a delicious waffle with strawberries and cream, and a variety of Belgian beers served at a pub built in 1515.

This morning, before I left town, I visited one more sight, which is also featured in “In Bruges,” the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Here, they have a relic which is said to contain some of Jesus Christ’s blood. Not wine that they pretend is his blood - the real stuff. Normally they keep this relic in the treasury upstairs, where you can pay to go see it locked up in a display case across the room. But By pure luck on my part, it just so happens that they take it out on Friday mornings and let people TOUCH IT! They made this announcement (in several languages) just after I came in, but no one was going up to touch it. So I went first. Now I’m not a religious person, but it was a fairly incredible experience to lay hands on a vial that just might contain Jesus’ blood, in a basilica built in the Middle Ages specifically to house it.

Belgium is also well-known for it’s mussels and fries. Hence, the photo of my dinner below.

I’m a bit worn out from all the running around, so I think I’m going to take a break from trying to see everything and just relax a bit at my next destination: Amsterdam.

Update: here are some photos from this part of my trip:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/therealmiked/sets/72157608744270429/