Friday, 29 April 2016

Bruges, Belgium: Chocolate, Waffles, and Beer...OH MY!

After checking out of our hotel in Leiden fairly early in the morning we started our 3 hour drive to Bruges, Belgium. I have heard so many great things about Bruges and it is so close to England, we decided to take an extra day on our trip and stay the night on our way home. We arrived in Bruges around Noon and found our hotel, "Hotel Navarra" which was located about 2 blocks from Bruges Market Center. We tried to check-in but our hotel room wouldn't be ready until after 2:30 pm, so we decided to walk around and find a bite to eat.
Hotel Navarra 

We started our day in Bruges by walking around the market square area, which was full of great cafes and horse drawn carriages. That's when we both noticed it...the...smell...of...chocolate! Belgian chocolate shops lined the streets, and Xander was excited. But first, I noticed a line of people at stand and saw these enormous waffles....and that's where we decided to eat lunch at. I had a strawberry waffle, Zach had a cherry waffle, and Xander had a plain waffle. It was glorious!
Strawberry Waffle from Chez Albert

We spent the rest of the afternoon window shopping and dipping in and out of all the chocolate shops. Xander got wise to the fact that in every shop they offer free samples when you walk in to try, so he had about 100 pieces of chocolate and was ready to roll! We explored some of the canals and loved the relaxed vibe of the town. We ended up in a coffee shop to enjoy an afternoon coffee, and before we knew it, it was time to check-in to our hotel.
Canals of Bruges
Once we made it back to our hotel, we found out that Booking.com had messed up part of our room reservation and didn't book us with a room that had two beds (Xander won't sleep in a pack n play or crib, only a bed, so this was a problem). The hotel quickly found us a room, which ended up being a HUGE family suite with two rooms and 3 beds at no extra charge. We loved this hotel, it was probably one of the best we have stayed at in Europe besides our villa in Paris. It had a boutique feel, was historic, and extremely clean. We enjoyed swimming in the pool and relaxing at the hotel before our 6pm dinner reservations.
Hotel Navarra Basement Pool 
After resting up, we made our way to our highly recommended restaurant which ended up being about a 10 minute walk from our hotel. The restaurant was called, "Ribs n Beer." Normally I don't really like ribs or beer but this place came highly recommended by everyone, and I had to make reservations a month out just to get a table. Once we got our table, the place was completely packed, and the servers were turning away people left and right because they were fully booked for the entire night. The server helped me find a beer, which I ended up liking and Zach and I decided on the pre-set all you can eat menu, which turned out to be the best deal. For 29 Euro, you got a Croquette appetizer, a rack of ribs with your choice of sauce (and two sides), and a dessert. I should also add that the ribs are all you can eat...which proved to be very popular. We both went with the choice of their house BBQ ribs but they also had a spicy option, dry rub option, or beer/chocolate option. The food ended up being quite amazing and probably one of the best meals we have had in all of Europe. I highly recommend giving it a try if you are in Bruges, but remember to make reservations online well in advance as they were turning people away. 
Ribs N Beer 
Bruges was heaven for a foodie like me, and we both loved it's relaxed feel. From the hotel to the atmosphere in the town, we felt welcomed and can't wait to go back and enjoy it.

The Netherlands Part 3: Amsterdam and The Worst Meltdown Our Toddler Has Ever Had

As I stated in my earlier blog post, we didn't stay directly in Amsterdam, we stayed in Leiden outside of the city which meant we needed to find a way to get into Amsterdam for the day. Driving was out of the question because it can be a tad sketchy and Zach didn't feel comfortable, so we decided that public transportation would be our best bet. We've used the trains in England and in Paris so I was hopeful we could figure it out, but Dutch is a difficult language to understand so I went to the hotel desk and asked them to give me a crash course into trains/trams in Amsterdam. We started by taking a taxi to the train station and I went up to the window and told the ticket taker I wanted to go to "Amsterdam Zuid Station." He gave us our tickets and then the confusion began! The train systems were very confusing to figure out at first and we couldn't figure out what train to get on. That's when I asked a lady at the platform to help us, and luckily she spoke English. She pointed us in the right direction, and I glanced at the platform map and it all finally clicked with me! I figured it out! The train ride was about a 30 minute ride to "Amsterdam Zuid Station." Once we arrived at the station I knew we needed to purchase tickets for the Amsterdam tram system to get to the Van Gogh Museum. I found the blue Tram ticket machines in the station and decided on the "One Day Tram Pass" which was about 7.50 Euro per adult, and meant we could use the public transportation systems for 24 hours. We found the tram and it (once again) took me a few minutes to study the map (which was all in Dutch) and again, it clicked, I figured out what Tram we needed and what stop to get off at. Soon we were on our way to the Van Gogh Museum. I pre-booked tickets for timed entry at 10am and we made it there in time at 9:50! PHEW!
The Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh Museum was an interesting gallery full of works of Van Gogh and interesting facts about his life. They do not allow backpacks or heavy coats, so we had to check our bags at the coat check area. The museum was fairly crowded and Xander already wasn't in the best of moods so we kind of went through the whole thing fast....about 45 minutes fast. There were no pictures allowed inside which sucked, but it's worth going too! Next to the Van Gogh Museum is the "Rijksmuseum: The Museum of the Netherlands" which is also full of famous artwork and out front features the famous "I Amsterdam" sign that all the tourists take a photo with. Again Xander was already in a bad mood so we decided to take a quick photo at the sign and get moving before he melted down.

I amsterdam sign
After our picture taking endeavors we found the nearest tram and headed to Amsterdam Central Station which was the starting point for most of the touristy activities in the area. Originally we wanted to go to the "NEMO Science Center" because it is super kid friendly but Xander starting falling asleep so we decided to take a canal boat ride instead. There is a HUGE tourist center right next to Amsterdam Central Station that offers many hop on/hop off bus and boat tours, excursions to other towns, and tickets for different activities in the area. We opted for the 1 hour canal tour which seemed to be the quickest option. The ride started out great, Xander was sleeping, the sun came out, and then about 30 minutes in, he woke up. And he was ANGRY....like, HULK angry. Soon he settled down once he realized we were on a boat, and it was exciting, so I sat him next to the window to enjoy the views.
Post Hulk-out...Pre meltdown
After he settled down from "hulking out" he seemed happy and interested but that didn't last long. He decided he wanted a snack, and everything I had on hand apparently wasn't up to his "refined pallet standards" and all he wanted was a cookie. He screamed the word "COOKIES! MINE! NO!" About 50 times, threw himself down under the seats, and just lost it. The entire boat was staring, we were at a loss at what to do....and thank GOD....the boat finally docked! Once we finally wrangled our screaming toddler off the boat, we walked a few feet to get situated and figure out a plan of attack. This is when Zach noticed a bunch of people walking around with cones full of Dutch fries (frites), which we had been trying to find the entire time! Like a beacon of hope sent from above we found the fry stand and ordered a huge batch! I sat down on the nasty sidewalk with Xander while he chased pigeons and ate fries, both of which seemed to bring him out of his funk.
One of the many Canals
We did a little more walking and we started to notice it was becoming more and more crowded. That's when I made the executive mom decision and decided that we should start our trek back to Leiden. All three of us were exhausted and ready to go, so our time in Amsterdam was short and sweet! Luckily we found a tram, made it back to the same train station, and found the correct train to take us back to Leiden. Amsterdam was an interesting city to say the least, and I probably won't go back while I am in Europe, once is enough for me!

The Netherlands Part 2: Keukenhof Gardens

Our main purpose for visiting the Netherlands was to take a trip to the famed Keukenhof Gardens. Folks come from all over the globe to see the various array of flowers that bloom in this part of the world for only about a month out of the year. We were fortunate enough to hit a great weekend and every single flower was bloomed beautifully! Keukenhof is located in Lisse about 30 minutes from the closest Amsterdam airport. We didn't stay in Amsterdam, but they do offer buses from Amsterdam Central all the way to Keukenhof. We drove from our hotel which was about 15 minutes from the gardens, and pre-booked our parking which was 6 Euro, and our tickets which were about 16 or 17 Euro.
Some of the blooms at Keukenhof
Keukenhof is a great day trip alternative from Amsterdam, and we spent about 2-3 hours walking around and enjoying the flowers. There are several places to stop and grab a quick lunch as well as various coffee vendors and "dutch" food vendors. We ended up grabbing some pastries and sat on a park bench by a lake while Xander napped in his stroller, it was a relaxing day.
Flower Fields outside of Keukenhof
The gardens were extremely kid-friendly and we were fortunate to go early in the morning before the majority of the tour crowds rolled in. This meant that Xander was able to leave the confines of his stroller and stretch his legs while smelling the flowers. There were quite a few really nice children's playgrounds and even a petting zoo for him to enjoy. I highly recommend a trip to Keukenhof if you are living in Europe, at least once! We were both really glad that we got to enjoy it!
Petting Zoo at Keukenhof

Thursday, 28 April 2016

The Netherlands Part 1: Kinderdijk Windmills

We recently took a road trip through the Netherlands and Belgium so this post will be part one of a 4 part post. While researching our drive from the UK to Holland, I wanted to stop somewhere and let the restless toddler let off some steam, and also break up our trip. While researching I found that the "Kinderdijk Windmills" of Holland were only 15 minutes out of the way from our route, so we decided to stop for a few hours and check them out. 

Kinderdijk Windmills are located 7 meters below sea level, the windmills keep the water from rising and flooding the land, and are also a huge part of Dutch heritage. In 1977, the windmills became a UNESCO World Heritage sight, inviting visitors to learn about the workings of windmills in Holland. 

The sprawling landscape of Kinderdijk
The windmills were fairly easy to find, and were right off the motorway close to Rotterdam. We drove about 10 minutes through a lovely town, which had fabulous homes that overlooked the windmills. Once we finally found a opened parking lot we walked about a half mile to the windmills. We noticed that many of the other tourists were biking and found that you could rent bikes for a nominal fee to enjoy biking around the town. We decided that for a short trip we would just walk to one of the windmills and take a look. Anyone can walk around the site but to go inside you pay 7.50 Euros. Zach opted to stay behind with Xander and watch the ducks and bikers while I went inside one to see how they work. In addition to biking and touring the windmills, for a few euro you can take a boat ride around the canal. 

For a few Euro, you can go inside this windmill to learn about it's history.

After about an hour and a half we made our way back to our car, stopping at a bakery along the way to grab a few delicious goodies to hold us over for our last few driving hours. I would recommend Kinderdijk to anyone making a road trip to Amsterdam. It's a great stop off point to stretch your legs and learn a little along the way. 



Dutch Clogs are found all over for tourists to take pictures in

Up Next: Keukenhof Gardens 

Tuesday, 29 March 2016

Farms and Zoo's: Great Day Trips for Toddlers

It's no secret that the English are all animal lovers, and what I have found since moving here is that the zoos are all top notch and amazing. We have visited a few zoos and farms within the area and they make great days out for people of all ages, especially children.

Here are few that we have visited:

Church Farm Stow: Church Farm is a perfect place to spend a morning or afternoon with your toddler. They have a lovely cafe' with pretty good food, a killer indoor playpark, and of course the farm itself. In the springtime the kids (and adults) can feed baby lambs and witness "lambing season" in full bloom. There are several hands on petting areas and the farmers make sure to take time and teach the kids about the animals featured at the farm. In addition to the farm and indoor playplace there is also an outdoor park with trampolines, a sand pit, and hay bale pit. Church farm is located within an hour of RAF Lakenheath/Mildenhall and prices vary from baby, toddler, child, and adult.

Find out more information about Church Farm on their website here: http://www.churchfarmstowbardolph.co.uk/

Colchester Zoo: As far as Zoo's go, this is one of the best I have ever been too. The enclosures are well kept and very enriching for all the animals, you can really tell that the caretakers take pride in their animals. There are several animals but a few of my favorites that shouldn't be missed are: the orangutans, chimps, and African Savannah animals. There are parks and picnics located throughout the entire zoo, several restaurants (although we always bring a picnic), an indoor playplace, animal feeding (elephants/giraffes), and a train ride to visit the Lemurs are all included. This is a zoo that is interactive and not to be missed! 
Why yes that's an Orang reading a newspaper at Colchester Zoo.
            To learn more about Colchester Zoo, visit their website here:  http://www.colchester-zoo.com



Woburn Safari Park: Woburn Safari park isn't like other zoo's in the area and that's apparent right when you pull up to the gates. In the distance you see free roaming Elephants and Zebras, you pull up to a window with your car, pay your fee and you are given a map. That is when the fun begins! You are now free to drive through the safari park, which gives everyone in the vehicle a chance to see their favorite animals up close and personal. There are lions, and tigers, and bears...OH MY! Rhinos, Giraffes, and of course the car surfing Monkeys, just to name a few. The Safari drive takes just over an hour or more, and at the end you can park your car and enjoy a smaller Zoo adjacent to the Safari park with several picnic areas, playgrounds, and MORE animal encounters. We spent the entire day here and still didn't see everything. The best part is, you only pay ONCE but you can drive through the Safari as many times as you want. This gave us the chance to see some animals even more up close! This was our toddler's favorite experience to date! Woburn is located in the Milton Keynes area, just over an hour away.

Find out more about Woburn Safari Park here: http://www.woburnsafari.co.uk/
Car Surfing Monkey at Woburn Safari Park
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