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Trip Report from France, Belgium, Netherlands (Honeymoon Oct. '05)

Trip Report from France, Belgium, Netherlands (Honeymoon Oct. '05)

Old Mar 15th, 2006, 09:47 AM
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Trip Report from France, Belgium, Netherlands (Honeymoon Oct. '05)

I'm finally getting around to posting a trip report from our October 2005 honeymoon in France, Belgium and The Netherlands. Here goes:

DAYS 1-3: PARIS

We arrived in Paris on Tuesday. We flew on Northwest Airlines from Los Angeles to Detroit and then from Detroit to Paris.
We loved Paris! I've been here several times and it's one of my favorite cities... so romantic. By day we walked around the city seeing sights we hadn't visited before and lingering in cafes. At night we strolled along the Seine, admired the moon over Notre Dame and the lights on the Eiffel Tower. It's a magical place and I can't recommend it enough to anyone who may be considering honeymooning there.

ACCOMODATIONS: In Paris we stayed at a friend's apartment on the Rue de la Huchette. This was a fine base for our sightseeing and saved us a lot of money on a hotel. I definitely recommend the Left Bank to others who are considering going to Paris. I've stayed on both sides of the river but especially love the quaint streets and little shops of the Left Bank. We were right off Place St. Michel, which is a busy area filled with students from the nearby Sorbonne.

SIGHTSEEING: My husband and I had both been to Paris before, and I was just there recently, so we did more off-the-beaten-path sightseeing this time and revisited just a couple of favorite major sights. If it was your first time in Paris, you'd probably have a different agenda. You'd go to Notre Dame, Ste-Chappelle, Musee d'Orsay, the Louvre and all the other big must-sees. We'd already been to those places multiple times, so here’s some of what we did in three days:

Luxembourg Gardens- My favorite gardens in Paris, just an amazingly beautiful place. We picked up some baguettes, brought them to the park and sat on a bench and ate lunch while enjoying the lovely surroundings and excellent people watching.

St. Sulpice- This church is right near the Luxembourg Gardens, so we stopped in. It's famous mostly for its huge pipe organ and while it's not as impressive as some of the other, incredible churches in town it has it's own charm. It's now famous for being a major location in "The DaVinci Code", so it's getting more tourists these days. We saw one guided tour pass through when we were there.

Rodin Museum- We decided to just tour the garden, which is full of sculptures and costs only one Euro to enter. We saw "The Thinker" and a bunch of other wonderful works. This is a peaceful and lovely setting in which to enjoy sculpture.

Sewer Tour- We took a tour of the city's sewer system- they're quite proud of it! It was educational, but it wasn't my favorite thing we did in Paris. If you were into engineering or city planning it would be really cool.

Catacombs- This was very memorable! In the 1800s, Paris emptied several of its graveyards and reburied millions of people far underground in catacombs. You walk along a mile or so of underground paths lined with bones and skulls. A little creepy....but really unique. You don't see stuff like this every day. This was actually one of my husband's favorite things in Paris.

Eiffel Tower- We didn't take the time to go up, since we’d done it before. Just took some photos in front of the tower and moved on.

Sacre Coeur/ Montmartre- We'd both been here before, but decided to go again for the lovely view of Paris. We walked around the church, took some photos from the hilltop, walked down through Montmartre and looked at some side streets we hadn't explored before. I know this neighborhood can be a little rough around the edges, and frankly that's part of it's charm. But this time we ran into some really agressive young men selling beads and trinkets just below Sacre Coeur. We said that we didn't want anything and kept walking, but they followed us and at one point one of the men grabbed my arm in a really agressive way. I shook him off and everything was fine... but the whole incident was a little scary. I was surprised to have this happen in such a crowded area in full daylight.

Paris Opera- This is one of the best things we did in Paris. We got last-minute tickets for a performance of "La Boheme" at Opera Garnier and it was fantastic! If you want to try this, just go to the Opera's box office before the start of the show and stand in line. The opera started at 8:00 and we got there at 7:00pm. At 7:15pm they started selling unsold or unclaimed tickets. We scored awesome seats on the lower level for 9 euro each. They were cheap because they were "obscured"- meaning you couldn’t see the subtitles projected above the stage. We would have been challenged by the French subtitles anyway and have seen La Boheme before and know the story, so it didn't matter a bit that we couldn't see them. We essentially got 100 euro tickets and the most amazing experience for next to nothing. I highly recommend trying your luck!

Walking- We spent a lot of time just walking around the city, which is one of the best things to do in Paris. We walked all over, including a hike down the Champs Elysees, from the Arc du Triomphe to Place de la Concorde and the Jardin des Tuilieres.

RESTAURANTS:

Au Clair De Lune (13 rue Francaise, 2e)- Some Parisian friends took us to this Algerian restaurant near Les Halles. North African food is very popular in Paris. Au Clair De Lune is a local favorite, and we were the only tourists there. The food is so fabulous. You get a big bowl of cous cous and then ladle a vegetable soup mixture over the top. Then, you order a variety of meats (chicken, lamb, beef, etc...) and add those to the cous cous. It was absolutely delicious and I'm so glad we tried it. You get a lot of food for not a lot of money. I highly recommend this place!

Laduree- Laduree is a pastry shop and tea room with several locations around Paris. I always stop by one of them when I'm in Paris because they have the most heavenly treats. My husband loved his eclair and I ordered an assortment of their incredible macaroons (my favorite things there). They have a ton of flavors, my current favorite is the caramel.

Restaurant Le Montebello (1, quai Montebello)- This restaurant was near our apartment, just across the Seine from Notre Dame on the Left Bank. It's adorable at night, with candlelit cafe tables set up along the sidewalk. We ordered the prix fixe menu and it was a really reasonable price. I had a warm goat cheese salad, roasted salmon and creme brulee, plus a nice Muscadet to accompany them. Delicious! All this with a view of Notre Dame in the moonlight.

OTHER TIPS:

If you're a reader, you'll love Shakespeare & Co., an English bookstore on the left bank. It's rather famous for being a former haunt of Henry Miller, Anais Nin and many other acclaimed writers. They've got an awesome selection of travel books in addition to lots of other interesting titles. This place is sort of a British and American ex-pat gathering place. It's open until midnight and is always busy in the late hours, with everyone talking in English and playing with the owner's cat. It was right around the corner from our apartment, so we ended up stopping by here almost every night on our way home, just to chat with people and see what was going on. http://shakespeareco.org

A FEW PHOTOS:

http://tinyurl.com/rsn64 (Rodin Musuem)
http://tinyurl.com/e92uy (Sacre Coeur)
http://tinyurl.com/zm277 (Luxembourg Gardens)
http://tinyurl.com/olxlm (Catacombs)
http://tinyurl.com/hmuzy (Champs Elysees)
http://tinyurl.com/q6p8n (Siene & Grand Palais)


Coming up: We move on to the heavenly Loire Valley!
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Old Mar 15th, 2006, 11:14 AM
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DAYS 4-7: THE LOIRE VALLEY

This was my favorite part of the honeymoon. The Loire Valley is gorgeous and totally romantic- chateaux everywhere, cute little towns, a river flowing through green valleys. It was very easy to get there. We took a train from Montparnasse station in Paris to Tours. It's about an hour and a half on the train from Paris. We'd reserved a car in Tours, through Avis. You can just book through their website. The car was all ready for us at the train station when we arrived in Tours, so we just hopped in and off we went.

Driving in the countryside is really, really easy. The roads themselves aren't as well-marked as ours, but there are signs everywhere for surrounding towns. Half the time you don't even need to worry about what road you’re on... just follow signs toward the city where you want to go. The distances between towns are short and we were able to see a lot of the area in a short amount of time. We never got lost, never had any problems whatsoever. Our little car was comfortable and got great gas mileage!

We spent the first night in Saumur and then drove east to Amboise, where we stayed the rest of the time.

ACCOMODATIONS:

Hotel Saint-Pierre in Saumur. www.saintpierresaumur.com A cute, little hotel on a tiny street tucked behind a church. We had a loft room on the top floor, and while it wasn't terribly spacious, it was nicely decorated and very comfortable. We loved the lobby level, with its cozy bar/lounge and airy breakfast room. We had breakfast there and the food (yogurt, crossaints, fresh fruit, cheese, coffee & juice) was delicious. The staff was friendly and extremely helpful. I would stay here again.

Chateau Des Ormeaux in Amboise. www.chateaudesormeaux.com I can't even tell you how much I LOVED this hotel. It is so gorgeous, so romantic, so elegant... just the perfect place to be on a honeymoon. Our room ("Rameau") was beautifully decorated, had a huge bathroom and a gorgeous view down the drive. The three men who own the chateau are so warm and welcoming- you really feel like you’re staying at someone's home. On Saturday night the chateau offers a formal dinner for the guests. We reserved in advance, having heard it was awesome. Before the dinner, the guests (probably 14 of us in total- from 4 or 5 different countries) all met in the drawing room for local champagnes and snacks. We mingled and the owners made a point of introducing us to people they thought we had things in common with and then seated us accordingly at the grand dinner table in the dining room. We met so many lovely people that night and had fun running into them around the chateau for the next two days. It just made the whole experience so much more personal and special. Dinner was unbelievably yummy- multiple courses, all made in the chateau's kitchen with local ingredients. Lots of wine... it was wonderful. If you ever go to the Loire Valley, you must stay at Chateaux Des Ormeaux! It's the perfect romantic getaway for a quite reasonable price.

SIGHTSEEING:

St-Gatien in Tours- We took a few moments to check out the lovely cathedral in Tours. It was just gorgeous! If you arrive in Tours by train, definitely see the church before you leave.

Villandry- We came to the Loire Valley to tour the many famous chateaux in the area. They were once owned by Kings and noble families, but most now are run by the government and open to the public. It's a popular tourist area, and you’re constantly running into people you've seen at other chateaux, which is fun because you can compare notes on which chateaux you've liked best and which restaurants you shouldn't miss. Villandry was our first stop on the chateau circuit. This chateau is known for its amazing garden. We didn't even tour the inside, having heard that you should skip it and just see the grounds. The gardens were spectacular! I absolutely loved this chateau... it was one of my favorites in the end. We spent ages wandering the property, admiring the views and taking photos of the landscape.

Azay Le Rideu- This is a very pretty and romantic chateau, clearly a residence and not a fortress. It is surrounded by water on all sides and almost seems to float. The inside is okay, not really special, but the outside is fantastic! The little town of Azay-Le-Rideu is charming, as well. We stopped and had lunch here at a cafe called Le Chalet and their baguettes and croque monsieur were fantastic.

Chateau d'Usse- This is the chateau that inspired the story (but not the design) of Sleeping Beauty. We stopped and took photos of it from the roadside, but didn't go in. We'd heard it wasn't all that interesting inside, and you really have to pick and choose between all the chateaux or else you'll be just overwhelmed.

Chateau de Saumur- This chateau was closed they day we were in Saumur but we strolled around the outside. It is big and foreboding with a wooden drawbridge you walk across. The property offers great views of Saumur and the valley. We also really liked the town of Saumur. We spent the night here and enjoyed walking through the town and visiting a local farmer's market.

Bagneux Dolmen- This is a Neolithic burial chamber standing in Bagneux, just outside Saumur. We love history, but this was a little dull. Just rocks, no museum. Not really worth the 3 euro entry, but interesting, I guess. We ended up having a fascinating conversation with the owner of the property about the financial difficulties of keeping the Dolmen open to the public... that was probably the most memorable part for me.

Rochemenier Troglodyte Village- In the Loire, it used to be common for people to live in cave dwellings carved into the rock hills in the area. Rochemenier has preserved an entire underground village of troglodyte dwellings (which people lived in until the early 1900s!). It was so cool and totally fascinating. We were really glad we saw it. You just can't believe people lived like that, yet at the same time, it was ingenious and made such good use of natural resources. Very cool.

Chateau de Langeais- This is the most cold and foreboding of all the chateaux we saw. A true medieval fortress, it's famous mostly for being the place that King Charles VIII secretly married Anne of Burgundy. The self-guided tour does a great job of explaining the history of the chateau, so even though it's not "pretty", it’s really interesting.

Clos Luce- This mini-chateau in Amboise is where Leonardo DaVinci lived the last three years of his life. It's a beautiful building, most of which is still decorated and seems warm and homey. The gardens are very pretty as well. The best part is the extensive museum dedicated to DaVinci's inventions. After you go through the museum you can walk on onto the grounds, where they've created large scale versions of his inventions that you can try out for yourself. We thought it was really interesting and definitely a must-see. If you were in the Loire with kids, they'd love this place, too.

Chenonceau- This chateau is often said to be the most beautiful in the Loire Valley. Set across a river and surrounded by gardens, it's just stunning and is still largely furnished. We took a very cool iPod tour of the chateau and felt that it was really comprehensive and interesting. It's such a romantic place and a must-see while in the Loire Valley. This chateau was built and lived in almost exclusively by women, and it really shows in the elegant, romantic nature of the building and the decor.

Cheverny- We were surprised by how much we liked this very pretty chateau. It's simpler than some of the larger chateaux, but beautifully furnished. You could actually picture living here (as family members did until very recently). We also loved the fact that they keep 70+ hunting dogs on the property. We're animal lovers and had a great time playing with the dogs through the fence.

Chambord- Chambord is the largest chateau in the Loire, but it was actually one that we didn't like very much. It's big, and the roof and DaVinci-designed staircase are really cool, but most of the rooms are empty (or filled with odd modern art projects). It was just a little boring and lacked the life and romance so many of the other chateau had. Most people would consider it the #1 must see in the Loire, but it just didn’t do anything for us.

RESTAURANTS:

Le Gambetta in Saumur. The owner of Hotel Saint Pierre told us this was the best restaurant in Saumur. This place was FANTASTIC- probably the best dining experience of our honeymoon. Excellent, friendly service, creative and absolutely delicious cuisine... and not nearly as expensive as dining of that quality should be. I had a prix fixe menu with four courses for 26 euro: Tomato & basil toasts topped with fresh fish, a grilled trout entree, Camebert cheese in puff pastry drizzled with honey and a dessert of pineapple sorbet served with crème fraiche and raspberries. Highly recommended!

PHOTOS:

http://tinyurl.com/r6o6p (Villandry)
http://tinyurl.com/oz6zm (Azay-Le-Rideu)
http://tinyurl.com/oez6q (Farmers market in Saumur)
http://tinyurl.com/pwk83 (Bagneux Dolmen)
http://tinyurl.com/zl2a5 (Chateau de Langeais)
http://tinyurl.com/q52pu (Chenonceau)
http://tinyurl.com/n5k26 (Cheverny)
http://tinyurl.com/z2rgp (Chateau Des Ormeaux)
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Old Mar 15th, 2006, 11:20 AM
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Hi, Erin. Loved reading your trip report so far. I'm going to Paris for the first time in July and I cannot wait!

Looking forward to the rest of your report.
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Old Mar 15th, 2006, 11:22 AM
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DAYS 8-9: BELGIUM

We dropped off our rental car in Orleans and took a quick (45 minute) train back to Paris. We spent the night there and continued on early in the morning to Belgium. We took a TGV high-speed train from Gare Nord in Paris to Brussels and then transferred to a commuter train to Bruges. It was a very quick trip, about two hours in all.

Bruges is the most adorable, scenic town. It's medieval in style, perfectly preserved because it was spared damage in the wars of the last several centuries. Canals run through the city, giving it the most romantic feeling. It was quite cold when we were in Bruges, but we still had a great time wandering around the town and taking a boat ride on the canals.

We spent just one day in Bruges and then continued on to Brussels, where we walked around town for a couple of hours before hopping on a train to Amsterdam. We would have loved one more day in Belgium, though!

ACCOMODATIONS:

't Geerwijn in Bruges. www.geerwijn.be This little bed and breakfast was very inexpensive and located right near the center of town. Our room was cute and cozy and the breakfast was delicious. However, it was three very steep flights of stairs up to our room, which was difficult with the luggage. Also, the owner was a bit frosty and curt and there was none of the welcoming spirit we’d felt at Chateau des Ormeaux. Breakfast was served in the morning, the owner was not present, and the guests sat in awkward silence not speaking to one another. A very strange experience.

Church of Our Lady, Bruges: This cathedral was so beautiful and quite different than the others we've seen, perhaps because it is so perfectly preserved from medieval times. There was little stained glass, but tons of artwork (both paintings and sculpture) throughout the church. Most noteworthy is a Michelangelo sculpture called "Madonna and Child" that is really breathtaking. This is a must-see in Bruges.

Canal boat ride in Bruges- This pleasant ride through the canals of Bruges cost us about 7 euro each and was totally worth it. It's an excellent way to see the city. There are a number of places around town where you can catch a boat- you'll see booths on almost every canal near the center of town.

The Belfry, Bruges- A gorgeous, old belfry tower, this is the center of Bruges. The bells still chime regularly and you can climb to the top of the tower for amazing views of the city.

The Markt, Bruges- This is the main square in Bruges and is ringed with cafes and shops. The Belfry stands at one end. This is a great place to use as a base for your sightseeing. You can also take a horse and carriage ride around the city starting in this area.

The Burg, Bruges- A smaller square just off the Markt, surrounded by gorgeous medieval buildings.

Grote Markt/Grand Place, Brussels- The main square in Brussels is a UNESCO world heritage site. A picture-perfect square surrounded by 17th century buildings and teeming with tourists. There's often a flower market in the center of the square and there are a number of museums you can visit in this area.

Mannekin Pis, Brussels- The Mannekin is a very famous landmark in Brussels. We were all excited to see the little guy, only to arrive and find him under construction. My husband was so disappointed! We peeked around the tent to take a photo, though. Often, the mannekin is in costume, but not so on our trip.

RESTAURANTS:

T'Huidevettershuis in Bruges- Located on a very scenic canal, this adorable restaurant is warm and cozy. The service was excellent and our food was absolutely delicious. My husband had a rabbit stew dish that was really incredible.

Be sure to treat yourself to the amazing chocolates and delicious waffles that you'll find sold on every street throughout Belgium. They are delicious!

PHOTOS:

http://tinyurl.com/hbtla (Church of Our Lady, Bruges)
http://tinyurl.com/npeh9 (Bruges Canal)
http://tinyurl.com/ha2fc (The Markt, Bruges)
http://tinyurl.com/eajol (Grote Markt, Brussels)
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Old Mar 15th, 2006, 11:30 AM
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I'll be back with info on the last leg of our trip... The Netherlands!
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Old Mar 15th, 2006, 03:13 PM
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DAYS 10-13: AMSTERDAM

We took a train from Brussels to Amsterdam. Because it was a commuter train rather than a high speed train it took about three hours (high speed arrives in two hours). This was a great time for us to write in our journals and talk with the backpackers we met on the train. The countryside in The Netherlands is awesome. Big, green meadows, horses, windmills... sort of exactly as you’d picture it. Then, you arrive in Amsterdam and the chaos begins!

Amsterdam is crazy. There are parts of it that are really beautiful and parts that are just weird and kind of scary. The pace there is a bit frenetic, and the streets are crowded with cars, bicycles and pedestrians. Everyone speaks English and the people are very nice. There were lots of interesting sights to see. If you are going here, I would highly recommend staying near the museums or the Vondelpark area-- we loved that part of town.

ACCOMODATIONS:

We rented a houseboat in Amsterdam. It was really, really cool and I'm so glad we did it. The boat was gorgeous, huge, and totally comfortable. Since hotels in Amsterdam can be very expensive, this was a great way to go. It wasn't cheap, but we had so much more space and privacy than we would have had in a hotel. Plus, we had a full kitchen and washer & dryer. The outside of the boat isn't hugely attractive, but the inside is warm and elegant. In the summer it would be great to sit out on the small back end of the boat and enjoy the sunshine. While it was a little too cold for us to do that, we did enjoy feeding croissants to the little family of ducks who lived outside the boat. It was a fun way to start each day- the ducks were adorable. We booked through www.houseboathotel.nl and the boat we rented was #B026, "The Hendrik." The only downside to the boat is that while it was located on a pretty, quiet canal to the east of the train station, we had to walk through the Red Light District constantly because all the sights and restaurants are to the west of the boat. I didn't love having to do that so often.

SIGHTSEEING:

Anne Frank House- This was one of my favorite sights in Amsterdam. I haven't read this book in probably fifteen years, but the experience of being in Anne's hiding place was incredibly powerful and emotional. There is a small museum before you enter and descriptive information in every room you pass. Obviously, a big must-see while in Amsterdam. Try to come towards the end of the day, when the line isn’t so long.

Rijksmuseum- This is an awesome museum! It's devoted mainly to Dutch art and history and has some incredible works of art. We did the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum together (they're right next door to each other) in about three hours total, with a break for lunch in the middle. It worked perfectly.

Van Gogh Museum- This is a nice, modern space totally devoted to Van Gogh and his influences. It walks you through the various stages in his life and career and explains his works in excellent detail. Highly recommended.

Amstelkring- This is a beautiful Catholic church "hidden" on the upper floors of three adjoining row houses. It was built after the Dutch government outlawed Catholicism and is really just an amazing feat. You walk up past the main floors of the house, and suddenly there’s this huge church just hanging out in someone’s home! This was definitely worth seeing.

Renting bicycles- You can rent a bicycle at the train station. We paid less than 10 euro for three hours of use. Amsterdam is a perfect biking city, and bikes definitely outnumber cars on the street. This was the best way to just go all over town and get an overview of the city. We also took the bikes into Vondelpark and had the best time riding on the trails there. If the weather is good, this is a must-do activity in Amsterdam.

The Begijnhof- Located inside a walled compound. The Begijnhof houses the oldest building in Amsterdam and two lovely churches. The enclosed courtyard is lush, green and very peaceful. The Begijnhof was originally built as a sanctuary for the Begijntjes, a Catholic sisterhood who lived like nuns. Today the homes are privately owned and the grounds are only open a couple of hours a day. It was beautiful here!

Red Light District- I think it's a must-see, since it's so specific to Amsterdam and the culture of the city. Definitely go at night and walk through with all the other tourists. I didn't personally enjoy spending time in this area, just because I didn't feel very safe I guess (moreso in the day than at night, strangely) but I'm really glad I saw it. I don't think the area is actually "unsafe" per se, I just didn't feel comfortable. But it's absolutely a part of town I'd recommend seeing.

DAY TRIPS:

Haarlem- We took a day trip to Haarlem, which is just 15 minutes from Amsterdam on the local train but feels worlds away. There's plenty to do there. We went to a Michelangelo exhibit at the Teylers Museum, which was great. We also toured the Corrie Ten Boom house (she wrote the book "The Hiding Place" about hiding people in her house during WWII). The Ten Boom house tour is free, which is great. It's a little long, but quite interesting & provides a lot of historical detail. The tour is run by a Christian group, and there were a couple moments that got a little preachy, but on the whole the tour was worthwhile.

Delft- This is the cutest, cutest town. It's home to the Delft pottery factories, but we didn't have enough time to take a tour. We just wandered around the town, which is filled with pretty canals and nice stores & cafes. I really would have like to spend longer here. An afternoon wasn't enough. While we were wandering around the main square, we saw a wedding party entering the town hall. Local children held up arches covered in flowers for the bride and groom to pass underneath- very interesting! It was about 45 minutes from Delft back to Amsterdam on the train. While in Delft, stop in at this amazing bakery: Bakkerij de Diamenten Ring (on Choorstrat).

RESTAURANTS:

The Pancake Bakery (Prinsengracht 191)- www.pancake.nl Pancakes are a whole different thing in Amsterdam than they are in the USA. You get one enormous pancake, hanging off the edges of a large plate, with your choice of sweet or savory ingredients inside. They are a lunch/dinner item in the Netherlands and are very filling. You really must try one while you're in Amsterdam, and The Pancake Bakery is absolutely the best place to do so. It's a bit touristy, but for good reason. Check out their website for photos and a menu. We ate there late and had dessert pancakes. I ordered the "English Pancake"- pears, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top of a powdered sugar-dusted pancake. Needless to say, it was heaven on a plate. And huge. I got through maybe half of it. Don’t miss this place!

De Groote Swaen (Prins Hendrikkade 52-56)- This pub-like restaurant is not far from the train station and offered some suprisingly good Dutch food. The pea soup (which you MUST have in Amsterdam, it's incredible) was just delicious. The service is warm and friendly and you can linger here for ages, polishing off French fries, roasted chicken and omelets.

Caprese (Spuistraat 261)- We ended up here by accident, since we were out late and most other restaurants had closed for the night (at 10:30pm!). Caprese has really excellent Italian food. I highly recommend the ravioli and their incredible desserts. A nice change from all the French and Dutch food we had been eating.

Brasserie Van Gogh- This is a totally touristy lunch spot located right near the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. It's cheerful and bright, with sunflowers everywhere. The food here was surprisingly good and I recommend stopping here while you're seeing the museums.

PHOTOS:

http://tinyurl.com/qw7my (Amsterdam)
http://tinyurl.com/m7d68 (Van Gogh Museum)
http://tinyurl.com/h4kkr (Delft)
http://tinyurl.com/ln2fr (Begijnhof)
http://tinyurl.com/znjp3 (Haarlem)


FINAL THOUGHTS:

We flew out of Amsterdam and had a direct flight back to Los Angeles. The trip was awesome! In hindsight, I think it was a little busy/exhausting for a honeymoon. I didn't expect to be SO tired after the wedding and we moved around a lot during this trip. But we really enjoyed all the places we visited and had an amazing time.

I'm happy to answer questions!
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Old Mar 15th, 2006, 06:41 PM
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What a wonderful honeymoon trip!Pictures are awesome. I was especially interested in the Amsterdam part as my daughter and I will be there in April for the first time. I have always wanted to go during the tulip season. I relived your time in Paris and the Loire Valley. Paris is also one of my favorite cities in the world.
Thanks for sharing and may your life together be one of great joy and happiness.
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Old Mar 15th, 2006, 06:44 PM
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I only want to say thanks, congratulations and many years of bliss.
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Old Mar 15th, 2006, 07:04 PM
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Just wanted to say thank you for posting your trip report. I will be going to Belgium and the Netherlands the end of June. I can wait. I will be seeing many of the things that you listed. Thank you! Congrats, and I hope the honeymoon never ends!
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Old Mar 15th, 2006, 07:47 PM
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What a great trip report and a wonderful honeymoon--thanks so much for posting this. And congratulations! We're going to France for our 25th anniversery next Spring (this is harder for me to believe than you can imagine) and I've copied your report into my file for reference. Thanks so much for all the information. (BTW my DD's name is Erin!)
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Old Mar 18th, 2006, 04:27 PM
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Erin,

Thanks so much for this trip report. Your photos are great. I agree with you on the Loire chateaux. Loved the photo from Villandry.

Best wishes for your future together!
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Old Mar 18th, 2006, 05:08 PM
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Thanks so much for your lovely trip report. Sounds like THE most wonderful, well-planned honeymoon!
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Old Apr 1st, 2006, 05:34 AM
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We will be in Bruges, Brussels and Amsterdam in May and I read your report for some sightseeing ideas. However, your descriptions had my mouth watering to return to France and the beautiful Loire Valley. Your description of the chateau was so beautiful and romantic, that I would love to go back and stay there. Years of love and happiness to you and your lucky husband!
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