Our 6S Full Life

Ostend

During our last week of travel we decided to spend some more time in Belgium. We started with two nights on the beach. We stayed in a small almost studio apartment with an amazing view.

The weather is not always great on the North Sea beaches but this weekend it was amazing weather. We started our time there with dinner at Restaurant North a small cafe on the boardwalk. It was quick dinner fair not great but not terrible. Then we bought breakfast for the morning and watched the sunset from our room.

We spent the next morning relaxing on the beach and splashing in the surf. B built a small city and we walked to an art installation in the water.

By lunch we were back in our room enjoying our view as well as some Belgium chocolate, cheese, and crackers.

We spent the afternoon walking down the boardwalk and into town. We found the Shin Kai Tei Japanese garden and a lot of shops in town.

We ate at a cafe on the boardwalk before heading home. On our section of the boardwalk a large market had been set up since we had left. There were lots of sellers, mostly fruit, veggies, and things from China. Although there were a few individuals and even a plant auction. There was also a stage with singers right by our place. We spent some time on the beach watching the sun set. Then we enjoyed the festivities from our room until they packed up around 11pm.

Amsterdam Day 2

On our second day in Amsterdam we started with the Van Gogh Museum. Tickets sell out early and all sales are online. Glad we had done our research because we saw many people trying to get in and being turned away.

The museum was crowded at spots but when we were patient we always got time to look at all of the works. We did the audio tour which was super helpful in giving insight to the paintings and the man himself. We learned so much and found some favorites amount his massive amount of works.

We stoped at Umainmom Chicken Ramen for lunch and enjoyed large bowls of Ramen. Then we walked De 9 Straatjes area to peruse the small shops along the way. Although we have very little room for souvenirs a few small ones made the cut and are safely tucked in our bags. luckily our favorite souvenirs are postcards which when traveling light are easy to bring with you.

We had dinner at Cafe De Prins. So far this has been my favorite spot. A lot have been good but the atmosphere, the service, and the food we had here was perfect. The fondue was delicious and our apple tart was perfect.

We walked until the streetlights came on and enjoyed a bit of the canal and building lights before heading back for the night.

Amsterdam Day 1

We left London (at 5am) and boarded the Eurostar to Amsterdam. It was a longer day of travel but the train was comfortable, breakfast was good, and we had lots of time to relax.

Once we reached Central Station in Amsterdam we had to figure out another metro system and had some card trouble. After speaking with an agent we got it all sorted though and were soon on the underground to our boutique hotel. We stayed at the Guesthouse Keirzersgracht and are so happy we did. Our view was beautiful and everything was walkable although we used the tram a lot mostly for the fun of it but also because we have spent 90% of our trip walking everywhere. The three flights of tiny Dutch house stairs to climb to our room made it even more of an adventure we laughed every time we came and went.

During our two full days in Amsterdam we did a food tour, a canal tour, and the Van Gogh Museum.

Our food tour this time was focused on all local Dutch favorites. We tried local Gouda cheese and port wine at Gastrovino and learned how different 2 month vs 2 year cheese can be. We tried raw herring with onions and pickles, which was actually quite good at Haringhandel. Our next stop was Pannenkoeken or Dutch pancakes and coffee at Pancakes Amsterdam. So yummy! Then we made our way to a small local alcohol shop Quinta Absinthe where we tried the local specialty Jenever as well as traditional Gin. Both were good although B sniffed them and decided not to partake. We enjoyed stroopwafels at Hans Egstorf. Our last stop was for fries with mayonnaise and bitter-balls at Heertje Friet. These were the best fries I have had so far. Warm and crispy and the mayonnaise reminded me of the delicious homemade version we make not the store bought American kind.

After our walk through Amsterdam and all the wonderful food we made our way to our room to rest a bit before heading to our canal cruise. We booked with Sebi Boat Tours and are so happy we did. Not only was he friendly, knowledgeable, and fun the snacks were good and the drinks were plentiful. we cruised on all of the major canals and into the port areas. Although there was a small sprinkle of rain we were dry under the canopy and did not have to put up umbrellas like other tour groups we saw.

London Day 3&4

After the Big Bus tour we decided to return to one stop and explore it more. Hyde Park was once a hunting ground for the royal family but it is now a huge public park. We wanted to make our way to the Peter Pan Statue and park but on our way we stoped at Buckingham Palace at just the right time to see the changing of the guard. By the time we made it to the it would have taken most of our day to do those things so we spent time in the rose garden and had lunch by the lake instead.

We then spent the afternoon at the British Museum. It is free to get in but you want to reserve tickets and entry time before arriving. The que was not bad for ticket holders but it can be dreadful long if you do not prebook.

We spent 5 hours walking through the museum and B has since said she would be happy to go again as we did not even get close to seeing it all. Our highlights were the Rosetta Stone, the European jewelry and pottery, the Japan Gallery, and clocks. Just remember there is very little air conditioning so on a warmer day it can get super warm inside. Dressing in layers with a bag to hold them all was super helpful.

We ended our evening with dinner at a little pub on our walk home called White Swan. Our pies were fabulous and so was the sticky pudding.

On our last day in London we did a little Harry Potter fun. We walked a few small streets which are reminiscent of settings from the book, then we went to Kings Cross to view platform 9 3/4. We also made our way to Sirius’ house. It was all good silly fun. We found a lovely cafe for afternoon tea. It was fancy and delicious.

After doing a lot more walking, watching street performers, and shopping we stoped for dumplings in China town before heading back to pack and rest for a very early departure.

London, Day 1&2

We got into our flat late, after our Eurostar from Lille, and went right to bed. We stayed at a wonderful apartment in the heart of central London. We were within walking to all the major spots, our host Phyllis was a delight to talk to with good local insights. We were so happy we booked our stay with her.

Our first day in London was spent walking to the Clock Tower (Big Ben), sitting at a local park collecting pigeons, and getting to know the area we were staying in.

In the afternoon we joined a fabulous food tour. The No Diet Club food tour was the perfect way for us to enjoy a variety of the best street food in two spots Southbank and Camden Market. We also walked a bit through other areas and rented bikes to ride through the city. That was definitely not an experience we would have chosen on our own but we are glad to have had the experience with a knowledgeable guide.

On our second day we bought tickets to the Big Bus and rode the blue line all the way through. We enjoyed the information and being able to see a huge part of London we would not have seen otherwise. As this was our first time here the bus was a good way to see a lot in a small amount of time. Being in no rush helped us feel more relaxed than any other trip we have taken. Sleeping in and meandering with little plan can be just as enjoyable as booking many things and seeing them all.

In the evening we went to the theater to see The Play that Goes Wrong. It is the longest running play currently in London and we could see why. It was hilarious murder mystery where everything that could go wrong did. Keeping to the theater model of just keep going no matter what happens even as the set fell down around them they kept up with their lines.