Tulips! a visit to Keukenhof Gardens

I woke up early on a Saturday morning to visit the world's largest flower garden. And it was worth it! You should definitely consider making a trip to Keukenhof Gardens soon. The tulips are blooming, and they are beautiful.

Getting there: the gardens are in a small town called Lisse. You can take a long bike ride to the gardens, drive, or take the bus. A bus runs from Den Haag Central Station during the week, but on the weekend you can take the train to Leiden and from there buy your bus ticket to reach Keukenhof. The bus ticket is 20 euro and includes the return bus trip and entrance to the gardens. It's not a long bus ride, and you pass some of the tulip fields when you are close to the gardens. (When you arrive at the Leiden train station, get your tickets at the Connexxion booth.)

Timing: GO EARLY. Or go during the week if you can. The crowds really get in the way of strolling at a leisurely pace and enjoying the flowers. The garden is huge, and you will want to see as much as you can before you get tired. Plus the views are much prettier with fewer people around. I went on a Saturday, got to Leiden around 9:45, only had to wait about 20 minutes for a bus, and had a few peaceful hours in the gardens before it became packed. By 2:00 when I left, there were large crowds to enter the park and to get on the bus in Leiden.

Food: There are a lot of cafes and food stands in the garden, so you could eat breakfast there if you want. And if you're there for a long time, you can keep your energy up with food breaks.

ISTANBUL

Istanbul is a fantastic city! We were told it's neither really Europe nor Turkey. Istanbul has its own character. Here are a lot of tips from five happy tourists:

- OTRAKOY: definitely take the time to visit Ortakoy mosque and eat the street food right outside. The food is great and you can eat right next to the water. It's a great place to watch people and boats go by. They have stalls of baked potatoes with a ridiculous number of toppings, and we have decided this is the place to get the BEST street food dessert IN THE WORLD: Ortakoy Waffles. You get a waffle topped with your choice of about 20 toppings! (including various types of chocolate, bananas, kiwi, strawberries, coconut, pistachios, cherries, chocolate chips, etc.) They are FANTASTIC. Try to go on a Sunday so you can shop at the Ortakoy sunday market. To reach Ortakoy, take the tram to the end of the Kabatas line, then walk or take a cheap taksi. You'll pass Dolmabache Palace on the way if you walk.

- Dolmabache Palace: worth the trip, but to avoid the lines, try to go around 1 or 2 in the afternoon. They don't allow you to go on both the general tour and harem tour around those times, so fewer people go then it seems.

- Arasta Bazaar: a small bazaar right by the Blue Mosque that is a much easier place to shop than the Grand Bazaar, plus it seems you can get better deals there.

- Taksim at night: a great place to hang out, go for drinks or dinner, and shop.

- Taksis (taxis) are cheap if you are in a group, and reasonable if you are not. Make sure you ask the driver to use the meter before you get into the cab. The meter is the cheapest way to go. If you are trying to give directions if you are right by your hotel/hostel and you know where you are, use so (left) and sa (right) and your taksi driver might give you a big grin like the one we got!

- Expect to pay for whatever food is brought to the table at a restaurant. If you don't want something, kindly refuse the dish. The meze (small plates) will sometimes be given to you, assuming you want them as starters.

- You might see brochures for the She Tour of the Bosphorous and Spize Bazaar. It's 30 euro. It's a great trip on the Bosphorous, but stay at the spice bazaar (don’t go to the leather "production" - trust us) at the end. Or just take the ferries along the river, which are cheaper but might not have a tour guide telling you what you are seeing... just look around for your Bosphorous options.

- Try Turkish Delight if you've never had it - but make sure to ask the shopkeeper for the kind made with honey instead of sugar. If you taste both you'll see the Turkish Delight made with honey is a lot better. Usually you can ask for samples.

- The street corn might look good, but there is better street food around.

- You can bargain in most shops around the city.

- At the Galata Bridge, there is a tall building with a restaurant called Storks at the top. It has great food and wonderful views (both an outside deck and seats inside with glass windows for the view).

- Hamdi Restaurant: also at Galata Bridge, close to the Spize Bazaar. You'll see it, or ask any of the street vendors where it is. You will need a reservation. Also a place for great views and good food.

- Get to Aya Sofia early in the morning to avoid the line. It's the only Mosque where we paid an entry fee, and the lines are often long.

- Topkapi Palace is not the same as the archeological museum section! When you get inside the gate, the garden is in front of you. The way to get to the palace is to the right, before you go through the gardens. Once up there, the archeological museum is right in front of you, and you keep walking to get to the Palace.

- On a nice day, walk through the garden at Topkapi Palace. At the end of your walk, have Turkish tea or Turkish coffee at the café, overlooking the Bosphorous. (If you order Turkish tea, make sure to mix the tea with the hot water that comes with it. We learned from experience.)

- It's hard to find ATMs and you can't always use credit cards, so keep Turkish lire on you.

- Wander through the gardens of Istanbul University by the New Mosque. You can even go into the school, even though all the students seem to have to show ID to enter.

- New Mosque (next to the Spice Bazaar at the Eminonu tram stop and Galata Bridge)

- Spice Bazaar

- Grand Bazaar (overwhelming at times but very fun; can be more expensive to shop here than other shops)

- If you are going to visit the grand mosque of Sulemaniye, stroll through Istanbul University on your way. (The mosque is magnificent so it's worth seeing the outside, but it's getting renovated so we couldn't see inside)

- Visit a hammam! A Turkish Bath will rejuvenate you after a few days of sightseeing.

- Don't stir you Turkish coffee! It might seem like a futile comment, but in practice this is crucial.

- Mehraba (meh’-rah-bah) = hello

- Tesekur ederim (tesh’-eh-kuhr-ed’-eh-reem’) = thank you

- Nes’-sel-sin’-iz (phoenetic spelling) = how are you

- Women should bring a scarf to mosques (for a head covering)

- Wear shoes that you can slip on and off easily for mosque entry

- The little shops bordering the outside of the Blue Mosque were cheaper than a lot of the shops at the various bazaars

- If you want to hang out under the bridge, grab a drink instead of eating at the restaurants there because the food isn't great, however the cheap food stands selling fish sandwiches and mussels close to the bridge, next to the water were cheap and delicious and you can hang with the locals.

- You might be surrounded by a random swarm of Turkish school children! They are charming and talking with them helps them practice their English.

- Turkish shopkeepers will talk you up but might not be happy when you decline to come in - it's probably better to talk to them if you are genuinely curious or interested in what they have to offer in their shop

- The Baklava is good everywhere!

Maastricht

Maastricht, the oldest city in The Netherlands, is a small town around 3 hours from The Hague by train. It is very similar to The Hague in some ways, such as the architecture, the small town feel, the European chain stores that you can find in both towns, and the food/bar options. A friend tells me the lifestyle of people in the south is very different from those up here in The Hague, but you probably won't be able to tell on a weekend visit. It's supposed to be a very nice place to visit in the spring/summer, when the flowers are out and you can sit for hours at a cafe along the river or in the squares. The Vrijthof Square, in the center of old town, is a short walk across the river from the central station.

A few things worth visiting if you go:

1. Selexys book store in an old church
2. Roman Ruins under the Hotel Derlon (at Olvrouweplein 6, not far from Vrijthof Square)

Bruges

Bruges is a very sweet, small town. There aren't many new buildings, so you can imagine you are living in the 17th century when you walk around. The canals add to the scene, and if you want you can take an open boat ride (small boats, nothing fancy) on the canals with a tour guide. The town is small enough that you can meander and find things as you go, but if you want some guidance, these suggestions might come in handy:

1. two churches are very close to each other, and you can go into both. one of them is home to a small Michaelangelo sculpture of the Madonna and Child, which is one of the few scupltures by him that is outside Italy
2. chocolate, chocolate, chocolate - you could spend the entire day going into all the chocolate shops. they each have great displays and mouthwatering offerings. try looking for the Chocoladhuis at 15 Woolestraat, a street off the markt square.
3. Belgian waffles - a must
4. the Burg - this square has buildings with pretty architecture. an information booth can also be found here. you can go inside some of the buildings for a fee, or just go into the lobbies to take a peek.
5. Markt Square - lively and the center of town. don't eat in the restaurants/cafes in the square because they are overpriced. instead try the restaurants on the streets that stem from the square.
6. clock tower - you can climb the tower of the church located in the markt square (be prepared for 300+ steps)
7. Belgian beer - you can tour a brewery or sit in a bar offering 400+ beers on the menu
8. The Chocolate Museum - interesting history of chocolate, plus at the end you can see chocolate being made
9. Lybeer Hostel - a nice lobby and gathering area, good breakfast included in the price, and a good location. just make sure your shower works (hot water issues) before you pay for your room.

Copenhagen

last year, we went on a great intern holiday to copenhagen, the weather was soooo much better than here in den haag, i highly recommend :)

*nyhavn: nice area with beautiful houses. very touristy though, you can have a beer, but don't eat there, prices are insane.
*istedgade: nice area with shops, bars and cafes, behind central station (our hotel was in that area, perfectly situated because you can just walk to the centre
*straedet (kompagnistraede): nice cafes and restaurants
*christiania: must-see, it is an autonomos spot, a "free town" in town. you can smoke and have drinks there, funny place, although its inhabitants say it's going down. we had a few beers there (crazy enough, you have to go to a hippie place in denmark to be able to pay for your drinks with a credit card, which you can't in most places here ;)
*black diamond exhibition
*vestergade&studiestrade: student's quarter, really fun for a stroll and lunch
*nice food-places are cafe luna, sweet treat or wilders
*if you have australian friends, buy and send a postcard with princess mary. they will love that.

if you really WANT a picture of yourself and the little mermaid, be prepared to fight other tourists for that. you can walk around and see most of the sights in a day or two, and don't need to rush. they have great vintage and art shops.
prepare to meet lots and lots of nice people, and if you are nice to them in return, you might end up with great recommendations for clubs, concerts and restaurants, and even be invited for a sailing trip :)
denmark doesn't have the euro, so you get to play with funky money...eat a hot dog and enjoy watching the really fashionable copenhageners!!

Bonn

Tipps for having a good time in my hometown...

Sightseeing
*The centre of Bonn is relatively small, just like The Hague's, so once you arrive at central station, you can just start walking around, you will very hardly get lost.
Beautiful parts of Bonn are the "Südstadt" and the "Altstadt", where you find 18th and 19th century houses and many nice cafes and little bars. Südstadt is a little more posh, Altstadt is a bit more indie. Also "Poppelsdorf" is nice, you can walk from the centre to the castle, former residency of the elector.

* You should definitely try the "Haus der Geschichte" (House of History), the entry is free, and it is a very interactive, cool spot, that I drag all my visitors to. They collect "real" items of German history from 1945 until today. Especially for US Americans, this is super-interesting as it all starts with the Berlin airlift. Their shop sells funny stuff, like the American soldier's manual for Germany which nowadays really makes you laugh ;)
http://www.hdg.de/index.php?id=1&L=1&cHash=d1f02bd227

*"Path of Democracy": walking along this "path" leads you along the most significant spots for German contemporary history, and it is beautiful as well, along the river, passing by the UN building, the former parliament, Petersberg (Afghanistan conference), Palais Schaumburg, etc.
http://www.wegderdemokratie.de/tour/index.html

*Beethoven House: Beethoven was born in Bonn, and you can visit his birthplace. It is right in the city centre.
http://www.beethoven-haus-bonn.de/sixcms/detail.php//portal_en

*The university castle...you cannot miss it. Right in the centre.


Bars & Restaurants
*The sleezy hole-like bar of Bonn is undoubtedly the "Blow up", which used to be a brothel-nightclub-thing while the town was still the captial of Germany. Now it is a popular spot that is open the longest, until 5 am or now maybe even longer. It fills up after 10 pm, and the music is sometimes a bit weird, but it is always fun to go :) (Rathausgasse 10)

*Good food is available at Giacomo, Pathos, the Tapas Bar Take Two, Cafe Extro, to name a few.
An all-time students' favourite place is the Cafe Blau (Franziskanerstr. 9), which by day is a restaurant with good, not too pricy food, and a bar in the evenings. Especially when the weather is good, it's nice to sit outside, as it is directly next to the main university builiding, a former castle.

*Alter Zoll: this is an open-air bar, a "Biergarten" as we call it, right on the spot where the trade ships used to dock at the Rhine. In the summer, you can have beer, coffee and food there, and if there's no free spot, you can buy stuff and sit on the grass or even on the big lawn in front of the Uni castle (called "Hofgarten") (http://www.wegderdemokratie.de/tour/index.html)

*3RaumWohnung, a bar/small disco thing in the centre. (Am Böselagerhof 15)

Leisure :)
*Go to the Rheinauen park. It is really beautiful and huge. You can walk along the Rhine there or take the metro no. 66, stop Rheinaue. Lawns, small ponds, always a 60s-icecream-truck and the post-tower, Bonn's most controversial building. Every first Saturday of the month, they have one of Germany's best fleamarkets there, if you're early, you can get great stuff.

*Take the boat from the "Alter Zoll" if you need to go to the other side of the Rhine. 70 cents!! Much nicer than going by metro ;)

*As you're used to biking in The Hague, go rent bikes and get around by bike. It is what most people do, and takes you everywhere...


For clubbing, well, you have to go to Cologne :)
Which, btw, is only a 20 minute-trainride away, trains run all night from Friday-Sunday, and quite late during the week as well.

PS: If you book your ticket at least a week in advance, it's 19 Euros from DH Centraal to Cologne. Even without discount card.

Addition: A tavola con Rossini is a great little Italian restaurant in Cologne near the train station. If you leave the main exit of the train station, you will see the cathedral on your left and in front of you is the Rolex building. Follow the street that is straight ahead of you, to the left of the Rolex Building. Take your first right, at the circle. Continue on that street for a little while, under a bridge and past the gate (looks like an arch) to the old city. The gate is beautiful at night, by the way. Just past the gate, on the left, is the restaurant. Very good Italian food, and the waiters are very nice. They don't speak a lot of English, but if you speak a little Italian you'll be good to go. Otherwise, just pick something that looks great and point!

Request for tips

Hi all, looking for travel tips for the following cities:

1. Cologne
2. Bonn
3. Maastricht
4. Lille
5. Bruges

Thanks!

5 best bars

Indispensible 5 bars for any intern's stay in The Hague:

Cafe de Paas
Dunne Bierkade
200 + Belgian and other beers available.

Cafe St. Joris
Koningsplein
Small, dark, cosy, local pub. Try "La Chouffe".

Tapperij le Duc
Noordeinde
Genuine Dutch Tap House. Brilliant Beers.

De Zwarte Ruiter
Grotemarkt
Fun bar, often has live music.

Rootz
Grotemarkt Straat
Can be amazing.

Den Haag

The Hague!

We all have our favorite spots, so why don't we share them? A few of mine:
*Bagels and Beans: a great place for breakfast on Saturdays. Bagels and cream cheese, bagel sandwiches, chai tea, etc. It's a chain. One is on the Fred, a second is in the city center by Buitenhof, and a third is on the top floor of the large book store located in the Passage in the city center.
*Bacco per Bacco: a small Italian restaurant run by Italian men. very good food. no written menu - they just tell you what's available that night. moderate prices. (http://www.baccoperbacco.nl/)
*Eazie: an inexpensive little restaurant with great Asian food. You can order a bowl with your choice of vegetables, meat or tofu, sauce, and rice or noodles for about 5 euro. They also serve soup and sushi. It's around the corner from the Spui movie theater. The food is ready within minutes, so it's a great place to go when you don't have a lot of time for dinner. (www.eazie.nl)
*Istana: an Indonesian restaurant close to the Spui and the Hema. It's off a side street, so you have to look for the large Istana sign. The address is Wagenstraat 71-73. A friend recommends not choosing the large shared dish, since you don't get as much food as if you order individual dishes. A ton of food comes with the individual dishes!

Here is a site I came across that offers some ideas for nightlife and more: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/city/649/nightlife/Europe/The-Hague.html

Delft

Delft is super close to The Hague and really cute. There is a nice square where Grotius hangs out. I recommend climbing the bell tower of the new Church to get a fantastic view of the city. It costs about 3 euro. You can see The Hague in the distance.

IKEA is a short bus ride away, for anyone who needs a few household items or Swedish food.

There is a nice market on Saturday mornings (that's when I was there, not sure whether it's also there on Sundays) where you can get good fruit, bread, fresh and warm stroopwafels, proffertjes, etc.

Lots of little Delftware shops can be found around the square.

Amsterdam

Travel tip for Amsterdam:
If you are going to see a bunch of sights and use the tram, it's worth it to buy an IAmsterdam Card. You can buy a 24-hour card for 38 euro. It gets you into numerous museums for free (not the Anne Frank House, though) and all transportation is included. Even a canal boat tour is included. Check out the link for more information and a list of all museums included (look under "practical information" for places you can buy the card). Another bonus besides free admission is skipping long lines at the Van Gogh museum and others - look for the separate line for IAmsterdam Card holders. If you're going to be in Amsterdam for 2 days, I'd suggest buying the 24 hour card and doing the things that are not included in the card on the morning of the first day and afternoon of the 2nd day, or just fitting all the included sights into one day and the not included sights into the 2nd day. (Joordan, Anne Frank House, shopping, flower market, etc. are not included.)

Some great places to visit in Amsterdam:

1. Leidsplein - a small square worth a visit, the three dessert carts on the square (possibly only there on the weekends) are definitely worth a look!
2. Anne Frank House - book tickets online before you go for a specific visiting time, remember to print and bring your tickets... this avoids a VERY long line at all hours
3. Van Gogh Museum - they have a Colors of the Night exhibit there now
4. Rijksmuseum - Dutch paintings and history lessons on the walls, very close to the Van Gogh Museum which makes it easy to see both without much hassle
5. Canal tour - good thing to do if you are really tired. there are multiple companies running canal tours, some of which are located right outside the central station. definitely get a window seat if you want to take pictures
6. Joordan - a quiet neighborhood not far from Central Station, so you can walk here. small shops (not chains that you find in the city center) and cafes. on Saturday there is a great market with lots of bread, cheese, crepes, old books, clothing, etc. for sale
7. Jewish History Museum - two synagogues were turned into a museum with very good discriptions of Jewish history in Europe. the museum is across the street from the Portuguese Synagogue, which still has services on Saturdays (you can pay to go inside the other days of the week)
8. Bloemenmarkt - a small flower market along one street in the city, very accessible by foot or tram (there is a Dutch pancake house along the street that is pretty good)

Good food in Amsterdam:

1. Restaurant Lieve - Belgian food, can order family-style or pre-fix or individual servings, (http://www.restaurantlieve.nl/)
2. Farmer's Market in the Joordan - Saturday morning
3. Harkema
4. 't Zwaantje - a friend says "they have traditional (nice) Dutch food and a great ambiance. Staff is old Amsterdam style, just like the furniture, haha. Great place to feel at home in the Netherlands" (map - http://maps.google.nl/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=nl&geocode=&q=restaurant+zwaantje,+amsterdam&sll=52.37104,4.884152&sspn=0.012944,0.027466&gl=nl&g=berenstraat+7,+amsterdam&ie=UTF8&ll=52.370647,4.888058&spn=0.012315,0.027466&z=15)
5. FEBO - I've been told this is the place to be if you want an "after-party-midnight-snack" (inexpensive fast food you buy from vending machines)
6. Humphrey's restaurant - Dutch restaurant with good food and wine, not very expensive but not cheap either, set menu or a la carte, a nice place to go with visitors because of the nicer atmosphere (http://www.humphreys.nl/)

Paris

Planning a weekend trip to Paris. Things to see:

1. Notre Dame Cathedral
2. Musee D'Orsay
3. The Louvre
4. Eiffel Tower
5. Au Printemps - beautiful department store (http://www.printemps.com/)
6. Galeries La Fayette - beautiful department store, if open in the evening you can watch the sunset from the roof (http://www.galerieslafayette.com/)
   
7. Montmartre - romantic artistic neighborhood
8. Champs-Elysees
9. Arc de Triomphe - walk to the top for a great view of the city without having to wait the hours to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower
   
10. Place de la Concorde - at the bottom of the Champs-Elysees; small shops and some embassies
11. Centre Pompidou - contemporary art museum
12. Le Marais (Jewish Quarter) - a great place to wander on Sunday, since most of the city is closed but this area is busy and many stores are open.
13. Jardins du Luxembourg
14. Montmartre and Sacre Coeur Basilica - artist quarter, nice cafes; there is a creperie called La Tire Bouchon (a red building on the corner up the top near the main square) that sometimes has a pianist playing; Sacre Coeur has a great view of the city and is beautiful in the evening
15. Saturday flea market: the flea market right off the metro stop is pretty average, although you can buy cheap shoes there in some stalls. but if you continue past, you will find an antique market that is charming. there is lots of antique jewelry, knick-knacks, furniture, posters, magazines, etc. for you to poke through. some of the stall owners will bargain, some will not.
    
16. Recommendations from a friend: Check out the Latin Quarter around Sorbonne University. I felt like it was less touristy and had a good variety of Parisian and ethnic restaurants. We went to a bunch of cafes in this area but I couldn't name one if I tried.
    

FOOD:

Falafel: there are a few falafel restaurants on Rue des Rosiers (M1-st.-paul) in the Marais district (closed on Saturdays). You can sit or take your food to go. One of these places had a long line when I was there, which probably means it's one of the best - so walk down the short street before deciding which falafel joint to eat at.

Fauchon: a foodie will really enjoy this place, although might not be able to afford too much! there are two buildings, just around the corner from each other. you can browse through large displays of spices, pate, mustard, tea, cookies, etc. in one location. the other location has pre-made food that is just beautiful. in this building is a cafe that would be a great place for lunch because you can have the Fauchon bread, cheese, desserts, etc. without paying the high prices of the other pre-made foods.

Travel advice from a friend: I recommend upgrading to First Class if you haven't already. It's about 5-15 euro more depending on the train, but we were fed a meal and an endless supply of wine. Technically, you have to pay for wine that isn't being offered with the meal, but our "steward" was pretty generous. After paying 10 euro, we probably had 6 mini-bottles of wine (usualy cost 1.40 each) and then he gave us 3 for the road. The seats are a lot nicer too.

Antwerp, Belgium

Antwerp is the second largest town in Belgium. I recommend going for chocolate shops and Belgian waffles. Neuhaus is a great chocolatier, but there are many shops to try, so I'd suggest going to multiple chocolate shops to buy gifts or just look at the beautiful displays. No suggestions for a particular bar, but stop in somewhere for Belgian beer. The main square is not far from the train station at all. There are a bunch of places to shop along the Meir, one of the main streets that is a very short walk from the central train station.

My friend says there is a great market on Saturdays and Sundays in Antwerp. Not sure where but if you're interested, just post a comment and I'll find out.

Lebanese restaurant that has great food, cheap prices, and very good service: from the station, walk down the main street toward the Meir. On your right, just a short walk, is a pub called Kelly's. Walk through the pub and out the back door. You'll be in a small square. Just to the left of the door you walk out of is a slightly pink building that houses the Lebanese restaurant. Enjoy!

You're going traveling this weekend?

Since many of us are traveling often and asking each other for recommendations, I'm hoping this blog will be an easy way for us to share travel tips and ideas. Post here about places you have visited! Or places you want to visit!

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