the Netherlands slash Holland

July 8-11, 2009

Eindhoven. Small, neat and clean airport. Futuristic looking city buses. That was my entire experience. Fortunately or unfortunately, I can’t say.

Amsterdam. Bicycles. Bicycles. Bicycles. If you’re not on one, you’re cautious of being hit by one. ‘Coffeeshops’ are filled with youngsters. Cafes and pubs are filled with young professionals and hipsters.

Stroll through Vondelpark. A Bohemian’s paradise. Cruise on the canals. Or walk alongside them. Shop for vintage treasures amongst the long stalls of the many markets. Smell the fresh flowers and purchase next season’s tulip bulbs in the Bloemenmarkt. See Van Gogh’s brilliance at the museum. Admire the innovative architecture of the city. Discovering the beauty in this capital is easily possible.

Finding the hidden gems takes the help of a local eye and mind. A veteran, wooden-clog craftsman’s workshop. Canal boat graveyard turned independent art exhibit. Picnic atop the Rijksmuseum roof. Great fashion designer windows next to the ladies 'offices' in the Red Light DIstrict. Chess tips from one of the homeless, barely standing players. Bicycle street races in the Oud Zuid neighborhood. Authentic Italian cuisine in a packed basement pizza parlor. Destructed homes from the new underground being built.

Belgium

July 3-8, 2009

A country known for an extensive list of local brews, delicious waffles and exquisite chocolates. Sipped walls of beers, light and dark included. Ate sugary waffles, street vendor and fancy restaurant included. Tasted the delicate chocolates, sweet and bitter included. Belgium is KNOWN for them for good reason. Trust me.

Antwerp. A 'metropolitan' city with a small town feel. The location for my cousin’s vinyl and CD store, Recycled Records. Buy music if you’re in town. Small plug. Family love. Pubs outnumber any other store type. One bar with five hundred and fifty different bottled beers line the wall. All my favorites on tap. All smiles.

Gent. An old-world village my cousin calls home. Two churches and a bell tower make up the historic center. Canals run through the cobblestone streets lined with ancient homes. Small, adorable boutiques with fantastic, specialized goods on display can be found in the tiny side streets. Cuberdon. A traditional sweet, purple fruity candy in the shape of ‘Gent’ noses. You can only by in €4 quantities. An artistic alleyway, legal for graffiti, exemplifies the talent of colorful paint in a can.

Bruges. A romantic getaway for two. Or one in my case. Every other door is the entry to the best Belgian chocolates. A massive array of every person’s specific preferences. Walk on the pathway surrounded by green grass and large trees, cross over a few canals, walk the One main street, shop the large square market and you've seen it all. Take the side streets and discover a little more. A grammar school choir and orchestra concert heightened by the acoustic sounds of the vaulted ceiling cathedral. Four course fresh seafood lunch at a family run, the same family since 1805, restaurant on a canal.

Hungary

June 29 - July 3, 2009

Combine the hilly, green right bank of Buda with the metropolitan, bustling left bank of Pest and voilà, Budapest. The boardwalk along the Danube. Some days it exists, other days it doesn't. On the Buda side, the Castle district and Gellert Hill stand. Holding the impressive Matthias Church, originally built in 1015, under construction now. Fisherman's bastion providing shade for the starving musicians. Citadella park for the locals to picnic. All overlook the Pest side.

The Parliament. A giant building seen from most of the ten, soon to eleven, bridges in Budapest. Walk Andrássy Avenue and find the luxury shops, the outstanding Opera House and the best local, cheap Gulyás, often mispronounced goulash and Fozelék, thick vegetable stew, joint in town. Visit the ever-changing, soon to be all modern, Jewish quarter and find the Great Synagogue. Largest in Eurasia. Second largest in the world.

Széchenyi Medicinal Bath. Largest bath in Europe. A typical day in the Turkish baths. Different degree saunas, steam rooms and mineral baths. The local pros wearing small cloths and swim caps. I played a game of chess while submerged in the outdoor, perfectly tempered pool. Our languages differed, but our facial expressions, chess moves and hand gestures were enough. The intimidating eye of a seventy and some odd year old, Hungarian man was perfection.

Markets. Központi Vásárcsarnok, my favorite, for the building and the goods. A large three story market. All the local cuisine brought in for the chefs and women to choose. Some stands with a long queue. Others with no customers. Easily telling what is best. PAPRIKA! They put it in everything. Gyümölcs leves, cold fruit soup, often sour cherry. I surprisingly enjoyed this. Túró Rudi, a chocolate coated cheese candy only found in Hungary. I surprisingly didn't like this. Somlói Galuska, spongy cake, with rum and chocolate. I loved this. Chefs hate to make it.

And in the night...Abandoned homes and bus stations turned into bars and hangouts coupled with indie, underground Hungarian bands and djs make the nightlife scene unlike any other.

Poland

June 24-28, 2009

Krakow. Once Poland's capital. A true gem in my book. Young nightlife galore. I preferred Kazimierz, the old Jewish neighborhood. A more artsy, creative crowd. Pure fun, in a dark cellar or terrace dance floor. Beautiful architecture sporatically throughout the city, from the post office to the corner cafe. Alleyways full of original works of art, from the homeless to the known. A grand square with hourly church bells and trumpet playing surrounded by horse-drawn carriages. And golf carts, for the lazy tourists. Wawel hill holds the royal castle and cathedral. A true microcosm for the Polish. Or so they say. Great views of the Vistula river and the bridges crossing it.

I suggest to get lost in the countryside. I did, though not purposely. See the lengthy green fields with yellow-flowered patches. Find the smallest, most elaborate music store. Small towns with locals carrying baskets shopping the fresh markets. Discover a wedding. Everyone from town in attendance. An accidental discovery of true Polish beauty, at its finest.

Wieliczka. Old salt mines lie here. Ancient mining techniques displayed. Old tales hidden in the deep crevices. There are multiple churches built underneath. The grandest cathedral decorated with chandeliers and paintings, all made of salt. You can actually marry there. 135 meters below ground.

Auschwitz. Five years of history all should know, see and learn from. To save one life is as if you have saved the world.

Czech Republic

June 20-24, 2009

Prague. The city breathes history. The combination of architectural styles blends perfectly to create a city of peerless beauty. Each colored structure producing a pastel palette. The untouched exterior of the city exceptionally masks the tragic past of the people within. The Vltava river running through with the distinguishable bridges connecting each side. Charles being most prominent.

The Jewish quarter uniquely holds the most history, upscale shops and great dining, fine and local included. Layered fallen corpses lie but sanctuaries of prayer surround them. The astronomical clock strikes. Kafka literature dominates. Ballerinas excel. Opera is paramount. Pork, in every form, overtakes the menus. I prefer the knuckle. The castle’s height looks as if it extends farther than the clouds.

Day one was filled with listening to the Prague music festival on a small river dock, watching the sun set behind the city, followed by traditional, delicious Czech food and wine, later followed by dancing in a basement nightclub. Unreal.

Croatia

June 12-21, 2009

Dubrovnik. Descent begins. Sun shining on gorgeous water with few boats. Clear a cliff and land in a small valley of greenery. This place speaks vacation. The ultimate relaxing destination. Speedy, law breaking taxi drivers. Huge fortress walls surround the old city. Walk like guards once did and see the small city within. Marble grounds. Prominent churches. Sailboats navigate around. Ships moored within.

Hvar. Six hour ferry ride to a small idyllic island paradise. Two days turned into seven. The Croatian life captured me. The refreshing, crisp sea surrounds you. Relax in private coves. Unwind on a neighboring secluded island. Swim and become one with fish. Sail the south winds on prodigious boats. Discover the near islands by kayak. Taste the sweet homemade, honey liqueur. Smell the vast lavender fields. Wakeboard the Adriatic. Savor the fresh, incredible Mediterranean cuisine. Seafood of the day, everyday. Explore the untouched land by scooter. Hear the hourly church bells. Admire the striped, maritime attire. Immediate, worldly friendships were formed. Complete acceptance. Knowing everyone on the island by day three, tourists and locals combined. A dream of reality.

Portugal

June 3-11, 2009

Lisbon. Small cobblestone winding streets. Ornate, colorful tiles decorate exterior walls. Antique, yellow trolley cars run up and down the steep hills. Expansive city and river views atop each of them. Locals sip espresso and eat small pastries at high counter bars.

Darkness falls and all the young emerge. Buy drinks inside one of the numerous wall to wall bars and socialize outside on the charming, diverse streets. Music heard from every way, luring those listening with rhythmic noise.

Neighborhood square festivals thriving. A black and white film later turns into a concert of electronic beats played by two djs combined with eight eclectically-styled drummers. An intimate indie rap show at a modern art exhibition in an abandoned warehouse. Fado in a dark, smokey bar. Local jazz band entertaining a small crowd. Outdoor barbeque celebrating Sant Antoni at the Museo Arquelogico. Two man band playing a packed, historic bar with an extensive antique radio collection.

Sant Jorge castle exemplifies how expansive the city actually is. Inside the city, a hidden botanical garden and butterfly atrium. A personal tour made me scream. Their wings tickling my bare skin. Seeing them at each life stage. Unique within a screened home.

Sintra. A small village outside Lisbon. Tiny pedestrian streets contain tinier shops of authentic crafts and cuisine. Walking through the parks you seem worlds away from any city. An extensive array of flowers and fauna. Giant moss covered rocks. Huge trees with long roots to swing on. As if they are out of a story book. You reach the Moorish castle guarding the palace of royalty. A site of beauty.

Porto. A short train ride north along the coast to the home of the renown wine. Far below the city center lies the river. Antique ships once used for Port wine transports anchored. Wine cellars encasing the bottled perfection of the Duoro region.

Cristal Palace and the park within shows the city’s entirety. Loud peacocks roaming with the pedestrians. Two bridges to connect each side. The mouth of the river where it reaches the ocean.

Casa da Musica houses every musician's dream room in one uniquely modern monument. An after-hour tour from a sound engineer made even more of the beauty and hidden secrets come to life. One's imaginations become real.

Matosinhos. Small fishing village just outside the city. Each person full of happiness and life no matter their age. A long lunch overlooking the ocean with rain pouring down tasting the Portuguese cuisine at its best. Every local dish, dessert and drink are crafted with passion. A few of my favorites. Bacalhau. Their cod fish cooked numerous ways. Francesinha. A Porto originating sandwich. Fresh sardines. Homemade caramel custard.