Arriving in Southampton early on May 23rd we took an Uber to our waterside Holiday Inn Hotel. It was in the last stages of being renovated and we had a fabulous room on the 6th floor. Comfortable and roomy. With a chilly afternoon we set out to find the Apple Store in a nearby center trying to figure out how best to find a GPS/Garmin for our two months of driving in the UK. Lucky were we when we met one of the techs in the store who showed us a perfect app to download to our phones, maps.me...and violá, we had access to maps, free and easy to follow! A fantastic relief to know we could travel with our phones on airport and still be able to use the phone's GPS system.
Once that was done we wandered a bit around the town but a light rain began falling so back to the hotel, saving some sightseeing for the following morning.
We visited the Tudor House and Gardens, Southampton's first museum established in 1912 and showcasing over 800 years of history right in the heart of the Old Town. The timber-framed building facing St Michael's Square was built in the late 15th century, with the adjacent Norman House and gardens dating another 300 years back. It was fantastic and, being the first ones there, it was also quiet and uncrowded.
We walked and walked around the streets and along the town walls.
Visiting St Michael's Church we first saw these kneeling pads all needlepointed by hand, and each in a different design. As we visited more churches in England we saw these were frequently used rather than a kneeling board. Beautiful and so unique.
With the morning almost gone we stopped in this darling cafe, very British and perfect for a small lunch.
After a day of sightseeing in Southhampton we flew that afternoon to Amsterdam for a one week river cruise with Gate 1 Tours aboard The Monarch Queen. Using a new airline, FLYBE, we had a very short flight and checked into The Tulip Inn near the airport. Tulips were the theme everywhere we looked; that made me happy!!!
The following Sunday morning we took the train into central Amsterdam Station and with a short walk we found our boat and boarded nice and early.
With the whole afternoon ahead of us and nothing scheduled till the Welcome Dinner at 7, we did the one thing I'd been so excited about for days...rented bikes and rode all around the port and into the main park of the city.
And of course, some beer when we needed a break!
Westerpark was a perfect place to ride around with trees and ponds, restaurants and cafes in an area that once housed the gasworks so there were some beautiful historic buildings as well as sculptures.
Back on the main streets we rode as Amsterdamers do, with a crowd of bikes and through tiny streets and across narrow bridges. But a perfect first day to our trip!!
The following morning our boat had arrived in Nijemgen, the oldest town in the Netherlands.
Our walking tour took us through the Grote Market, Stevenskerk and Kronenburger Park.
Though
really cold when we started our walk, after having lunch back onboard, we returned to the city on our own and the sun warmed us up and the city shone!
Even a Zen Garden along the waterfront.
And leaving the city we crossed under this beautiful bridge, the Landhoofd Spoorbrug.
And we caught our last look of the local architecture right from the ship.
The ship sailed that evening to Antwerp. It is one of Europe's largest and most important port cities and lovely to see. We began with a short visit to Steen Castle, along the east bank of the river. Small but very attractive.
Then on to the city tour including the Grote Market and City Hall
Then on to see the Cathedral of Our Lady which houses some of the most important pieces of art by Peter Paul Rubens, including
The Descent From the Cross (1611-1614).
The art was amazing and definitely the focus of the cathedral's interior. Huge pieces, breathtaking work.
Along the walk we had to stop for Belgian chocolates
and then time for a cappuccino and waffle
Later that afternoon we returned to walk more of the city and visit the Museum Plantin-Moretus, once the incredible property of the Plantin and Moretus family where they built an impressive printing company. It is now the only museum in the world to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Once we walked into the house, we stepped back into the 16th and 17th centuries. Paul is standing next to one of the two oldest printing presses in the world, both housed in the museum. An excellent experience for us!
Chilly, wet, but still not ready to return to the ship, we stopped at this cafe, Elfde Gebod (Eleventh Commandment) right in the historic city center. The building itself dates back to 1425 and, of course, that makes it the oldest restaurant in the city. Its most unique aspect is the collection of angels and saint statues, and even pulpits and just a short walk from the Cathedral of Our Lady. So happy someone had told us to visit, it was wonderful just sitting and looking at all that fills the space.
But soon it was time to take our walk back to the ship along the waterfront. Our next stop was beautiful Ghent, the historic Flanders port city. Our walking tour included a visit the 7th century St Bavo's Cathedral a view of Gravensteen Castle. Still very cold but not raining, we wandered the city to absorb a taste of its history.
Beautiful bridges over canals, meander all around the city.
At the town center is the gigantic Belfry an easy marker for meeting up with others.
By mid afternoon it was beginning to sprinkle and as we came a round one corner we saw this little school group out on a tour. Always wearing their bright vests.
This was a fun place to come across, the WASBAR. Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like...a high styled laundromat and cafe bar. You can do your laundry and have a latte all in the same cozy place.
We returned to ships for the afternoon rather than take the extension to Brugges and had a lovely cruise further up the river.
The following morning was bright and sunny as we spent the morning at the Delta Works, built after a flood happened in this area in 1953 when more than 1800 people drowned one night. The incredible structure which took 30 years to build was created to prevent a disaster of that magnitude to ever happen again.
The storm flood barrier is almost six miles long and stands as the last defense in the battle of tides and surges. It was amazing!
Following our visit at the Delta Works, we spent the afternoon cruising on to Rotterdam and a visit to the famous Keukenhof Gardens, the largest and most spectacular flower gardens in the world...my main reason for taking this river cruise.
But, the morning of the tour, Paul woke up feeling poorly so I headed out alone to see the gorgeous tulips. I guess that means we'll have to return another time together.
I think, in hind sight, we were about 2 weeks too early for the full-on display of the tulips, though there was so much to see all over the park!
I imagine these would have buds would have opened up fully with another week or two of sunshine. and with over seven million bulbs planted each year, that must be amazing.
But the park has all kinds of cultural/historical events going on, as this group of dancers.
Keukenhof is set on 15th century hunting gardens, with the present day garden established in 1949 by the Mayor of Lisse as a help to the Dutch export industry.
The gardens have such a short window of time, 22 March to 13 May. And such fun to experience.
From the gardens we reboarded the ship in Rotterdam and sailed on to the village of Kinderdijk, a windmill park we've seen several times...but, always delightful. The windmills date from the 1700s and are still in use today.
The interior home of one windmill.
Saturday morning we woke to sunny skies back in Amsterdam and enjoyed a panoramic tour of Amsterdam in a glass-top boat. Lots of fun to see the city from its many canals.
Here's one of the boats passing a multi story bike garage.
Old canal boats still in use along the rivers.
And off on our own we had to take a walk through the famous red light district of the city, checking out the historic Bulldog Coffeeshop in the heart of the district which sells much more than coffee.
Of course, its become insanely popular so there were tons of people awaiting to get in...while we walked around the corner to our style of coffeehouse; one that provides cappuccinos as well as glass of wine. This one was a perfect ending to our day in the city and the end of our river trip.
Now, it was time to move on and go to southern France for a visit with my brother, Peter.
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