Traveling . . .

[imcarthur]

Richard(Motion): ugly weather in SA right now . . .

Amsterdam is the easiest city I have ever been to for getting lost. There are no straight streets & every canal looks the same after a while.



Green House Centrum was a stop - yeah for the 'coffee' . . .



Trams, motorcycles & the maniac bicycle riders make walking challenging. Pedestrians must be alert at all times - which can be hard especially after a visit to the place above.



April 27 was King's Day which is the Nederlanders version of New Year's Eve & July 4th all in one. A major party the night before with children's flea markets in the parks during the day & music & drinking & smoking everywhere. The centrum is closed to cars & trams although the bikes & motorcycles do creep in to annoy all. The population jumps from 800k to 1.8m for the day. The party boats crowd the canals as all the tour boats are shuttered.



The weather was absolute crap - hovering around freezing with ice pellets, wind & rain - but the people were very friendly & everybody seems to speak English. We spent one day doing the museum circuit - the Rijks for the Rembrandts & Vermeers, the Hermitage for a Spanish art exhibition & the Van Gogh for . . . the van Gogh's. Properly pronounced something like van Gok btw. We had dinner at Johannes which is a Michelin Star wannabe but while they're very good they are not quite there yet imho. Anyway, put Amsterdam on your must visit list.

After multiple flights & airports & my 1st drive on the 'wrong' side of the road, we reached Franschhoek, SA at dusk.



Ian

[Arizona_928]

Coffee

[craigster59]

If you go to "The Doors" (like the band) my friend made the stained glass windows for the place. Oh yeah, they sell "coffee" too.

[motion]

Ian, sounds like you were in Amsterdam for a great party. I LOVE Amsterdam! Probably the most beautiful man-made city in the world. Nice photos!

Hope you enjoy Franschoek. I checked the weather and it looks beautiful for the next several days, so you should be good. I can't wait to get down there. Enjoy the trip!

[Christien]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Amsterdam is the easiest city I have ever been to for getting lost.
Ian

But also probably the best city in the world to get lost in. Lots of things to find, very safe, very pedestrian friendly, and beautiful. Probably my favourite European city. Certainly the one I've been to more than any other.

[Yorkie]

Back when I was a kid and used to go there for the smoke and beer but the place used to be covered in dog crap and bad tagging graffiti. Hope that changed? Still a great city but to me it lags behind Barcelona and London. Love BCN

[imcarthur]

We actually really liked Amsterdam. The freezing weather was the only letdown. It was very clean - except for the morning after King's Day eve.

Well, the weather improved this afternoon in Francshhoek & we saw the sun today while we cruised some vineyards. It is very much like Napa or Niagara-on-the-Lake (with mountains).



Richard: we couldn't get a rez at The Tasting Room so we are going to rough it tonight at Foliage. We lunched at La Petite Ferme with its great view. The best views were from the Dieu Donné vineyard (above).

Ian

[Christien]

Originally Posted by Yorkie

Back when I was a kid and used to go there for the smoke and beer but the place used to be covered in dog crap and bad tagging graffiti. Hope that changed? Still a great city but to me it lags behind Barcelona and London. Love BCN

Funny how people see things differently. We were in Barcelona a few years ago, our second trip to Spain. We liked it, but definitely didn't love it. I found it lacked distinction from other big cities. We split our time between Barcelona and Seville and I'd go back to Seville in a heartbeat. Barcelona, not so much.

[imcarthur]

Agreed. We disliked BCN when we were there for a few days in 2000. In Spain, Sevilla was more our style.

Ian

[Yorkie]

My company has it's European headquarters in BCN so I'm there 2-3 times per year and have grown to love the place over the years but I cannot argue with your thoughts on Sevilla. Last year we did a tour of Andalucía (Cordoba, Sevilla and Granada) and simply loved the region. The architecture and food were amazing. Highly recommended

[motion]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Richard: we couldn't get a rez at The Tasting Room so we are going to rough it tonight at Foliage. We lunched at La Petite Ferme with its great view. The best views were from the Dieu Donné vineyard (above).

Ian

Foliage should be awesome. Please let me know if a reservation is advised there. Make sure you stop by La Quartier Francias, if just for afternoon appetizers.

In Windhoek, try to have a meal at Craft Cafe. The Flyertalk guys tipped me on that one.

I like Barcelona for the Ramblas and the Gaudi architecture. I haven't been to Seville, but the wife and I will be exploring more of Spain and Portugal this November, when we go to the MotoGP race again at Valencia to see Rossi win his 10th title San Sebastian may be my favorite city in Spain.

[imcarthur]

In Andalusia, the Moorish architecture is the must see. Alhambra, in Granada is one of man's most stunning architectural achievements imho. The Mezquita in Córdoba & the Alcazar in Sevilla are also must sees. In November it will probably be somewhat cold but better than the furnace of summer. We went in June & the temps were already mid-30s C.

Foliage gets a mixed review from us. Ultra trendy with all of the pretty people in evidence, my wife wants me to rate it a 2/5 on TA. I will be kinder than that but it really isn't a place I would rush back to. Rezs are necessary. Our walk-in resto the night before - Dutch East - was better & it will get a 5/5 from me. I had an ultra tender springbok steak & my wife's oven roasted beef marrow bones were awesome.

A cool & blustery 50F this morning but the sun is shining brightly. We go over the Franschhoek Pass this morning with a drive by of Betty's Bay (for penguins) aiming towards Stellenbosch for the next 2 nights.

Ian

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

aiming towards Stellenbosch for the next 2 nights.

Ian

Enjoy Stellenbosch/Paarl. GREAT place

[motion]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

In Andalusia, the Moorish architecture is the must see. Alhambra, in Granada is one of man's most stunning architectural achievements imho. The Mezquita in Córdoba & the Alcazar in Sevilla are also must sees. In November it will probably be somewhat cold but better than the furnace of summer. We went in June & the temps were already mid-30s C.

Foliage gets a mixed review from us. Ultra trendy with all of the pretty people in evidence, my wife wants me to rate it a 2/5 on TA. I will be kinder than that but it really isn't a place I would rush back to. Rezs are necessary. Our walk-in resto the night before - Dutch East - was better & it will get a 5/5 from me. I had an ultra tender springbok steak & my wife's oven roasted beef marrow bones were awesome.

A cool & blustery 50F this morning but the sun is shining brightly. We go over the Franschhoek Pass this morning with a drive by of Betty's Bay (for penguins) aiming towards Stellenbosch for the next 2 nights.

Ian

I hit up Dutch East every time in Franschoek. Very reliable. Ultra charming when the power is out and the candles come out. Sorry to hear about Foliage. I'll give it a whirl, anyway. Hope the weather warms up for you.

Stellensbosch has a 'restaurant row'. Pick a table on the sidewalk and watch the action.

[imcarthur]

Betty's Bay

Ian

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

April 27 was King's Day which is the Nederlanders version of New Year's Eve & July 4th all in one. A major party the night before with children's flea markets in the parks during the day & music & drinking & smoking everywhere. The centrum is closed to cars & trams although the bikes & motorcycles do creep in to annoy all. The population jumps from 800k to 1.8m for the day. The party boats crowd the canals as all the tour boats are shuttered.

the Van Gogh for . . . the van Gogh's. Properly pronounced something like van Gok btw.
Ian

Koningsdag! Used to be queen's day or Koninginnedag. Nationwide garage sale! Great time to be there..

The "G" sound is hard to describe. van Gogh is kinda like van (rolling "kh" sound) -oak.

[imcarthur]

On the way up the incredible Franschhoek Pass, we came around a corner & there was a troop of baboons on both sides of the road. A couple decided to give us a show.



View from our suite. That is Stellenbosch just visible in the center right.



Ian

[imcarthur]

Obligatory Table Mountain picture. Heading into Cape Town.

Richard: the restaurant at Jordan Winery last night was the best meal of the trip so far. R42 + R22 for wine pairing. Excellent. And the wine steward is a great guy. Down a lonely single lane tarred/gravel road south of Stellenbosch, so get a driver. We had a late lunch on 'that' street in Stellenbosch. Very good as well. Brampton Wine Studio. 6:45 AM flight to Windhoek tomorrow . . .

Btw . . . Meals are crazy cheap here.

Ian

Edit: that should be R420 + R220

[motion]

Sounds like the trip is going well! Weather looks great!

In Cape Town, if you don't have a lead on another spot, try Fork. Wonderful!

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by motion

Sounds like the trip is going well! Weather looks great!

In Cape Town, if you don't have a lead on another spot, try Fork. Wonderful!

Thank you. Our last night in SA will be in CP so that gives us a destination for dinner. Since the weather was clear yesterday we made a run into CP for the cable car. One hour lineup (even with pre-purchased tickets) to go up but the views were great.



Ian