Flashback Friday - Iceland 2019

I was incredibly lucky and got to go to Iceland in 2019 on a photographic tour of the island. The trip was planned with my dad and my stepmom using the awesome Arctic Exposure company.  We arrived in the morning of the first day in Reykjavik. The plan was to meet with the group for dinner and begin the tour in the morning.  Due to an unlucky incident my dad and stepmom had to miss the first few days of the tour.  I did have a lovely dinner with the guide and the other guest on the tour who was an artist from Australia.  

In the morning, the three of us set out for our first stop was Pingvellir, a spot where the European and the North American tectonic plates meet. It is an absolutely beautiful spot, we had an amazing sunrise over the steaming waters kept warmish from the geothermal energy in the area.  We also had a random moment when we stopped in a parking lot to find a couple of stranded tourists. They had stopped to take some pictures and locked their keys in the rental car. With their jackets. So we loaded them with handwarmers, our guide helped call the rental car company, and we dropped them off at a little cafe to wait for someone to bring spare keys. 

We drove around the area that is part of the Golden Circle, and stopped at a couple waterfalls to take more pictures. We also stopped in a field to meet some of the local Icelandic horses. It was wonderful to have a local guide who knows where one can go.  I do suspect that the farmer for these horses must have had a red coat as well, as one of the horse took a shine to me!

The tour we were on was to loop south by east around the ring road of Iceland. We spent the first night near Vik, and then in the morning photographed Dyrhólaey, the southern most tip of Iceland.  Apparently that had changed a couple times recently when some volcanic activity had added some landmass near by too. It was an amazing spot, though our sunrise was a little overcast that day.

Next we drove along to Reynisfjara Beach.  Sadly, this year I learned the gorgeous beach has been washed away by rough waves. This formerly iconic black sand beach featured basalt rock formations that made amazing backdrops for photos. It was always a bit of a dangerous spot, we were warned back in 2019 to be aware of the “sneaker waves” that would come along randomly and were known to sweep people into the ocean.  One of them caught me unawares, though as I was paying attention it only washed up to mid shin.  Luckily I had waterproof boots and gortex pants!

Our last stop for the morning was a little farm that was long abandoned.  It was a classic example of an old turf roofed farm. When the last farmer died, the government was negotiating to buy the land as a heritage site. Unfortunately the farmers son and current owner decided in the end not to sell.  The land was sitting vacant, so as we drove by our guide took us over for some photos. 

We spent two nights in the same hotel, which ended up working out as we got new that the delay affecting my family was being managed and they would be driven to join the group tomorrow for the rest of the tour.  We had plans to be up for sunrise again.  My favourite part of Iceland was that meant meeting for breakfast at 8:30, as sunrise was 9:30am!  

Alex’s Advice - Amsterdam City Card

My recent trip to Amsterdam was a busy one.  Planned last minute with only a few days to do the things I wanted to do, I had been researching the best ways to see the sites.  One thing that came up was the city card.  Many places have options like this, a pay one price card that gets you free or discounted access to various tourist sites in the area.  It’s not something I get very often, but I do the math of the costs of the spots I want to see and check out what is or isn’t on the list. 

I think the City Card in Amsterdam is very worth its while, for the average tourist.  There are tons of things included in the list, many of which are also outside of the city.  Even walking distance in Amsterdam had a lot of popular spots.  If you’ve read my blog post, most of what I did was included. The Rijksmuseum being the big one. 

You can choose how many days you want the card for, and the per day cost drops the more days you choose. We picked the three day option at €115 euros.  Though I am not sure it would be as worth it for one day unless you planned to really book it between sights.

Most of the places we went would have cost about €17 for entry, give or take a few euros.  The Heineken Experience offers 25% off with the city card.  We got a free canal tour as well.  So over the three days seeing everything we wanted to see, we came pretty close to breaking even.  Add in that the Amsterdam City Card includes the local tram and subway transit system for free, and I feel like we got our value, even if we did walk a lot of places. 

Not all the key sites are included or offer a discount.  The Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House are not included.  I had seen them before, and while I debated seeing the Anne Frank House again, we did skip it this time. 

A 24hr bike rental was included with the city pass.  It was a little tempting, but both time and ankle stability meant this wasn’t a great option for me.  It was definitely a consideration, and one that makes the city pass quite tempting too. 

The card is valid from the moment it’s activated for how ever long you bought for, so also consider when to activate it.  We used it to take the tram to the train station our last morning, and as we missed the one we meant to catch, the timing ended up being a little tight for me, I made it with literally a minute to spare before it expired. 

I say it’s good value, and I would get it again - but compare the list of locations to your itinerary. It may not be the best match everytime. 

The Best for Last - the Rijksmuseum

Our last full day in Amsterdam started the same as the others, in our cozy nook at Coffee Tales.  It really was a lovely little spot. The fresh baked pastries are one of my favourite things in Europe.  Our plan for the day was the Rijksmuseum.  We had saved it for last as today had the worst predicted weather of the trip.  Unfortunately our planning wasn’t perfect.  We had free tickets with the city card, but I forgot we still had to reserve a time slot.  When we arrived, the next options were for early afternoon.

This was Amsterdam however, so its not like we didn’t have options.  The city card let us also visit the near by MOCO Gallery.  Usually I am not a big fan of modern/contemporary art, it’s just not my thing. But the Gallery was in a delightful older house and it has a Bansky Exhibit.  Not an official authorized one, but they had collected various authenticated pieces.  There were a few interesting artists, some that I just didn’t get, but a successful pick. 

After the gallery, we walked around the grounds of the Rijksmuseum a little, and had a coffee at a fancy little cafe.  A bit too fancy for me, they would have charged €2.50 just for a refill on my hot water!  The original tea was only €3.50!  

The rain finally came along, but luckily so did our time slot for the Rijksmuseum.  I really enjoyed it, though I’m not really an art person. I enjoy museums like this for the history.  Seeing the paintings by the Old Masters, and statues and items made hundreds of years ago, it fascinates me. Add in a gorgeous old building and I am happy for a few hours. 

My mother is a huge fan of the famous Nightwatch painting by Rembrandt.  She had been quite excited for me that I was going to see it.  And I saw, most of it.  There is currently a massive multi-year restoration project on going of the painting.  On the plus side, instead of hauling it off to a lab somewhere, they glassed off the section it is in and have the restorers working in full view of the public.  It was interesting to see them at work, they are on the stage of removing the old dirty varnish.  It’s quite a painstaking process and will be years before it is fully finished. 

My friend and I rendezvoused in the little cafe for a drink and to rest our aching feet.  I had a little pick me up of some bread, which again was just amazing with the fresh butter.  Then, at closing time, we headed out for a walk back towards our hotel and dinner.  I had recommended we go back to the A van Wees tasting room for dinner, which my friend enthusiastically agreed too.  Luckily the weather was a little better because the only seats available were outside!  It wasn’t too bad while the sun was out, and we eventually moved inside for dessert when it got cool. 

With our dessert we also ordered a flight of Genever to split.  Much smaller glasses this time!  The younger spirits were more like the gin I am used to, with juniper added. The older ones are aged in barrels and a bit more like whiskey, which I am not usually a fan of.  They were a smoother drink to sip, which I did appreciate.  My ice cream came with home made brandied raisins, which I asked for on the side.  I’m not a raisin fan, luckily they went quite well with the apple pie across the table from me!

Our final evening would not be complete without a stop for our nightcaps at Kramer’s Cafe.  We had to say goodbye to Jean-Pierre and have one more taste of their liquors.  They had excellent gin there for sure.  It was to be an early evening again, our flight wasn’t too bad, we had just enough time to grab a To Go drink on the way to the train (guess where!) before heading off to the airport.  It is really nice that Schipol Airport is so close to the city, and so easy to get to with the trains. 

With a mid day flight, we arrived back in Canada at mid day, but ready for bed and then right back to normal life.  Though I had a bottle of Genever from duty free, so I’ll need to get some tonic.  

Walking Tour of Amsterdam

Today started about the same, up at a good time and over to Coffee Tales for a tea and fresh baked croissant to start the day.  Looking over the map and the city pass, we decided to walk to the Oude Kerk to start the day.  It was a nice stroll from where the cafe was on Rembrandt Square.  

Along the way we stumbled upon Da Waag.  It was originally one of the city gates, and interestingly sits on a slightly different alignment to the rest of the roads and buildings in the area.  Since it was built in the 15th century, it has many different functions, including as a weigh house, which is what it is now named for.  In the 17th century, they included a theatre for the public to witness human dissections.  This is immortalized in the Rembrandt painting 'The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp'.

Walking along we passed through the Red Light district on our way to the Old Church, and then had a bit of a walk around waiting for it to open.  This is about when I noticed, that I think the truck drivers of Amsterdam Delight in parking right in front of the grand old buildings and blocking the best views.  It really seemed like one truck would move, and a second would zip in before you could get a clear picture!

About this time, my friend wasn't feeling as well, she decided to go back to the hotel for a little break and we would meet up again.  Since she was interested in the Old Church, I walked over to the Rembrandt House Museum to explore that while she tried to get some bearings.  Its the house Rembrandt lived in for many of his best years, though he was forced to sell to pay his debts.  It is an interesting place, even to see how people lived.  Everyone had short box beds because it was thought to be unhealthy to sleep lying fully supine!

After the tour, my friend reported back that she didn't think she'd be up for anything else today. So I was on my own.  I decided to walk back towards the church I had skipped this morning, and I ended up stopping for lunch at Da Waag.  It was beautifully restored inside as a restaurant, lit with dozens of real candles hanging from the celling.  They also have their own local beer, it was great. 

Back at Oude Kerk, I went in to see another art display.  This one was made using found objects from around Amsterdam.  I'll admit, I really didn't get it.  Except for one massive tarp hanging from the ceiling, it was not to my taste, or understanding for art work.  Though seeing the church that dates back to the 14th century was interesting. 13th if you count the original wooden structure.

I wasn't terribly sure what to do next, so I followed my feet.  I walked past the Dam Square again, and then across to the canals along the west side of Amsterdam.  Eventually I walked past the Anne Frank House museum.  I had seen it before the last time I was there, and it was quite busy, so I just took some pictures from the outside.  After finding more picturesque bridges to photograph, my feet were beginning to hurt too. 

With no set goal in mind, I found a nice looking restaurant and went in for dinner.  Turns out I had found the restaurant and tasting room for one of the oldest genever distilleries in Amsterdam. A. van Wees is still located in Amsterdam and makes genever and many other spirits.  Similar to my beloved gin, I was excited to try it.  I am not a big fan of sipping liquors, but when in Rome.  The lovely staff gave their recommendation for my genever and a beer.  Because it is a grain alcohol it apparently goes well with beer.  When I received my drink, I was told that before the first sip one must bow, and then she filled the lovely little tulip shaped glass right to the brim.  There is definitely an art to just pouring the drink!

In the future I'd be interested to see how genever goes with tonic, but I was able to appreciate my glass along with sips of beer, and a beef stew for dinner.  The old building used for the tasting room also was just perfect, and old stable it even had the original paving stones for the floor.  After finishing up, I checked back in on my friend who said they just wanted to keep resting, so I took my ipad back to Cafe Kramer for a drink to finish up the night.

Exploring Amsterdam

We didn’t have a lot of time in Amsterdam, and I wanted to take advantage of every moment. Yet this was also about relaxing and regaining some of my equilibrium.  This morning we set an approximate start time of about 9:00.  It wasn’t actually hard to meet after having gone to bed quite early the night before after a long travel day.  

We were staying in a cute little hotel called the Dreams Amsterdam. It was in an older building near the canals, about halfway between the central train station and the Rijksmuseum.  It was nice and central for a trip that was going to involve a lot of exploring on foot. 

The restaurant hours surprised me a little in Amsterdam.  First, the night before a lot of cafes and smaller restaurants that advertise having dinner had all closed in the early evening. Now I was trying to find a spot for coffee that opened before 9:00. No, not one of those coffee shops.  I just needed my caffeine. We did find a spot called Coffee Tales that was open, served excellent tea and coffee in an adorable little shop.  The fresh baked pastries were also incredible. 

We had our drinks and planned the day a little more. We bought the Amsterdam City Pass and walked down to the Nieuwe Kerk in the Dam Square.  Built in the 15th century the New Church is only about 100 years younger than the Old Church.  On Dam Square is also a Royal Palace, and a lot of other beautiful buildings. After a little walk around we went inside, as well as being a beautiful old building it was also host to the World Press Photo Exhibition for 2025.  It was an incredible and moving display of photos from around the world.  Sadly most were of some of the greatest tragedies occurring, but there were a few of great moments too.

Going back outside we found the rain had rolled in, I dashed back up to the hotel while my friend stayed dry in a cafe built into the side of the church.  We also had lunch there before continuing on the day.  After a little walk around the area, we went down to some of the canals and decided to do a canal cruise for the afternoon.  It’s a great way to see some of the city, with lots of neat old buildings and landmarks being right on the canals. 

After the cruise, we stopped for a drink in one of the oldest bars in Amsterdam, serving drinks since 1606. Cafe Karpershoek, is one of the Brown Bars, such named for the old wooden bars and paneling that still line everything.  It was a small intimate interior, that got quite crowded as more rain swept through.  We were happy to have a seat already!

Our final stop for the day was the Heineken Experience. Set in one of the original brewery locations, the tour is something I had done 20 odd years ago. It was still fun to go back, see how it had all changed.  The tour was interesting, informative and a little silly.  Beer was also included.  We paid a little extra too for the rooftop bar.  While it was too cold to sit outside, it was a great view and I enjoyed looking around before we settled in for another sample. 

We had dinner at another small steakhouse near the Rembrandt Square by our hotel. Walking back we went to Cafe Kramer for a nightcap, one of the main draws being a pretty little grey cat in the window. I had a gin and tonic with their own gin, delicious. My friend tried a limoncello Spritzer with a liquor they make.  It was also reported to be delicious.  And Jean-Pierre was an adorable and furry little host over seeing everything from his spot of honour. 

Time to Go! Amsterdam on the Fly

I have been getting very antsy lately.  I had a desperate need to travel and precious little time to do it.  I was looking at my schedule and with about five days free I decided on an impulsive choice to go to Europe.  Trouble with impulses, then I had to decide where to go.  Weighing lots of pros and cons, and conferring with the internet, I settled on Amsterdam.

I have been before, once as an early 20 something exploring in the summer between school, and twice as a little kid who’s parent got transferred somewhere cool, but they were way to young to appreciate it.   So it made a lot of sense for me. It was a direct flight, airport close to the city centre, and lots to see and photograph.

In my planning, while sharing the story of my desperate need to escape, I had a friend realize she also had a desperate need to escape.  It quickly became a trip for two.  A bit unusual for me, the famous solo traveler! So we talked about our travel styles, and made the booking.

The flight was overnight, as usual for North America to Europe. We arrived about 11:00 in Amsterdam on the last day of the Tulip Festival.  There was a shuttle straight from the airport to the Keukenhof Gardens. It wasn’t quite what I had expected, though some of that is likely because it was the last day of the season.  the main tulip fields had already been culled for the year.  The gardens themselves still had many tulips, many were older, some had been culled, but there were more than a few that were still fresh and lovely. 

We had a lovely time exploring the garden before getting a bus to Amsterdam.  We then walked to our hotel to check in.  The plan after that was to get food, but everything in our area that was open was heavy food like steaks or pasta.  I was tired and cranky (I don’t sleep on planes) and just wanted something light.  We eventually decided to give up, just going back to the hotel for an early night.

Plan was to wake up Monday morning, ready to go and explore.  

Flashback Friday - The Mozambican Coast 2021

After getting home from South Africa my sister had to head back to work, so I had a few more days of lounging around her place and enjoying relaxing lunches by the ocean.  Our mother flew in for the start of her visit with a slight overlap so we could have a little trip together.

We had a couple days in Maputo, where my mom took to a local market she had been to before and then lunch at a phenomenal hotel by the sea.  I bought this awesome carved giraffe.  I just adore him, and normally would be too large to get home.  So he had to live with my sister for half a year till her posting ended and her belongings all got shipped home.

We went away for a weekend to Anvil Bay.  It was one of the most amazing places I have ever been too, in the south of Mozambique in the Maputo National Park.  It was this absolutely isolated spot, where we even needed to pay for a driver because my sisters car wouldn’t make it over the rough roads.  With just a half dozen or so cabins, I probably would never be able to afford a place like this. The pandemic still be on the prices were only mildly crazy. 

It was just stunning, with little cabins tucked back into the brush beside the beach.  Massive stretches of sand with no one else around but us and the half dozen other guests. We spent a few nights there, enjoying the beach and delicious dinners.  As well my mom was celebrating a special birthday so we brought a bottle of Moët to drink on the beach.  It was certainly a vacation that will be hard to beat.

After dinner in the evenings the resort would light a bonfire on the beach. It was a little cool along the water, so sitting by the fire and enjoying our champagne did feel like an amazing luxury. It was a fabulous way to celebrate a birthday, and just spending time with family.

Eventually all good things come to an end, and it was time to go back to reality.  First back to Maputo and then back to Canada for me.  It was a long trip home, five hours to Addis Ababa and then a 20 hour flight back to Toronto.  There was a stop in Dublin to refuel, but no one was allowed off the plane.  It was one of the times in my life where paying for business class was 100% worth it and necessary!