Travelogue: The Netherlands - Amsterdam, The Hague

For plenty of reasons, both good and bad, Amsterdam is a popular attraction for any tourist coming to Europe. For young backpackers, this city is very excited thanks to the extravagant escapades described in the EuroTrip movie. Amsterdam has attracting events in small periods around the year. The Tulip Gardens are in bloom during spring and attract a huge crowd of photographers and nature lovers. The numerous parades during the remaining part of the year attract the relevant kind of crowds. As a city, Amsterdam doesnt have grandiose architectures or cathedrals on display. So people coming here after a visit to Rome or Florence would be disappointed by the very modern architecture. Personally I found the construction in Netherlands to be very modern and quite interesting in aesthetics. Driving around the cities you will see a lot of interesting looking buildings.

The Amstel river, from which the city derives its name runs around the southern part of the city. For seeing around the city, there are plenty of options - ferries ply on the canal area showing around some major attractions of the city, if you want to bike around the city there are some cheap deals on the bike tour of the city. There is a good metro running through the city as well as buses and trams. Each to his own taste! Since we were running short on time, we took a city tour on the ferries. Along the canal you can get to see some really old buildings of the city. One interesting feature of the buildings along the canal area is that they are very narrow in width. Sometimes such narrow that the whole house is split vertically, with drawing rooms on one floor, dinning on the other and bedrooms on yet another. Also all the buildings have a huge hook hanging from the top which is used to anchor the ropes to carry any furnitures above into the floors of the building. The actual reason most of the young crowd comes to Amsterdam is altogether a different one -though not a politically correct one in many parts of the world. The colored-district lined up along the canal jumps to life as the sun goes down. A glance at the crowds there, explains the empty streets in other parts of the city!

The Hague is the proxy capital of Netherlands. With around 100 consulates and embasies the city exudes diplomacy. The International Court of Justice attracts a large number of protesters apart from tourists. The city is well connected through trams running across its stretch. The Scheveningen on the northern part of the city is a popular attraction of the city. Windsurfing and Bungee jumping are some of the activities holding the young crowd on this beach facing the Nordsee.

Travelogue: Netherlands - Eindhoven

In the second leg of my summer vacation, I had gone to Netherlands where we had a small reunion of friends from my MSc days in Germany. Our host was staying in Eindhoven, so this small city was a rendevous point for all of us who were coming from different parts of Europe. When my RyanAir flight was hovering about the Eindhoven airport before landing, it was a deja-vu of sorts to me. Each time I have travelled to any city in North Europe, I have always been welcomed by bad weather. Maybe its a coincidence, but be it Eindhoven, Dublin or London, always its rainy clouds and grey weather welcoming me! As I had jetted from a hot (40-degree something) Athens to Netherlands, this change of climate and temperature was not a very pleasant experience.

Eindhoven is one of the largest cities in the south of Netherlands and is heavily industrialised. It is overshadowed by the presence of Philips all over. As a tourist, I guess this city has nothing great to offer and I believe had it not been for our friend none of us would have been there. However, I found it to be a good place to work as the city is quite comfortable and well maintained. The initial vibes I got about the Dutch people are that they are quite friendly people and very open to foreigners. The most striking feature about the Dutch is their height. The average height is quite above average from the other Europeans. While walking in the malls or streets I was often awed by the heights of the girls and ladies, not to mention the men. The Dutch are a very healthy looking, atheletic and fit people. I later realised one of the reasons is the regular cycling they do. All over the city there are well marked cycling tracks along with the driving and pedestrian tracks. Luckily, we were visiting Netherlands during the sale period. Couldnt get the reason for the sale in almost all the stores (not a Christmas or Easter period now), but there were some great discounts and all shopping-bees would have loved to be there during this period!

Travelogue : Athens - People

If you happened to watch the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", then you will know exactly what I am trying to say in the next couple of lines. The Greeks in general are not very different from the eccentric characters portrayed in that movie. The elderly Greeks are very socialising and you can always find them in groups chatting under the shades of a tree or at a cafeteria. They dont shy away from talking to foreign tourists, despite their lack of english vocabulary. I always found myself chatting to one of them at the restaurants or the train stops. Our conversations would start in English and when the threshold for English vocabulary had reached, they would switch to Greek without realising that I coulndt grasp a word (it all sounded Greek to me!). But they would make sure that you are able to follow them and their warmth would not put you off from that conversation of which you are not able to follow anything else apart from the emotions.

One interesting habit I noticed among the Greek men. Most of them always carry a string of beads in their hands and you can spot them playing around with it while at work, commuting, having a coffee or chatting with friends. I couldnt get the logic / science or legend behind this act. As I had posted before, the Greeks love their food (who wouldnt! with all those delicacies). While you walk around the Plaka, you are mobbed in a friendly manner by the waiters from the taverns, holding their menu cards and inviting you to dine at their place. Occasionally the wine/drinks are not charged along with the menu. While dinning you can sometimes listen to some pleasant Greek music played by a live band with their guitars and accordions.

The tourist crowd in European summer is as entertaining as the places you visit. A majority of the tourists are usually Americans. Some of them are families of European descent, visiting their motherlands along with their kids. But a majority of Americans are youngsters back-packing their vacation in European cities. Girls especially who love their shopping and naturally welcomed with beaming smiles in all the shopping stores. Among the younger crowds the Japenese also form a sizeable number. Usually vacationing in small groups of 4-5, the Japenese take their photographs with great zest and fervour. The Germans outnumber the other European tourists. You will usually find middle aged German couples having a quite summer urlaub in most of the places you travel. I havent seen many German youth in the tourist crowd so far.

An interesting point to be noted about Athens is the numerous stray dogs all over the streets. This is the first instance, where I noticed a sight common in sub-continental cities in a european city. The dogs are not harmful to the people, but when you are strolling around with a sandwich in hand, then for sure you are attracting unwanted attention by them. Another usual sight on the streets of Athens is the public street protests. They are as peaceful and orderly as they can be, but the size of the protesting crowd and their noise can sometimes raise an eyebrow. Walking on the streets of Athens, you would seldomly come across an unattractive lady, which is not surprising - after all this is the country of Helen of Troy. Remarkable beauty seems to be part and parcel of Greek genes.

Travelogue : Athens - Plaka, Syntagma Square etc.

Having seen the ancient part of the city on the earlier day, I decided to go to the Olympic stadiums of Athens. The old Olympic Stadium is located at the Arditos Hill on the south side of the ancient center of Athens. The new Olympic Stadium was constructed for the 2004 Olympic games and is located on the outskirts of the city. To reach the Olympic Village one has to take the Metro line 1 and get off at the Irini stop. Though the Olympic village now has a deserted look, its swimming pools and indoor stadiums are open to public use. The main stadium hosts football games and is well maintained. There are some interesting architectural designs in the campus, which are very photogenic. Unluckily, the heat and scorching sun was
unbearable for me, so I had to keep my visit there very brief.

The Flea Market in Athens is a happening place. Located close to the Monastiraki station, this is a very ancient market. Inside the lanes and bylanes, you will find numerous shops and naturally huge amount of tourists. The interesting thing about the market is that you find a series of shops selling the same stuff all lined up beside each other. Here you can find hawkers selling leather goods like Greek sandals and hand bags, jewellry, rings, stones, clothes, music cds etc etc. If you are strolling around with your girlfriend or your better-half then think twice before venturing into that zone, as it is difficult for the fairer-sex to resist the temptation of the goods on sale there.

The Plaka area also has plenty of shops selling souveniers, tourist goods, t-shirts, greek cotton clothes, jewellry, leather goods, antiques, etc. Plaka is also famous for its food stalls. There are numerous taverns and restaurants offering mouth watering Greek food. If you are the sandwich munching guy a-la Joey Trivianni, then you can lay your hands on loads of them here. For the food gourmet, then you can find many traditional greek restaurants having lavish menus filled with - mousaka, kokoretsi, paidakia, brizoles, meat balls etc. which you can have with psomis or spiced potatoes, gigandes (beans), revithia (chick peas). Greece is essentially a meat lovers paradise, but you can find a lot of grilled sea food and veggie stuff as well. Among sea food, kalamaris, sardines, tuna are just a few of the vast variety of fishes the Greek menu has on offer. The desserts are my favourite part. Baklavas and Kataifis are just irresistable to me. You can also find a wide variety of Gelatos (ice cream).

The Syntagma Square is the downtown of Athens in the right sense. Remember the "Down Town" song, I bet when Petula Clark sang those words she meant a place like Syntagma square. The place is always buzzing with people. On one end you have a bunch of youngsters zipping around on their roller blades. On the benches you would find some elderly people having a discussion among themselves. You could also notice a guy or two with their laptops, as Athens provides free WiFi in selected spots and Syntagma Square is one of them. There are a bunch of restaurants lined up on the periphery, offering sandwiches, coffees, ice creams etc. And just below the square is the Metro station, which is easily one of the biggest ones in Athens. One could never feel the time as it flies by when you are at the Syntagma Square.

Travelogue : Athens - Acropolis, Partheneon etc

If you plan to visit Athens, then make sure to book your accomodation closer to the Syntagma Square or in the Ancient Center of the city. The reason for this is that most of the important places to visit are in the vicinity, easily reachable on foot and hence you dont invest much time and money hopping from place to place.

The Temple of Olympean Zeus is located nearby the Hadrian's Arch on the Amalias Aveneu. This sanctuary is one of the most important of the ancient sanctuaries was built as a tribute to Zeus. The construction of the temple had begun in complete marble in the 4th century BC. The final completion however took place many years later by emperor Hadrian. The temple has undergone heavy deterioration by human and natural causes (storms etc). Some of its toppled columns lie still on the site.

The Acropolis or the City of heights is built on a hillock in the centroid of the ancient center of Athens. The entrance is to the west side. You first see the small Ionic temple of Athena Nike. There is the Pinakotheke which had frescoes on its walls. The most visible of the buildings on the Acropolis is the Partheneon, a temple dedicated to Athena. Its columns, walls and decorations are made up of white Pentelic marble. On the outside, the metopes were carved with the various battles between the gods and Giants, the Athenians and Amazons and the Trojan War. The Erechtheion is on the north side of the summit. Its an Ionic temple whose roof is supported by six figures of maidens, the famous Caryatids. There are many other sites in the campus like the altar of Athena, sanctuaries of Zeus and Pandion etc. On the southern side are the theater of Dionysus and the Odeum of Herodes Atticus (where concerts are held usually, the same site where Yanni had once played his concert)

The tickets to enter the Acropolis come in a booklet, which are valid for entering neighbouring sites as well. One good news is that there are discount on the prices for students and elderly people. Though the climb to the temples on the summit is tasking, you can always find bunches of tourists flocking by your side. Perhaps it was owing to the uncommonly hot weather in Greece these days, because during the climb one could feel the scorching sun burning down on you. I suggest to carry a heavy stock of water and dont forget those sun creams. At the entrance however, you can always buy a sluch of lemonade which is a good refreshment to your parched throats. If you need a guided tour of the whole place, you can hire a guide from close to the main entrance, who can enrich your experience with all the useful information and anectodes. One has to be cautious with the slippery marble in the Campus, as I observed many a unmindful tourists slipping around.

The temple of Hephaestos is situated in the Ancient Agora along with the Portico of Attalus. There is a museum in the same Agora, which has some good artifacts on display which were excavated in that area. The Roman Agora, the Library of Hadrian and the Clock of Kyristos is situated a couple of blocks away. Opposite to the Syntagma Square is the Monument of the Unknown soldier and the Greek Parliament. Infact the whole neighbourhood has a very diplomatic aura because of the numerous consulates and government offices. The National Gardens are to the south of the Parliament. The have good promenades in them, where you find a lot of families and senior citizens having an evening walk or sportsmen jogging around. Enjoying the cool evening breeze listening to the chirping of the various birds in the gardens can be very soothing after a stressful day. Further south is the building of the Zappio - which has a congressional hall and hosts exhibitions frequently.

Travelogue : Athens - Arrival

Whenever I enter a new city, I tend to grasp the vibes of the city in the initial experiences I face. When I landed at Athens, I noticed a feeling of warmth and homeliness. Maybeit was due to the Greeks who are very similar in their social manners to the Indians or maybe its the hot Greek weather which reminded me of the hot Indian summers. The other thing I notice while travelling to places is the distinctive color thats reflected from the public places. For instance, when I was in Dublin, one could sense the ominous green color (the Irish have a shade of green, in all their national icons) present everywhere. Similarly, within a few minutes at Athens and I could sense the ominous Navy Blue Greek color in almost everything - from Train stations to notice boards, to Airport Sign Boards etc. Well, the other major concern I had while coming to Athens was the directions to my hotel, where I had booked my accomodation. In normal circumstances, one would check out the Google Maps for the city map of Athens, search out the street and mark out the directions from the airport or the city center. But in this case, if you check out the Google Maps for Athens, you will be surprised to see everything in Greek! Agreed localisation of your product means to present the maps of Greece in Greek - I am sure the Greeks love to see that. But what about those tourists, who are visiting Athens and are in need of a map for directions, you cant expect them to read and understand Greek! A small option of viewing the Greece Map in English would make matters simple for the numerous tourists who could use the Google Maps for finding their way on the streets of Greek cities. Well the engineers in Google must have a reason for keeping it that way, but imagine if I plan to visit Beijing, then I would have to learn Chinese first in order to use the Maps from Google!

The Airport is situated on the outskirts of the Athens City and is well connected through Bus Service, Sub-urban Trains, Metro and taxis. A ticket on the Metro costs about 6 euro something to travel to downtown, while the taxis take about 20-25 euros. Through the Metro it takes about an hour to reach the central stops. The Athens Metro is well maintained and the stations are all beautifully constructed with a great sense of aesthetics. It was around 3 years ago that the Olympics were held here and looks like all the investment the city had put in its infrastructure, is well maintained. My hotel was somewhere close to the Syntagma Square. On reaching that square the first thing I did was to buy a street map with English transliteration of the street names. To able to understand Greek is a great thing for a foreig tourist, but to be able to read is an important thing. After getting my map, it did not take me much time to figure out my way and reached the hotel easily. Since I was too tired from the trevours of the day in Corfu, I could hardly muster the strength to go out for a dinner. I dropped to sleep like a log, hoping to revitilise myself for the next day.

Travelogue : Corfu final day

My flight to Athens was late in the afternoon, so I had couple of hours to walk around Corfu. If you are planning for a holiday in Corfu, then I suggest its best to navigate around the island in a vehicle. There are plenty of options available. One can easily rent a car, a motorbike, bicycles etc - depending on your tastes, preferences and age. Be prepared to travel a lot once you are here, because the good places to see are all stretched far across the island. The beaches for example are all spread around the coast. Interestingly all the sandy beaches are on the west coast while the pebbled beaches are on the east coast. A good prior planning and a vehicle at your disposal - then you are sure to have great fun while you are here. Not to forget the public transport, which costs almost peanuts, is sparsely operational but connects the major attractions pretty well. I managed to visit a beach and take a stroll along the New Fortress which is closer to the port of Corfu. Along the coast you can find several beautiful spots, which are occupied by a couple or two (sometimes with their children) - having the small beach and the entire sea to themselves. The other interesting observation I noticed was, among the tourist crowd, a majority of them were to the middle-aged or higher group. Maybe it was specific to the places I was strolling along. The crowd was evenly distributed, a vast majority of them were Greeks, then Germans and Italians. And as is natural, Corfu is well connected to major cities in Germany through German Wings and Air Berlin and it is well connected to major ports in Italy through a large number of Ferries commuting between them. Talking about the Corfu Airport, it seems to be in its most busy period of operation during summer. I could notice a flight landing or taking off every 10 minutes, indicating that the island atracts a large number of summer tourists (or maybe this anamoly was due to the weekend period). At the various places along the island you can see all the usefull information written in Greek, English, German and Italian - indicating the demographics of the tourist crowd the island hosts each year. There are plenty of Italian restaurants all around, howevere I did notice some Mexican and Chinese as well. The south Italian city of Bari is pretty close to Corfu and hence many of the Italian tourists come along with their cars, motorinos in the ferries. I also noticed a car with number plate from Berlin - that guy must be having one hell of a vacation going around Europe. During the day I felt immensely dehydrated and to supplement that I had to intake loads and loads of water. I never recollect having conciously drinking so much water before. In such a heat a tasty Greek salad with olives, tomatoes and feta cheese is the best refreshment for ones body.

My flight to Athens was late in the afternoon, and surprisingly got delayed only by 15 mins. I bade farewell to this beautiful island with the hope of returning back sometime again.