TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

I am always way behind my travel entries but this is the last of the Santorini holiday: the evening cruise in the Caldera. Caldera is a cauldron-like opening formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption. In my earlier posts about Santorini, I mentioned that the island is the remains of a volcano eruption thousands of years ago before inhabitants occupied the area. Santorini’s caldera is formed by the following volcanic uninhabited and inhabited group of islands: Nea Kameni, Palea Kameni, Aspronisi, Therasia, and Thera. The view of the Caldera lagoon from the bus. We have to go down the scary zigzagged road to the Athinios port where we will board a traditional ship for the evening dinner cruise. This is a satellite view of Santorini archipelago showing the mouth of the Caldera. The cruise was really nothing fancy but we wanted something different from our beach - pool - visiting small villages schema of things, so we chose the evening dinner cruise, which we t...

The Netherlands is a water country, ergo bridges everywhere! Draw bridges and caravans, even on the highway. Last weekend we went to Friesland up north to visit friends. They speak a different language there by the way but ABN (Algemeen Beschaafd Nederlands - which is something like the nationally approved language) is also spoken by everyone. Along the A6 highway we stopped for a quickie as the highway drawbridge was open. Drawbridges in the Netherlands come in many forms. Most of them are small wooden characteristic bridges in little villages that are drawn up by a pulley. Some are metal bridges operated by a remote control service, while this one is a highway bridge specially manned by a dedicated personnel. And of course the caravan! What else can I say? Many Dutch own caravans and much to the annoyance of southern neighbors, they tow them down to Germany, France and Italy during summer, clogging their highways.

Last weekend, we hiked in Utrechtse Heuvelrug forest between Driebergen-Rijsenburg and Austerlitz. It was good hike I think. The sun was out and there was not a lot of wind. I’ve also been checking out houses in this area but nothing caught my fancy. Here are a few fotos of the hike: Horses grazing on the grass field. Right behind this field is the NS railway that pass through Driebergen-Rijsenburg and Zeist (Utrecht) and the A12 highway.We could hear the train and the cars in the forest... so near, yet so far away. The trees in this part are tall and lean but further ahead I saw lots of pine groves that make me think of winter. Then we ran into a pretty black and yellow house with a red roof in the middle of the forest! I first thought it was a cafe restaurant but Dutchman corrected me that its actually a private house. Hmmm, it must be cool to live far away from the neighbors and in the middle of the forest... but I don’t know why being home alone in those serial killer types of ...

I thought I will start a “Typisch Nederlands” (in English – Typically Dutch) foto entry that epitomizes the Dutch and the Netherlands. Spotted this cute little puppy in a basket bike this weekend when I did the grocery. In the Netherlands, cats, little puppies, and small dogs are carried by their doting owners in a bike basket. The most extraordinary I ever saw was in Maastricht. The little hyperactive dog stood on the bike’s steel rod while his master pedaled the bike! For big dogs, the owners usually bike side by side with them. Hand on the bike handrail and the other hand on the dog’s leash. The most preposterous I ever saw in this country was a car slowly towing a dog. Unbelievable how lazy some people are.

In the Centrum of Utrecht lies this small city castle along Utrecht’s oldest canal, the Oudegracht, veiled from the hustle and bustle of everyday little city life – shoppers going about on their daily and weekly rounds, street vendors displaying their wares, musicians on the prowl for a few euros a serenade, food carts selling ijs, shaorma, and pizza... and I like to sit during late afternoon in the outside terrace of this little city castle and listen to the feisty flower sellers scream at the top of their voices their last call for the flowers of the day. Having witbier in Stadskasteel Oudaen in Utrecht. I quite like the striking imperial doorway of this café restaurant which was once a castle and still is a brewery. Stadskasteel Oudaen brews its own beer. They also have brewery tours with beer tasting and sampling of their bitterganituur, a Dutch finger food specialty usually eaten together with an alcoholic beverage before dinner. I had witbier (wheat beer – these beers ha...

The donkeys in Santorini, especially in Fira and Oia are not just tourist attractions. They also earn a living! For many who came to Santorini on a boat cruise, which means they first dock at the bottom of the cliffs, they have 3 options to get to the town above: 1) Walk—always the best option of course 2) Cable car 3) Donkey ride The donkey ride is of course for everyone who wants to experience it, not just for the visitors coming from the boat cruise, but I don’t think I would be brave enough to sit on its back as the animal slowly nimble down (or up) the stairs while I stare with fright at the steep cliffs down below. It is not for me so I will just take pictures. Travel Period: July 2008

Last Friday I went boating with some colleagues in Amsterdam. Weather forecast: 0% chance of rain. We could not believe it! This is the Netherlands where the sun only shine 2 weeks in a year. Two of my colleagues own a boat which is pretty cool if you live in a canal city. However, with only 2 weeks sunshine in a year, a boat is not the most practical investment in terms of ROI usability. On the other hand, wouldn’t it be fab to go to work in a boat instead of the usual bike, scooter, car, tram, or train? Right in the corner of our office building is a canal to moor the boat. No mooring fees I believe. Now, that is a great idea. I love this quaint section of Amsterdam. Anyway, it was a fun time. We’ve all blown our numbers at work so it was like a little celebration for an impressive entrance to Q3. While we are excited to see our bank accounts at the end of the month, it really was our ego that kept all of us going. A real sales person is not just driven by the €€€. A real s...

Perissa is the longest beach in Santorini with approximately 7 kilometers stretch of fine black sand due to the volcanic terrain. It is also the oldest beach in the island I believe. This humongous mountain in the picture divides the 2 beaches: Kamari and Perissa (yes, Kamari is on the other side) but there is no short cut route to get from Perissa to Kamari or vice versa, only with the boat, which is approximately 5+ minutes compared to inland travel which is 30+ minutes. This mountain is also the location of the ancient Thira archaelogical ruins. We almost booked a hotel in Perissa as Dutchman was quite familiar of the place having camped here during his younger years, but the reviews we read online were not all jolly compared to Kamari. We didn’t take chances and booked instead in Kamari but wanted to see Perissa while there. The online reviews of holidaymakers that stayed in Perissa were right on smack. Unlike Kamari that has a compact and lively beach front, and resorts ...