July 2015 – Eat and Drink Like A European

Don't order French Fries in Belgium!

July 30, 2015/in Belgium, Bruges, Europe, Europe Tour, food, frites, Uncategorized/by Craig Bresett

Frites – the national dish of Belgium

Dating back to the 1600’s, people in the French speaking region of Belgium (Wallonia) experienced a shortage of river fish that they would usually catch and fry up in the winter. Someone got the idea to cut potatoes, a recent import from South America, into small slivers, shaped somewhat like the little fish, and fry them up instead. And voilà, the frite was born. It was American servicemen helping to liberate Belgium in WWI who wrongly gave them the name “French fries”, presumably because the people in Wallonia spoke French. Belgium recently applied to UNESCO to give their frites world heritage status, so, yeah, they take them pretty seriously. Please don’t ask a Belgian waiter for French fries, unless you would like this history lesson repeated each time you do!

Proper frites are never frozen (sorry McDonald’s et. al) and should not be too skinny or too thick (about 1 cm square if you want to get technical). They are fried twice – once at 150° C and then again at 175 ° C. The result is a golden fry that is crispy on the outside and soft inside. They are properly served with a dollop of mayonnaise, although the creative Belgians have come up with all sorts of interesting dipping sauces. My favourite is pepper sauce and spicy relish. OK, I’m so hungry right now…

You can get good frites at pretty much any decent restaurant in Belgium. In Bruges, I like to get them from one of the two historic frituur at the base of the towering Belfort on Market Square. Just look for the little green structures. They are generally open 10:00 to 24:00, but sometimes later on the weekends. Cheap – just a few euros for a small (which is plenty for one person). And if you really don’t want mayo or one of the other unique sauces with your fries, you can ask for ketchup. They won’t laugh at you.

OneLife Tours is dedicated to the absolute best in European travel experiences for our small groups. If you want your travel in Europe to be authentic and focussed on being a “temporary local” then we’re your company!

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506116251454697472/4blfsXiS.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]This blog happily shared with you by Craig Bresett (about to go search for potatoes in the pantry) – owner and chief tour director at OneLife Tours. Contact Craig anytime: craig@onelifetours.ca[/author_info] [/author]

666 panes of glass, and the actual controversy of the Louvre Pyramid

July 14, 2015/in Art, Controversy, France, Grand Tour, Guided, I.M. Pei, Louvre, Louvre Pyramid, Paris, travel, Uncategorized/by Craig Bresett

Trop nombreux visiteurs, pas assez d’espace!

By the 1980’s it was apparent that the Louvre, the world’s most famous museum, had to make a change. The number of daily visitors completely overwhelmed the inadequate entrance area, but art fans kept coming in larger numbers. A decision was made to excavate the central courtyard and create an underground lobby to accommodate all the people. But what about the entrance? Famed architect I.M. Pei (who is still around and working today at age 98!) was commissioned to design a unique entrance to the old palace – a steel and glass pyramid. As part of the package, 7 pyramids were to be built, including an inverted one, but the big one in the centre of the courtyard would serve as the main entrance to the museum. Parisians, who have been known to throw a fit over anything that disrupts the undeniable architectural harmony of their city (for example, they wanted the Eiffel Tower torn down, but that’s another blog topic…) were generally not happy with the futuristic design. An editorial described French President François Mitterrand, who ultimately gave approval to the design, as having a “pharaoh” complex. I don’t think he intended to be buried under the pyramid though! Work proceeded regardless of the controversy, and in 1989 the new pyramid entrance and underground lobby of the Louvre was opened to the public, forever making the museum more accessible and open. I’ve talked to Parisians who still hate it, but most have come to accept it as a unique, if not necessarily beautiful, part of the urban landscape.

Pei’s idea for a steel and glass pyramid was meant to create as little obstruction to the view as possible, while allowing a large entrance area. Do you think he succeeded?

“Controversy” or just fiction?

French conspiracy theorist Dominique Stezepfandt’s book François Mitterrand, Grand Architecte de l’Univers propagated the idea that the pyramid was specifically built with 666 panes of glass and was “dedicated to a power described as the Beast in the Book of Revelation”. Simple counting reveals that there are 673 panes of glass in the pyramid – talk about not doing your research! So much for that goofy theory.

Dan Brown’s immensely popular novel The DaVinci Code asserts that the sarcophagus of Mary Magdalene lies under the inverted pyramid in the Louvre’s underground shopping mall. That, even the author will tell you, is of course just fiction. But it made for an interesting end to the book.

So what do you think of all the modern steel and glass at the Louvre? Let me know in the comments.

OneLife Tours is dedicated to the absolute best in European travel experiences for our small groups. Our Grand Tour of Europe spends three glorious days in Paris, with a special guided tour of the highlights of the enormous Louvre Museum.

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506116251454697472/4blfsXiS.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]This blog happily shared with you by Craig Bresett (currently in a room with only 6 panes of glass) – owner and chief tour director at OneLife Tours. Contact Craig anytime: craig@onelifetours.ca[/author_info] [/author]

Biking in the Low Countries

July 14, 2015/in Amsterdam, Belgium, bicycle, bike, Bruges, cycling, Europe, Europe Tour, European, Explore, Low Countries/by Craig Bresett

They don’t call Belgium and the Netherlands the “low” countries for nothing. The “nether” in “Netherlands” actually means “lower”. With most of the land at or below sea level, and nary a hill in sight, you shouldn’t be surprised that in some regions of the Netherlands and Belgium, there are more bicycles than people per capita (some people own 2 bikes – a city “beater” and a fancy road bike for the weekends)! In Amsterdam alone, 60% of all trips are made by bicycle. Everyone uses this mode of transport – bankers, students, delivery people, priests, politicians, police – it’s really a way of life. On one of my tours in Bruges, Belgium, the group had some free time and I asked my Dutch bus driver if he wanted to rent a bike with me and ride out into the countryside. He took it as a bit of a challenge, asking “You can think you can keep up with an old Dutchman on a bicycle?” I did OK.

I’ve always advocated doing as the locals do when traveling – it’s part of the OneLife Tours philosophy. So the next time you’re in the Low Countries, rent yourself a bike and see how easy it is to navigate around town or take a little side trip out into the country.

Here is some practical advice for renting bikes in my favourite cities in this region: Amsterdam, Brussels, and Bruges. Note that pretty much any town will have bicycle rentals available – just ask your hotel or B&B for advice (sometimes hotels even have free loaner bikes for their guests – very convenient!)

Amsterdam

Rental shops abound in Amsterdam, but here are two that are very central with helpful staff and reasonable rates:

Frederic Rent-a-Bike: Very close to Central Station, with a good selection of well-maintained, comfortable rental bikes. Hours: daily 9:00 to 17:30 / Brouwerscgracht 78 / tel. 020-624-5509

MacBike: Huge rental stock, located right at Central Station (with a couple of smaller shops further out from the centre). You can get information here about different options for self-guided bike tours in town or in the countryside for €1. Hours: daily 9:00 to 17:45 /AH Stationsplein 5 / tel. 020-624-8391

RentaBike: Great selection, with tandems, kids’ bikes, mountain bikes, or the popular “granny” bikes! Hours: daily 9:00 to 18:00 /Damstraat 20-22 / tel. 020-624-5029

Brussels

Brussels has a few more “hills” than Amsterdam or Bruges, so you are liable to see a wider selection of gears on your typical rental bikes here. It is also the least bike-friendly of the three cities listed here – though there are lots of bikes, and riding is generally safe, just beware that you are more likely to be riding beside city traffic without your own dedicated bike lane in Brussels. If you’re OK with that, a bike is a great way to get around the city.

ProVelo: ProVelo was established in 1992 to promote all things bicycle in the European capital. They have a good selection of different bikes for riders of all ages and abilities, and just love supporting the use of bicycles by locals and tourists alike. Hours: Mon. > Fri. : 10:00 > 13:30 | 14:00 > 18:00; Sat. > Sun. + statutory holidays : 10:00 > 18:00 / Londonstraat 15 / tel. 02 502 73 55

Villo: Not a traditional bicycle rental shop – Villo is a citywide bike hire system with stands all over the city approximately 500 metres apart. These bikes are heavy steel frame bikes meant to stand up to heavy usage. To use this system as a visitor, you must purchase a 1 day guest pass with your credit card, then use it to sign out bicycles at any of the stands. Ask a local for help if you are having trouble with the machine – but instructions are in English, so give it a try! Just look for the yellow “Villo” fenders as you walk the streets, or use this online map to find one close to you.

Bruges

Ahhh… Bruges. My favourite destination in the Low Countries – a medieval timewarp, with absolutely flat streets emanating out from the central market square to some beautiful countryside. Rent a bike and just use it to get around town, or take it out past the windmills on the edge of town and ride to the little villages of Dam or Lissewege. Insider info: Hotel Adornes has free bikes for guests staying with them! Take your bike with you in the morning – stay out as long as you like!

Koffieboontje Bike Rental: Literally right beside the bell tower on Market Square, this bike rental is located right in the lobby of the Hotel Koffieboontje. Just go up to reception and tell them you are interested in renting a bike (you’ll see the bikes right outside) and they’ll issue you a ticket that you bring to the bikeman who will emerge from some steep stairs outside the lobby. He’ll let you test out your bike until you find one you like, and then you’re off! Hours: daily, 10 AM to 10 PM / Hallestraat 4 / tel. 32 50 33 80 27

Bicycles Popelier: Oxford brand bicycles that are replaced every 6 months – they really take pride in their rental stock at Popelier. They have even started renting out electric bikes if you want some power-assist! Hours: vary – but opens daily at 10 AM. / Mariastraat 26 / tel. 32-50-343262

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506116251454697472/4blfsXiS.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]This blog happily shared with you by Craig Bresett (just back from a bike ride) – owner and chief tour director at OneLife Tours. Contact Craig anytime: craig@onelifetours.ca[/author_info] [/author]

Shop for clothes like Parisians do

July 11, 2015/in bargain, Europe, European, France, Paris, Shopping, Tour, tour guide, travel/by Craig Bresett

Nobody is going to accuse me of being a fashionista (I’m not even sure that term can be applied to a male?). But I know from having taken thousands of travellers through La Ville Lumière (the city of light) that a “break” from the landmarks and museums most often includes a bit of must-do Paris shopping. Paris is one of the world capitals of fashion and style, and has some very high-end clothing stores where you probably couldn’t even afford a pair of socks. So where do smart Parisians (and travelers-in-the-know) shop? Thrift stores of course!

With so much focus on fashion in Paris, you can rest assured that there are plenty of perfectly good, slightly used, “last year’s” clothes make their way into the many second hand boutiques in Paris and its suburbs. If you can be caught dead (or alive) in something that’s a little (or a lot) vintage, you’re going to find lots of bargains in this otherwise expensive shopping city.

Here are a few Parisian favourites:

LITTLE BOX: This tiny store in the Marais is stuffed with vintage designer clothes, shoes and bags. Not the cheapest prices, but not a lot of junk to sort through either – the stock is well considered before being put out (probably because the shop is so small!) Designer sunglasses can also be found here at less than half of original price typically. The owners are really friendly and helpful too. Just make sure you say “bonjour” when you enter!

77 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris

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Little Box: 77 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris

PRETTY BOX VINTAGE: With a focus on real vintage, this store contains some really cool old fashions from the 1920s to the 1990s. Prices vary, but for the really unique stuff, don’t expect bargain basement! This is the place to go if you want to find something you won’t find anywhere else.

46 Rue de Saintonge 75003 Paris

Pretty Box Vintage: 46 Rue de Saintonge 75003 Paris

FREE ‘P’ STAR: This is probably the best of the extreme bargain thrift shops in town. You can buy jackets, pants, dresses, etc. for under €20, or dig through the bargain bins where everything is only €1! Just €1! If you don’t mind jostling a bit in this overstuffed (with clothes and people) shop, you can come away with some real steals!

61 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris (Hotel de Ville store – this small chain has 2 other Paris locations in addition to this one)

Free ‘P’ Star: 61 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris

THE KILO SHOP: This shop probably has the most interesting concept – selling clothes by weight! Basically all the items are tagged either red (€20 per kilo) or yellow/green (€30 per kilo) or orange (€60 per kilo). The stuff is well organized, with lots of men’s clothing (this place is probably the best for guys of the four mentioned in this blog). It’s extremely well organized, with lots of scales for you to check your clothing weight before going to purchase it. Here’s to innovative ideas!

69-71 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris (Le Marais store)

The Kilo Shop: 69-71 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris

Do you have a favourite thrift store in Paris that I missed? Let me know in the comments!

OneLife Tours is dedicated to the absolute best in European travel experiences for our small groups. If you want your travel in Europe to include plenty of free time built into an outstanding itinerary, we’re your company!

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506116251454697472/4blfsXiS.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]This blog happily shared with you by Craig Bresett (wearing a knit cap purchased from the Kilo Shop) – owner and chief tour director at OneLife Tours. Contact Craig anytime: craig@onelifetours.ca[/author_info] [/author]

The five BIG BAVARIAN foods you need to eat

July 9, 2015/in Bavaria, Beer, Dishes, food, Germany, travel, Uncategorized/by Craig Bresett

Bavarians don’t just eat beer. They also eat food. And it is some of the heartiest, earthiest, heaviest food in Europe. Heavy in a good way, like an anchor that keeps you from floating away from the beer garden. Here to make your mouth water, are 5 traditional foods you need to eat when visiting Munich or anywhere else in Germany’s fun province, Bavaria.

Weisswurst and Pretzel: Hey, it’s breakfast time in Bavaria, so you’re obviously enjoying a Weißbier (a cloudy, slightly sweet wheat beer). You need something solid to go with it. Do as the Germans do, and enjoy at weisswurst (white sausage). Looking a little different than your typical North American breakfast sausage, and boiled instead of fried, it’s a nice “light” (by Bavarian standards) way to start the day. With a pretzel, please.

President Obama recently shared a traditional weisswurst breakfast with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Weisswurst is typically eaten with mustard and a pretzel.

Käsespätzle: Please, don’t call this mac n cheese. That’s for kids. Käsespätzle is for grownups, made with small twisty dumplings, emmenthaler cheese, and onion. Not a hint of orange food colouring in sight.

Please sir, may I have some more?

Schnitzel: Apparently, you can schnitzel pretty much anything. Though veal is the most common member of the schnitzel family, there’s pork, there’s chicken… I’ve even had fish schnitzel. The process is quite simple. Take your slab of meat, pound the heck out of it, bread it, deep fry it, and eat it. Food doesn’t get much “heavier” than that!

What’s the salad for?

Schweinshaxe: No, that’s not the name of a German metal band (though maybe it should be). This is the grand-daddy of all Bavarian cuisine. Alternatively called “pork knuckle” or “ham hock”, this is big food. Tuck into one of these for lunch, you won’t be needing dinner. Takes some serious effort to eat – this is a real food experience.

I don’t recommend trying to eat two of these at one sitting.

Did I miss your favourite Bavarian food? Let me know in the comments!

OneLife Tours is dedicated to the absolute best in European travel experiences for our small groups. If you want your travel in Europe to include authentic, mouth-watering, local cuisine, sign up for one of our unique tours today!

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506116251454697472/4blfsXiS.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]This blog happily shared with you by Craig Bresett (trying not to get Käsespätzle on my keyboard) – owner and chief tour director at OneLife Tours. Contact Craig anytime: craig@onelifetours.ca[/author_info] [/author]

Staying connected on the road

July 8, 2015/in cell phone, European, Rick Steves, sim card/by Craig Bresett

If you want (or need) to stay connected with home or work while you’re traveling in Europe, or you want the ability to easily call ahead to hotels/restaurants, you may want to invest in a European SIM card. Though it is possible to use your North American phone plan in Europe, it is often prohibitively expensive. You are generally looking at 5-20 cents per minute and about the same price per text. Here are a few tips from American travel guru Rick Steves to simplify things:

Make sure you have the proper phone. Your phone must be an unlocked, quad band gsm phone. If you’re not sure, ask your carrier. If the phone is “locked”, find a cell store that will unlock it for you before you depart. Failing that, you can buy a cheap phone with a European sim card as part of a package from a North American dealer like Roam Simple or just buy one when you get to Europe.

Buy a SIM card. SIM cards are sold in Europe at mobile-phone shops, department-store electronics counters, some newsstands, and even at vending machines. Costing about $5–10, they usually include about that much prepaid calling credit, with no contract and no commitment. Certain brands — including Lebara and Lycamobile, both of which operate in multiple European countries — are reliable and provide cheap international calls, including to the US and Canada.

If you have a smartphone, look for a SIM card that also includes data. Expect to pay about $15-30 for a SIM that includes one month of data within the country you bought it. Be aware that many smartphones (especially iPhones) use smaller micro-SIM or nano-SIM cards. Make sure you get the right size card for your phone.

Before buying a SIM card, ask the clerk about rates for calls within the country; to and from other countries you’ll be visiting; and, if you plan on calling home, to the US and Canada. Also check the rates for data use and for sending/ receiving a text message (called an “SMS” in Europe). Make sure you get rates for data and texting both within and outside the card’s home country. Rates can vary wildly from brand to brand and store to store.

Set up your SIM card. Once you buy your SIM card, ask the clerk to insert it, set it up, and make a test call to be sure it’s working properly. Turning on the phone, you’ll be prompted to enter the SIM PIN, which you may be asked to enter every time you start up the phone. If text or voice prompts are in another language, ask the clerk whether they can be switched to English. Also find out how to check your credit balance (usually you’ll key in a few digits and hit “Send”). Remember to record your new phone number so you can pass it on to friends and family.

Note that many countries require you to register the SIM card with your passport as an antiterrorism measure. If that’s the case, it may take an hour or two after submitting the information before you can use the phone.

Top up your SIM card. When you run out of credit, you can top it up at newsstands, tobacco shops, mobile-phone stores, or many other businesses (look for the SIM card’s logo in the window). Tell the clerk how much credit you want. You’ll either get a voucher with instructions (in most cases, to top up credit, you’ll punch in a long string of numbers on your phone), or the clerk will send the credit directly to your phone. Some providers let you top up online.

OneLife Tours is dedicated to the absolute best in European travel experiences for our small groups. If you want your travel in Europe to be carefree and joyful, book a tour with us today!

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506116251454697472/4blfsXiS.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]This blog happily shared with you by Craig Bresett (using a European smart phone) – owner and chief tour director at OneLife Tours. Contact Craig anytime: craig@onelifetours.ca[/author_info] [/author]

Why is travel in Europe so easy?

July 6, 2015/in Uncategorized/by Craig Bresett

On a recent trip across the Canada/USA border to celebrate Independence Day with my American relatives, I found myself wishing I was in Europe. Not because I don’t like the 4th of July, vast open spaces, and fireworks – I do. It was the border that got me. On the way back into Canada, we had to sit in a ridiculously long lineup to go home, and my mind wandered to Europe and its amazingly vast assortment of borders, most of which greet you with a “Welcome to (insert correct language and country name here) ” as you whiz by on the freeway, cycle past on a country path, or drift around on a riverboat. “Why is travel in Europe so easy?” I found myself thinking.

C4E4CJ Country sign of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg at the national border near Schengen, Luxembourg

Turns out, my thoughts happened to coincide with the anniversary of a summit that happened in Luxembourg 30 years ago. Schengen is a tiny riverside village nestled in the southern tip of Luxembourg, basically surrounded by the borders of France, and Germany. For its residents, who primarily work in the wine trade, simple travel to a neighbouring village used to be a slow and frustrating experience as there were manned border stops basically all around them. In a continent of dozens of small, and smaller countries, this is obviously a problem, and perhaps nowhere as evident as in Schengen. So the members of the fledgling European Union got together in this little village and discussed the problem like rational adults. And on June 14, 1985, they came up with an agreement to slowly, but surely, abolish border stops. Not only would this lead to a stronger economy (think of all the down time of trucks sitting in border lineups!) it would simplify travel for locals and tourists alike.

Today’s Schengen Area includes 26 nations that have eliminated internal border controls with the other Schengen members and strengthened external border controls with non-Schengen states. The Schengen area encourages the free movement of goods, information, money and people. For the traveler, this grand experiment in freedom is an unmitigated success, and answers the question posed in the title of this post.

OneLife Tours is dedicated to the absolute best in European travel experiences for our small groups. If you want your travel in Europe to be carefree and joyful, book a tour with us today!

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506116251454697472/4blfsXiS.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]This blog happily shared with you by Craig Bresett (composed while sitting in the Sumas/Abbotsford border lineup well past midnight, let it be known) – owner and chief tour director at OneLife Tours. Contact Craig anytime: craig@onelifetours.ca[/author_info] [/author]

Tower or Dungeon?

July 2, 2015/in Bavaria, bus tour, Germany, Grand Tour, Rothenburg, Uncategorized/by Craig Bresett

Where would you rather be, in a tower or in a dungeon? Well if you travel to Germany’s Rothenburg ob der Tauber, you can certainly try both. Rothenburg o.d.T. (not to be confused with numerous other Rothenburgs in Europe) is a quintessentially Bavarian town, with all the cobblestones, half-timbered houses, beer and sausages one would expect in this part of Germany. But more than that, it is a living museum of a glorious past.

Rothenburg used to be a Free Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire – meaning it had essentially broken away from any larger kingdoms or overlords and been given a charter to operate as an independent city state. This allowed for great prosperity to develop within the still-intact town walls, while much of the rest of Europe continued to wallow in the economic quagmire of feudalism. But all things must pass, and Rothenburg’s Golden Age had to come to an end.

As with other well-preserved medieval towns (Bruges comes to mind), Rothenburg’s centuries-old economic collapse was the modern traveler’s gain. After narrowly averting total destruction during the 30 Years War, apparently due to the local mayor’s ability to down a lot of wine (I’ll save that story for another blog), Rothenburg kind of fell off the economic map of the German territories as trade routes shifted. So instead of undergoing a series of renovations to keep the town “modern”, the impoverished citizens had to settle with living in their medieval buildings in relative obscurity until the age of Romanticism in the mid 19th century started bringing in tourists looking for some romanticized ideal of medieval life. And they haven’t stopped coming since.

So now, when you visit Rothenburg, among other medieval/Bavarian activities, you can climb down the stairs to the dungeon in the Kriminal Museum and contemplate the many creative ways our ancestors came up with to torture, uh, our other ancestors. Or you can climb the Rathausturm (townhall tower) and squeeze through what is possibly the smallest door in Europe to access what is possibly the smallest balcony in Europe. But the views are grand! Me, I’d do both.
Above: (TOWER) The white tower of the town hall does what a tower is supposed to do and towers over the city centre. From the top you can survey not only the whole town but the beautiful Bavarian countryside surrounding it.

Below: (DUNGEON) The Kriminal Museum actually covers 4 floors and is the best collection of implements relating to the medieval justice system anywhere in Europe. But you get to start your tour in the dungeon.

Practical Info:

The Kriminal Museum – Hours: 10 AM to 6 PM May to October; varies the rest of the year. Cost: €5 Adults, €3 kids (and kids love this place!) Address: Burggasse 3, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany Phone:+49 9861 5359

Rathausturm – Hours: 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM / 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM April to October. Closed in winter. Cost: A measly €2 (pay near the top). Go for it! Address – Just go to the Market Square and look up. Entrance to the tower, somewhat confusingly, is through the town hall door facing the Market Square.

OneLife Tours is dedicated to the absolute best in European travel experiences for our small groups. And Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a much-loved stop on our popular Grand Tour of Europe. Join us in dungeons and towers alike!

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506116251454697472/4blfsXiS.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]This blog happily shared with you by Craig Bresett (while sitting in a dungeon to get out of the heat, let it be known) – owner and chief tour director at OneLife Tours. Contact Craig anytime: craig@onelifetours.ca[/author_info] [/author]

Don't order French Fries in Belgium!

666 panes of glass, and the actual controversy of the Louvre Pyramid

Biking in the Low Countries

Amsterdam

Brussels

Bruges

Shop for clothes like Parisians do

The five BIG BAVARIAN foods you need to eat

Staying connected on the road

Why is travel in Europe so easy?

Tower or Dungeon?

Site Links

Contact Information

Archive for month: July, 2015

Amsterdam

Brussels

Bruges