Well, I made it to Holland. After a long flight I arrived, my hotel was not fancy but it was quiet, great location, free breakfast and private bathroom. When you know a town this busy and packed with locals and lost tourists its nice to know where your headed. I actually help a few lost tourists who were looking for a grocery store and bike rental. It's almost like being back at work. Well I had my 1st major glitch, my old FUJI cameras card that I used all day will not transfer to my computer. All I these were taken with my iPhone.
This picture was taken at the Copenhagen airport, its a caviar and smoked salmon store. This is a very fancy airport with many very high end stores. I had two hours to kill so I toured the duty free stores and grabbed a bite to eat. No not caviar, but the free sample of salmon was tasty.
A cool store in the Amsterdam Airport. A store that sells flower bulbs.
I got up this morning and I was on a mission. I was on my way out to see the windmills of Zaanse Schans near Zaandam. On the way I passed through Zaandam town center and they have many buildings with unusual architecture like the ones above.
Zaandam had a fountain with stones shaped like boats. In northern Holland there are canals and rivers everywhere.
This is the First BatCow I've run across and he had his best friend Robin with him. They love everything COWS here. Dairy milk and cheese a big deal. I have already started tasting the gouda.
Here's a cute little "island house" out in the country side and it has a little draw bridge to get to the house. I wanted you to notice the hay barn behind the house, it is a roof and four poles and it lowers as the hay is used.
Another house on an island that had a lot of cool flowers in the front yard.
This house has a cute bridge with a locked gate.
Well after getting a little off on my directions I finally made it to the Village of Windmills. Unfortunately Most of the pictures were taken with the Fuji. But I do have a few. The place has about 9 or 10 windmills and they were once used as industrial workhorses.
Everyone is different and there are a lot of cute houses with pretty gardens as well.
I saw this old mailbox in a the Windmill village and with the 2 windows it looked like a face.
Here's a windmill on a busy intersection of the city.
This is a premium milk and it tastes like half and half. I've also had great baby back ribs and great pastries.
These pears were growing in this tiny front yard, close enough to touch.
I saw this old guy get out of this tiny car on the bike trail. He was talking to this lady and I asked to take a picture of his car but they posed so I added them to the picture. They were so nice but we could not communicate at all.
This is for beer lovers. Duvel 6 pack for 8.29 euros (about $9.25) in the US these sell for $16 for a four pack at ABC.
I started the morning out with a fresh raw herring sandwich, which has pickles and shredded onions.
I watched this boat go through this narrow sea wall, while I eat my herring.
Interesting Amsterdam canal houses. Look at the middle house and you can see how unlevel it is.
This is the main art museum "Rijksmuseum" looking from the museum park which has multiple famous art museums.
Not sure if this is a car or motorcycle, but it has a steering wheel and a small seat behind the front seat.
This is a serious bike truck with lots of cargo room. You see electricians, plumbers etc using bikes like these as their work trucks in town, of course they have locking compartments. Parking a car in the city can be very difficult but these park on a sidewalk.
I bought some strawberries. They are tiny compared to ours but sugar sweet. Produce is cheap and spectacular.
Here's the VW Passat station wagon. They do not sell this in the US but I like it.
I was headed toward the Amstel River bike route and I thought this was a big contrast to Old Amsterdam.
As a Florida Freewheeler I liked the name of this kid carrier bike with windscreen.
The Amstel River route is only a few miles out of town but what a difference. The trail runs both sides of the river.
These are just a few of the big houses along the riverbank.
This is a tiny little car. At first I thought it was a toy but after looking inside it is a real car for a smaller person.
This part of the Amstel has 2 windmills and this one is a private house inside.
Another nice house on the bike trail.
This house has the thick thatched straw roof like the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Amsterdam's Red Light District
I took the morning train to St Andrews and it took an hour and twenty minutes to get there but it was worth the trip. The weather started out questionable but turn out great and even a little warmer than expected. While I was on the hour plus train ride I started talking to a couple of college students and they told me that today was "Move In Day" and that many of the people headed to St Andrews College on the train were moving in to there dorms today. It was the first day they could. The guy was from New York and the girl was from Germany and this was there 1st year of college and they met at the train station. He said he could get a master degree in Scotland for 2/3 of the price in US for a bachelors degree and that this was a much more prestigious college .
The old church ruins at St Andrews.
The old church ruins and graveyard sit right next to the ocean.
The old castle Ruins of St Andrews looking over the sea.
A closer view of the castle.
The town is very old and cool to walk through.
I saw this place Cromars Seafood and I was looking for fish and chips being a seaside town.
After seeing all of the old stuff I got hungry, so I stopped at the place with a long line inside for some fish and chips and I shared a table with this couple and there son who was checking in to the college today and they took this picture for me. They were from Glasgow and they told me that this place had won a national award for the best fish and chips recently so that was why it was so busy. The fish was really good but the chips (frys) were probably the tastiest frys I have ever had. I also ordered some Mushy Peas and they were tasty as well. Two of the college girls at the next table were vegetarians and were pissed that they told them the frys were cooked in beef fat and were not vegetarian.
St Andrews College. This is the college that Prince William went to and also met Kate there.
This is the "Old Course" which sits next to the sea in town and is world famous.
This place has the National Golf Museum next door and many very fancy and expensive hotels along the greens.
This is the fancy Golf Store at St Andrews Old Course I loved the flowers outside.
Some of my friends back home will love this cap I'm guessing. I got it at the Old Course proshop.
I heard this guy playing the bagpipes and found out he was playing them for a wedding at a church entrance.
These guys were dressed very stylish and sere part of the wedding party.
I tried an apple tart from the fancy bakery and it was great!
There are many great cathedrals here.
These boats in the harbor were sitting on the basin floor. It was low tide and the tide was about ten or more feet I could see.
My B & B is so old it still uses the skeleton keys. It is very nice and in a great location.
Here's the little pub down a few blocks from my B&B and it looked local not touristy so I gave it a shot. By the way it had the best Guinness I've every tasted and I spent a week in Ireland a few years ago and thats all I drank that visit to Ireland. I noticed except me everyone seemed to know everyone there. And they did not seem to mind telling each other they were full of crap when it was necessary.
Here's a few of my drinking buddies I met at the King's Arms Pub my first night in Scotland. They can drink me under the table before breakfast I'm guessing. These guys were pretty toasted before I arrived but that did not slow them down. But loved to tell me about Scotland and hear about Florida. That was the most fun I had this trip so far.
I came back on Saturday night and the place was packed and my buddies were still toasted. I have no idea when they start but they said I should join them Tomorrow (Sunday) at 5 o'clock. By the way Saturday night is Karaoke Night and to here a bunch of drunk Scots do Karaoke is not always pretty but very entertaining.
The Edinburgh Castle is a fortress that sits on top of a small mountain that was a volcano millions of years ago.
There is a beautiful park below that has a place for plays or small concerts as well. It was once full of water.
This is the first part of the Royal Mile as you leave the castle looking from the park below.
Another view from the park below of the area near the entrance of the castle.
This old VW mini-bus was like new and the paint was better than new. The American Pickers would love this thing.
The Royal Mile
The most famous street in Scotland. At one end its Edinburgh Castle at the other it's The Queens Palace.
You're not really a fan if you do not know what this little resturant is famous for. I ran into these two American lades who were on a hunt for this place and I joined them for breakfast. We had all 3 already eaten breakfast but it was the only way we could see the famous table.
Yes you may have known this (I did not) this is the place the broke JK Rowling wrote the 1st Harry Potter Book.
This is the view she had from her table of the castle in the distance and graveyard up close. I had the Fresh Peach Cream Cake and a hot chocolate and it was really good. We were lucky to get in without a big wait the ladies told me. The place was small but very nice.
After the book was released she return here for a book signing as a thank you to the staff and owner.
This is a now famous pub in Edinburgh, but it is named after Greyfriars Bobby (May 4, 1855 – January 14, 1872) was a Skye Terrier which became known in 19th-century Edinburgh for supposedly spending 14 years guarding the grave of its owner until he died himself on 14 January 1872. This place is famous for it's haggis so I planned on coming back later.
So I stopped by and got a serving of haggis. It is baked with mashed potatoes on top and a side of gravy. It was tasty.
There are cool pubs on almost every street. Some are for eating and drinking and some are for drinking, the best way to tell is to see if people are actually eating or most are just drinking. Also look at the table sizes, small tables are probably a drinking place. Also pubs stop selling food around 9 or 10pm but the drinking stops late.
This is a view of the town below looking from the castle.
This place is actually more than one fortress that has been modified over and over again.
This castle is almost like a town inside, this building was a hospital.
This cool pub was near my hotel and it looked like a castle and was really old (I think).
This is the Edinburgh College and this place was crawling with college kids and parents getting them ready to start school. Kids carrying bedding, pillows, furniture etc, It was a busy place.
This graveyard is near my B&B and one of the once volcanic formations is in the background.
The Queens Palace, This is where the Royal Family stays when visiting Edinburgh.
I saw this cool red Peugeot next to the Royal Palace. It has a doublr bubble roof like the Batmobile.
I tracked this place down called OINK for the Suckling Pig Sandwich. Very high reviews on Trip Advisor. It was awesome.
This Structure sits on an opposing hilltop from the castle overlooking town.
I took train on a day trip to the town of Stirling. Stirling is an ancient town that is the crossroads to the highlands.
This old part of town is on the way to the castle. The weather looked bad but cleared up nicely.
The town of Stirling is quiet and small and parts are so old.
On the way to the castle I saw the old cathedral and its spooky graveyard. It has graves that are 500 yrs old here.
This castle has fortifications dating back to the 11th century underneath this castle and it was the protector of the gateway to the Highlands. The first bridge crossing the river was built near and it had canons that could reach to the other side of the river.
The castle grounds have beautiful gardens as well.
Our tour guide Shawn was awesome, He was suppose to give us a 40 minute tour but it lasted over 70 minutes. He loves his job and it shows. He told us tons of history about the town and the battles that were fought here. And old royal family dirt.
This place has walls inside walls and is quite a maze of fortifications.
Some of the famous people of Scotish history have stayed or lived here.
They had actors playing the parts and explaining "in character" how life was and how to treat the royals.
The view off of the wall is beautiful Scotland filled with green and sheep.
Everything in Norway is ultra-modern and new. The trains were silver and looked like bullet trains. The airport is about 25 miles from Oslo and the train ride is about $11.00 each way. Like most Europe trains this one is super smooth and quiet.
This building has multiple stores and cafes on the 1st floor and the rooms were on the 2nd to 5th floors.
This building is the Royal Palace and my hotel and the train station were right next to it.
Some of the pretty Palace gardens. Very green!
This was in the refrigerated case near the cheeses, It is spreadable kaviar in a tube.
They also had salmon and bacon in a tube. I thought it was a strange.
They had flowers everywhere
And say good to the bicycle guy.
