Sunrise at South End, Pawleys Island, SC 2022

LAPC #213: Here Comes the Sun

Thanks to Amy for hosting the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #213 this week and this topic that probably appeals to anyone who loves photographing the sun whether it’s morning, noon, or late evening! (In fact, head to her site for a stunning photo of an Alaskan sunrise taken at 3:49 a.m.) To love beauty is to […]

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Belgium’s charm begins in Antwerp

Leaving Holland’s quaint streets and stair-step gabled architecture could have made us regret that we were nearing the end of our Holland & Belgium cruise with Viking were it not for the continuing charm of Antwerp. Even though the official capital of Flanders is Brussels, we found the “unofficial capital” — Antwerp — to be […]

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Open air dining in Maastricht, Netherlands

The many delights of Maastricht

It would be hard NOT to fall in love with Maastricht, a town in Holland known for its markets, open plazas, and rich history. And so, we, too, fell in line with others who agree that this is a free-spirited place for shopping, touring, and relaxing. Known for its open-air markets selling everything from clothing […]

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Retracing Van Gogh: A walking tour of Neunen

It would be difficult, we suppose, to visit The Netherlands and not hear about Vincent Van Gogh, the well-known post-impressionist artist known for “greats” such as Starry Night, Sunflowers, The Bedroom, and The Potato Eaters. But what we didn’t realize was that his life was a humble one, living, as he did, in a small […]

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Cheese store in Gouda, Netherlands

A foodie day in Gouda

Before we get into this delightful Viking Cruise add-on excursion to the little town of Gouda, Netherlands, let’s get one thing straight: You’ve got to pronounce Gouda correctly! That’s right. You’re probably not saying it right, and the lady holding a tray of sample cheeses will insist that you learn the proper pronunciation before you […]

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Kinderdijk windmills on cloudy day

Windmills of Kinderdijk, gems of The Netherlands

Although windmills dot the landscape in various parts of The Netherlands, the 19 remarkably preserved windmills in Kinderdijk make them a must-see on any tour of the region. “The area is located amid low-lying polders, tracts of land reclaimed from the sea by the power of the windmills and enclosed by embankments, or dikes.” (Viking […]

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Hoorn, Netherlands: waiting to sail

The Netherlands will have to wait!

As fate would have it, my right shoulder has a tear in its rotator cuff. So I’ll be out for surgery (only a day) and then recovery. But writing may not be possible for a while. So, a trip to the classy little town of Hoorn and many others in The Netherlands and Belgium will […]

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