Cycling in Amsterdam and Nemo

You can't visit Amsterdam without doing what the locals do. We headed out early in search of a bike shop. We got a little lost but eventually with help found the shop called MacBike. We hired three, fullsize for Sue, childs for Sophia and a triple for the rest of us. It was a little nerve racking at first especially the length of my bike but I had heard about the laws and how hitting a cyclist can be a really bad thing to do. 

We headed for the the Waterloopleinmarkt. As if we were ever going to get any bargains in this city. We bought the typical dutch souvenirs of clogs and two little people kissing before moving on.

Cycling around the canals was awesome with the various bridges and  pathways. We headed to the Science Museum called Nemo. It was across the city out on the water built on top of a tunnel. For the kids it was the highlight of the day. Five levels of science you can touch and play with. On one level the kids and I put on a lab coat and we got to do our own experiment with ice salt. Did you know applying salt to ice reduces the temperature of the ice water to -17 degrees but at the same time melts it. Cool. 

We spent the rest of the day biking through the city streets just exploring. We were quite a sight with the two kids in the front. Many people starred and a number of photos were taken. Once Sue was some distance behind us and over heard one foriegner who had just taken a photo of us comment, "Ahh it a rental" obviously hoping to capture a local authentically riding their family around. 

We had a couple of scary moments with the traffic. One occurred when we only got halfway across a road and my bike was way too long sitting out on one side to the traffic and the other end onto the tram line. I could see my front wheel which sticks out and actually got knocked by a passing tram. It was by far our best day in the holiday and well recommended to anyone going to Amsterdam. 

Vondelpark

It was supposed to rain in the afternoon so we headed off as early as we could, 11am for Vondelpark, a large park about one kilometer away. Its not so easy to cross the road here when not using crossings. The trams, cars and bikes often have their own lanes separated by kerbs. As you run across you end up looking in all directions not sure what exactly you are looking for. The bikes can go quite fast and in larger numbers than cars. There are over seven hundred inhabitants in this city and six hundred thousand own a bike. People in Amsterdam believe its quicker to travel by bike and they are literally locked up everywhere in their hundreds. Obviously used to get to work early. 

We wandered around the park and found a kids playground. Of course in a city of bikes they like to start them early. My type of city.

It was amazing to be in such a large park so well utilised by local people. Families walked, people ran and of course they biked. On the way back we found ourselves some authentic Oliebollen. Unfortunately we didn't quite eat them as they were supposed to be eaten. We ate them cold and missed the packet of powered sugar in the packet. I tried to compensate by  filling their insides using a spray can of cream. I still loved them but the kids weren't quite so keen. 

Amsterdam

Our journey from Paris to Amsterdam was reasonable. We only deviated from our Sat Nat directions once. Going past large cities can be a little tricky as roads are shooting off in all directions and the Sat Nave can be slow to give exact directions. Didn't create to much stress though as it redirected us back to the right road and off we went again. 

First we entered Belgium and instantly saw an improvement in the roads. Service stops were a bit of a let down with only a petrol station and minimum food. It was a pleasure to cross the Netherlands boarder and we started spotting windmills. 

There were flat fields and well kept towns as we headed into Amsterdam. The main motorway in was no indication of the city driving. We were cruising along on a five lane road where the fifth lane wasn't even used. We had been warned about driving in Amsterdam but decided to drop the girls at our apartment before driving to the city limits where I left the car in a parking area. The driving in Amsterdam was slow and cumbersome. It is obviously designed to be bike, tram and pedestrian friendly with cars being given the worst option. 

I dropped off the girls in what was an open market street. I parked temporarily where I could and started unloading. Before long a large van was behind us declaring he couldn't get past. I had to drop and run. Ironically 40 meters down the road another van was unloading and I waited another five minutes. 

I drove to the car park grabbed a couple of bags and headed back on a tram. They squeal there away around the city in all directions. Very good in that the city is not that big. Our apartment is on the top and third floor in one of the older sections of the city about two and a half kilometers from the city center. Its quite earthy but is doing us well. 

Chateau of Versailles

Christmas was a quiet affair in Paris as we pledged to do nothing but eat and sleep. The kids enjoyed their presents and ate way too much chocolate.

The next day we decided to go to the Chateau of Versailles. We had read on the internet that it can be very busy and it was best to get there by 9am. Unfortunately we were having our Christmas hangover and only arrived by 11.30am. We had to endure two queues, one for tickets and the second for entry. By 12.30pm we were immersed in the crowds walking through the beautiful hallways. It is great but I don't recommend it with small kids. First they take away your stroller, then they don't allow children on shoulders. After queuing, the walk through the incredibly crowded chateau was exhausting for Holly who periodically declared she could not walk any further. 

We rushed through the chateau in less than an hour and went out to enjoy the grounds. These French royalty knew how to live it up. The grounds cover 800 hectares. We started in the upper levels where the gardens were immaculate. 

From here we walked down to the ponds in a shape of a cross. To really see the full grounds we would need bicycles but didn't have the time. We just wandered to the left and right through the Bosquet du Dauplin (grove) where many of the outdoor statues are located. It was a chance for various members of our group to lead us aimlessly in different directions.

La Seine River

It was our third day in Paris and we were getting warn out from sightseeing. We spent the morning going through the Pont-de-Frandres. Sue had heard about the garden of mirrors which seemed a bit of a flop but there was also a great area for the kids to go wild. All enclosed within an area various unusual equipment was arranged for family fun.

The park is one of the largest in Paris and we eventually came across the Science Museum. Unfortunately this was closed on Mondays so we moved on. We had been tossing up all day as to whether it was worth getting a water cruise. We didn't know where they started or at what time so headed down to the river and started walking. Eventually we found the Vedettes du Pont-Neuf which had a cruise leaving in 30 minutes. It was reasonably priced at 13E per adult and is much cheaper than the bus tours.

The cruise far exceeded my expectations. We got a better perspective of Old Paris and saw all the old bridges up close and personal. I was unaware of the smaller statue of Liberty close by the Eiffel Tower. 

Only be-known to Holly she sat by herself at the front of the boat just in front of the guide. Julia joined her and they entertained those around them only seeking us out when requiring food. The cruise was a real chance to slow down and chill out. The guide was great in that he gave his talk in both French and English.

Not all was easy on this day though. We did have some drama near its end. We were walking through one of the RER stations moving from one platform to another which can at times be a considerable walk. At this station there was a large number of platforms with about five lanes using it. I was walking ahead with Sophia and turned a number of corners to appear at our platform. I turned to find the others not there. I gave it a minute and realised something was amiss. What to do. I told Sophia to wait in plain view and took off back in the direction we had come from. I couldn't find the others anywhere. 

At the main intersection where Sophia and I had turned left the way straight went down a number of long one way escalators. I looked up where we had come from turned and flew down the escalator with Sophia alone on my mind. At the bottom of the escalator the passage turned into a very long travelator after another 20 meters. I ran down this with even more speed. 

Past this were more escalators and exit barriers. Surely they didn't go that far without seeing us. I gave up and ran back next to the travelator. After a sprint I found myself looking back up the escalators. Options, to the left were other stairs and passages. I couldn't afford to get lost now as Sophia was waiting. I did the stupid thing and ran up the escalator the wrong way. After dropping my coke twice and falling over three times I finally reached the top exhausted.  Not bad training really. Every time you slow down to catch your breath you end up further down. 

I rushed back to our platform and found all our members present. They had gone down the escalator and wandered up various stairs before Sophia had spotted them in one of the adjacent passages. All is well which ends well and it only added to our sense of adventure.

Ice Skating and Notre Dame

One of the awesome things about French culture is their focus on family and holidays. Every Christmas holidays; free ice rinks are set up in a couple of locations around Paris. A number of carousels also get into the mood and operate free. 


We decided on the ice rink located right outside the famous Hotel-de-Ville where the Paris city administration is housed dating back to the 14th century. We've never been ice skating so the kids were very excited. Because of the relatively warm temperatures (13°C) there was a layer of water across the ice. This only added to our trepidation as we only had one change of clothes for Holly. There were two sections, one for kids with chair and penguin stands to help kids stay upright. They weren't enough to keep Holly and Julia upright as both fell over a number of times.

For those who were a little better it was possible to to skate amongst the pros even if we weren't that good. You can see the carousel in the background which we simply needed to see afterwards. 

Julia's pants were quite wet after this and wearing Hollys extras didn't quite look right. We found a massive multi leveled apartment store which I am sure many people travel to Paris to see called HBV. We ventured up to level five in search of new pants. I couldn't believe the number of people in the place. No sales required here. We took one look at the price and thought better of it.

We went overland next to the Notre Dame Cathedral. On the way we crossed the La Seine river and stopped to listen to a busker. Before long Holly and Julia were dancing and drawing a crowd. Must have been been good business for the busker but most photos were being taken of the kids.

The Notre Dame is a very imposing building even in Paris. This seems to be the place for tourists to flock to with a number of tourist shops surrounding the area. We first wandered through the cathedral itself, soaking in the atmosphere. Afterwards we joined the queue for the stairs to the top. It only took 30 minutes to get to the front which is apparently very short.

For me this actually surpassed the Eiffel Tower. It's 850 years old, and has that magic of being born out of the ages. About halfway up the first section of circular stairs Holly gave up the ghost. This happens frequently and can alarm other people as a three year old suddenly collapses in front of them. Sometimes people quickly move to grab her and others turn to see our reaction which is usually great amusement.

The view from the top of the Notre Dame is complete. It is more in the heart of the old city than the Eiffel and you enjoy the view with Gargoyles. We spent a long time up there just hanging out and enjoying the place. The girls ran around exploring every nook and crevice. Luckily the space is caged in so it is almost impossible to climb out. Never say impossible when the girls are around though, so we kept a reasonable eye on them.

On the very top we were waiting to be let down the stairs again. A girl was in front of us being doted over by her parents taking photo upon photo. Holly wanted a bit of the action and moved in. Before long they were friends and we were introduced to Isobel. She was a four year old from America. I wasn't sure what her parents thought of us but they seemed amused by Holly's forthright attitude. The walk down was somewhat slow as Isobel's father went in front backwards holding her to ensure she safely made it down the stairs. Our kids bounded down having to stop frequently to allow them to get a head. Holly kept wanting to see her and to let her know she was there.

On our way home we darted down an alleyway to find a small kebab shop. We had somewhat neglected the eating process during what had been a fully pack day of adventure.

The Lourve and the Eiffel Tower

This was our first venture into Paris and we were full of excitement. We wandered down to the nearest subway station "RER". As we walked down the hill we had two alternatives left or right. Getting this wrong would mean a long climb back up. A Parisian was walking past and he happily showed us the way. They are so friendly and he even offered to take us inside to translate so we could buy the three day pass. 

The RER is very extensive in Paris and can take you anywhere. Its like a massive rabbit warren with long passages connecting different lines. Our first journey took some time before getting familiar with how the signs and systems work.

We walked out into the very light drizzle with the Lourve Museum looming in front of us. It seems a good time to visit Paris as long as you are happy with the weather, as the queues are quite short. About 10 minutes later we were trawling through the various rooms and levels of the Museum. 

We spent the first 30 minutes trying to find the Mona Lisa. Up this passageway, down those stairs, into that room etc. There were signs for this painting but it wasn't always obvious. Eventually Sophia spotted it in a large room. The huge crowd was a bit of a giveaway. We spent the next hour randomly wandering through rooms and levels enjoying the art. We took a particular fancy to the Egyptian area.

We had booked tickets for the Eiffel Tower at 5pm. You would think one and a half hours would be long enough to make our way there. However, getting out of the Lourve is easier said than done. It took us some time to wind our way out following the "sortie" signs. It can be quite arduous carrying Holly up and down stairs as she got tired.

The Eiffel Tower was a real highlight. We arrived in the light of day and left in the dark. Pre buying tickets made life a great deal easier and as we arrived at 4.45pm we only had a 10 minute wait before entering. The elevators are large and people jammed themselves in to maximise space. First we shot up the middle section with good views of the city. This is as far as we had gone last time opting for the stairs. Next we were herded onto the central lift and up we went to the top. Its amazing how far you can go up. The tower is 320 meters tall and was built in 1889. A man by the name of Gustave Eiffel had an apartment on the top and entertained celebrities like Thomas Edison.

The views from the top are amazing as only a couple of buildings in central Paris are higher than four stories. The wind was very strong and the kids were almost blown away. 

The trip down was as easy as getting up and before long we were again standing and now viewing the Eiffel Tower by night. At 6pm there was a light display. Its the type of place where you can just hang out for hours. But alas it had been a long day out and the kids were getting tired. 

A day in Paris is never quite complete until you have enjoyed a ride on a carousel. These are plentiful all over Paris so of course there were two in the vicinity of the Tower. Holly loves these and I suspect we will be making them a regular thing.They are a Paris Christmas tradition and there are 20 free ones dotted around the city.