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The Peculiar Sport of Wadlopen

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(Haren, the Netherlands)

On August 16, we arrived in the town of Haren for a four-day stay in the northern Dutch province of Groningen.  I didn’t really know what to expect, as I have never been  to this part of the Netherlands before.  Haren is a town just outside the city of Groningen and looked rather prosperous upon arrival.

My cousin Nienke is helping us out up here and she had arranged for me to take part in a wadlopen tour on August 18.   Wadlopen can be roughly translated as “mudwalking” – taking advantage of low tides, it is possible (with a guide) to walk from the northern coast of the Netherlands to some of the Frisian islands located 10-15 km off the coast.  The exposed earth is very muddy and you often have to cross channels that are still filled with water.  Because you can get disoriented and drown, a guide is required.  Fatigue can also be a factor, as the trek is physically demanding and can take from 4 to 6 hours.  Finally, of course, you will get extremely muddy and it is possible (or even probable) that your shoes and clothing will be ruined.

The ferry we took to (and from) Schiermonnikoog
The ferry we took to (and from) Schiermonnikoog

On August 17, after determining that my intended mudwalking shoes were not high enough to avoid getting stuck in the mud (basketball shoes are recommended), we went to the village of Pieterburen to rent some special shoes.  We combined it with a car tour of the northern part of Groningen province.  It is filled with quaint little towns and villages.

Alas, after renting the shoes and returning to Haren, I received the news that the wadlopen had been cancelled.  The weather forecast for August 18 was abysmal, with thunderstorms and heavy rain in the forecast.  As a consequence, the channels were expected to be very deep and not suitable for crossing.   While disappointing, the danger is very real and I am glad that the guides were professional enough to make safety the top priority.

The village of Schiermonnikoog
The village of Schiermonnikoog

As the rented shoes still needed to be returned, we decided to visit a Frisian island anyway…but take a boat there instead.  The destination was now Schiermonnikoog, a small but relatively unspoiled island that doesn’t receive as many visitors as the islands to the west.

North shore of Schiermonnikoog
North shore of Schiermonnikoog

The village (also called Schiermonnikoog) was very quaint, but the real attraction was hiking over and beyond the dunes to the massive beach that forms the northern shore of the island.  We arrived slightly after low tide and explored the shifting shoreline with a careful eye (to avoid getting cut off from the shore by the rising tide).  It was very peaceful:  the Netherlands are very densely populated but we really felt like we were at the edge of the world out on the north shore of Schiermonnikoog.

Labrador Retrievers love exploring Schiermonnikoog at (relatively) low tide
Labrador Retrievers love exploring at (relatively) low tide

It would be misleading to say that the weather was perfect.  Although we didn’t hear too much thunder, it did rain on seven different occasions during the day (I stopped counting when we got back to Haren).  However, we were flexible with our schedule and retreated to a restaurant or café whenever the rain became particularly heavy.  One establishment (Hotel van der Werff) was especially intriguing:  its décor probably hadn’t changed in a century.  While it almost felt like being in a museum, it also was very much alive with an interesting assortment of characters from the present day.

Low tide reveals an abundance of life under water (Schiermonnikoog north shore)
Low tide reveals an abundance of life under water (Schiermonnikoog north shore)

Although I didn’t get to go on the wadlopen, I still managed to walk for a couple of hours on the remote island of Schiermonnikoog…and my shoes lived to tell the tale!  I’m sure I’ll be back in this part of the Netherlands before long to try again.

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More Professional Soccer: the Feyenoord Experience

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(Rotterdam, the Netherlands)

A must-do item for this trip was seeing a professional soccer game in the Netherlands. I always follow the Dutch national team in the Euro and World Cup competitions, but I also check on the progress of Feyenoord Rotterdam in the top Dutch professional league. Together with Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is usually one of the top three teams in the Netherlands.  They have been frequent champions in the Dutch league and have also performed in European club competitions.

Soccer allegiances tend to be hereditary. My father bought me the occasional Feyenoord jersey when I was a child, so it was only natural that it would become my favourite Dutch team too. I found out later that my father had actually played against Feyenoord once when he was still living in the Netherlands. At that time, he played on the ‘s-Gravenzande town team and after a couple of early victories in the annual nationwide Cup competition, they happened to draw Feyenoord as their opponent in the next match.  Even then, Feyenoord was an extremely strong team and my father’s team lost the game. But this certainly helped establish his respect for the Feyenoord club.

We arrived in Rotterdam at this train station
We arrived in Rotterdam at Centraal Station

Even more recently, I found out that my cousin Jan (as well as his entire family) is an extremely devoted Feyenoord fan: he has season tickets and is also active in the fan club. When I mentioned that I was interested in seeing a Feyenoord game, he found us tickets for the August 15 game against Heerenveen and arranged to meet us for dinner before the game at a “Feyenoord restaurant” right beside Stadion Feyenoord.

Anticipation as the opening kickoff draws closer in Stadion Feyenoord
Anticipation as the opening kickoff draws closer in Stadion Feyenoord

How did it compare with my experience in Reims?  While some teams in the French league may have more money, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the level of intense fan devotion that I saw with Feyenoord.  Before the game, anticipation in both the restaurant and the stadium gradually reached a fever pitch.  I was almost ready to play the game myself!

Some of the fans at Stadion Feyenoord - and this is just the area behind the goal!
Some of the fans at Stadion Feyenoord – and this is just the area behind the goal!

Alas, it was clear that Feyenoord was not quite at the top of its game.  Feyenoord had five players on the Dutch national team that reached the World Cup semi-finals, but three of those players have since been sold to other teams (as their value was at an all-time high).  Last year’s top scorer had also transferred to a new team.  Some new players have been acquired in the meantime, but there was a lot of miscommunication throughout the first half and well into the second half.

Eventually, Heerenvenn took a 1-0 lead on a deflected shot.  This finally seemed to wake up Feyenoord and they began dominating possession and generating scoring chances.  Feyenoord tied the game shortly afterwards and (as with Paris St.-Germain) it seemed like only a matter of time before Feyenoord would score the winning goal.  Alas, that goal never happened and in fact Heerenveen almost won the game on a blast that the Feyenoord goalkeeper managed to deflect off the goalpost and out of harm’s way.  In the end, a 1-1 draw was probably a reasonable outcome.

Celebrating a Feyenoord goal
Celebrating a Feyenoord goal

Unlike the Reims fans, who seemed happy just to be in the top division and to be hosting world-class players, the Feyenoord fans are extremely demanding.  They know the game very well and have high expectations for their beloved team.  The exhilaration after Feyenoord’s goal was matched only by the shocked disbelief after Heerenveen took a 1-0 lead.  However, as my cousin pointed out, Feyenoord fans will support their team through the lean times as well…something that is missing from some of the other top clubs.

The final whistle blows and the game ends in a 1-1 tie
The final whistle blows and the game ends in a 1-1 tie

The merchandise, the songs, the intensity, the critical view of the referee’s performance…all of it was at a much higher level than in Reims, even if the actual on-field performance was rather inconsistent. Many spectators stood throughout the game, despite the fact that they had seats.  Should Feyenoord overcome its miscommunication challenges and defeat the hated Ajax for the Dutch title, Rotterdam will celebrate as if Feyenoord had won the World Cup.

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Visiting my Dutch Roots

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(Delft, the Netherlands)

On August 14, my cousin Paul arranged for us to visit some of our family’s important Dutch places. With Henk as our driver, we started the day with a quick visit to The Hague where we saw a bunch of essential Dutch landmarks:  the Mauritshuis, the Peace Palace, the King’s residence, etc.  While Amsterdam is officially the Dutch capital, the seat of government is actually in The Hague and the country is effectively run from here.

The Mauritshuis (The Hague, The Netherlands)
The Mauritshuis (The Hague, The Netherlands)

We also saw a bunch of sights in The Hague that wouldn’t mean too  much to a typical tourist, but were very important to my father when he was growing up just south of here in a town called ‘s-Gravenzande.  We also saw the famous casino in Scheveningen, where my parents and I enjoyed a mild (but very satisfying) victory almost 30 years ago.

From The Hague, it was only natural that we would visit ‘s-Gravenzande itself.  Although it has grown since my childhood visits, it still feels like a small town.  We walked around the downtown core and had lunch in a café that my parents used to visit. I took a photograph of the duplex on the Monsterseweg where my grandfather lived next door to my aunt:  we always stayed here whenever we visited the Netherlands.  The house is no longer in the family but it still feels like “our” house.

"Our" house on the Monsterseweg in 's-Gravenzande, the Netherlands
“Our” house on the Monsterseweg in ‘s-Gravenzande, the Netherlands

As I visited various places around town, I found myself wondering whether I might be related to the people we met.   This never happens in Canada but in the Netherlands it is a real possibility.  I didn’t see any true doppelgangers but there were many very tall people:  by most accounts, the Dutch are the tallest people in the world.  My own height doesn’t attract any attention in this country.

Some of the greenhouses at 's-Gravenzande, the Netherlands
Some of the greenhouses at ‘s-Gravenzande, the Netherlands

After lunch, we walked past a sea of greenhouses and into the seaside dunes.  ‘s-Gravenzande is perhaps one kilometre from the sea:  the sandy beach stretches from Hoek van Holland (just south of here) north all the way around the Dutch coast.  Southwestern Holland is incredibly densely populated but, on the water side of the dunes (see photo at the top of this post), the urban sprawl suddenly disappears.

Goat relaxing in the dunes on the North Sea near 's-Gravenzande, the Netherlands
Goat relaxing in the dunes on the North Sea near ‘s-Gravenzande, the Netherlands

After ‘s-Gravenzande, we visited the town of Maassluis.  My cousins Paul and Ariejan both live here in very modern buildings near the Port of Rotterdam’s waterway.  I haven’t seen them too much in recent years so it was great to see them again and spot the family traits I know so well in my father and sister.  Maassluis itself has a small but quaint harbour with many historic buildings.  The church there is about 400 years old and the keystone was laid by my ancestor Isaac van der Hout.  The keystone still clearly shows my ancestor’s name.

Church built 400 years ago by one of my ancestors in Maassluis, the Netherlands
Church built 400 years ago by one of my ancestors in Maassluis, the Netherlands

I never have this kind of opportunity at home.  “Vanderhout” (or “van der Hout”, as it is written in the Netherlands) is a typical Dutch name but is far from a common name in Canada.  In fact, many North American Vanderhouts are not related to me at all.  Another thing I’ve noticed in the Netherlands is that I never have to spell my name for anybody – I don’t mind doing it in Canada, but it is also kind of nice not having to repeat, spell or explain the proper pronunciation of my name (it rhymes with “out” and “about”).

The harbour in Maassluis, the Netherlands
The harbour in Maassluis, the Netherlands

It felt good to reconnect with my cousins and the towns of my ancestors.  I hope to see them again soon and ensure that the connections remain strong.

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Return to Delft and the Netherlands

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(Delft, The Netherlands)

I’m back in the Netherlands for the first time since my post-university backpacking adventure in 1991.  After meeting my wife at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, we caught a train directly to Delft.  I visited it a few times before with my family but this was the first time I went there by train and without any expert family guidance.

Our first impressions were not great, as the railway station  is in the middle of extensive and messy renovations.  However, once we made our way into the old city, I remembered why this was such a popular destination.

CIty Hall on the market square (Delft, the Netherlands)
CIty Hall on the market square (Delft, the Netherlands)

The massive market square (a small part of which is shown at the top of this post) is an impressive gathering place that somehow reminded me a bit of Piazza San Marco in Venice.  This isn’t as far-fetched as it might seem:  Delft, like many other Dutch cities, is filled with canals.

Canal just north of the Markt in Delft
Canal just north of the Markt in Delft

At one end of the Markt is the large Stadhuis (“City Hall”), while the other end features the massive Nieuwe Kerk (“New Church”).  “New” is a relative term:  the first stone was laid in 1393.   We saw the Mausoleum of William of Orange (considered the “father of the Netherlands”) as well as the entrance to the crypts of the Dutch royal family.  We also learned something new:  in the middle ages, the local elite were often buried underneath the floors of the churches.  As the bodies decomposed, an unpleasant odor often emerged.  This is apparently how the phrase “stinking rich” originated.

Nieuwe Kerk (Delft, the Netherlands)
Nieuwe Kerk (Delft, the Netherlands)

Nearby is the Oude Kerk (“Old Church” – there was a stone church here in 1050, with a rebuild starting in 1240) where we saw the gravestone of Dutch master painter Johannes (“Jan”) Vermeer.  There is a “Jan Vermeer” in our family tree who lived in Delft at the same time as the famous artist, so it is quite possible that I am a very distant descendant. Just in case, I took a picture of the gravestone.   The Oude Kerk also contains Delft’s very own leaning tower:  there is an unplanned 2 metre overhang.  It’s quite apparent when you look at the steeple from the canal on the north side.

Oude Kerk, with pronounced lean (Delft, the Netherlands)
Oude Kerk in the background, with pronounced lean (Delft, the Netherlands)

We also visited one of the manufacturing facilities for the famous Delft Blue pottery.  Given how much time is required to hand-paint these items, it is not surprising that the authentic ones cost so much more than the cheap reproductions. We didn’t buy any this time but we now appreciate what is involved.

In addition to some necessary shopping (I’ve now fully replenished my losses from the baggage incident), we went to the botanical gardens of the Technical University of Delft.  While there, we were able to play an odd sculpture/music trivia game that had been set up in the gardens.  We faltered on the Dutch songs but were able to get most of the Anglo-American ones.

Beestenmarkt (Delft, The Netherlands)
Beestenmarkt (Delft, The Netherlands)

For dinner, we went to an Indonesian restaurant just behind the Nieuwe Kerk.  I had the first rijsttafel of the trip and enjoyed it very much.  So much, in fact, that I had eaten half of it before I remembered that I should be taking a picture of this colourful meal.  Well, this just gives me an excuse to have rijsttafel again soon!  Speaking of Indonesian food, I can’t believe how inexpensive items like atjar tjampoer and sambal manis are in the grocery stores.  I’m used to paying “import” prices for these foods at specialty stores in Canada.

Oostpoort (Delft, The Netherlands)
Oostpoort (Delft, The Netherlands)

In general, we are quickly becoming accustomed to life in the Netherlands.  One has to be very careful though, even in pedestrian zones, because of the huge number of bicycles and the very high speeds at which people ride.  We also are doing quite well at deciphering written Dutch, but our attempts to speak it generally come out as German.  After functioning in French in France and either French or German in Luxembourg, it’s a challenge working with a 4th language in less than a week!

 

 

 

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Urban Luxembourg and Tibetan Food

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(Vianden, Luxembourg and Luxembourg City, Luxembourg)

After returning from my hike through the borderlands on August 10, I spent the remainder of the day exploring the “urban” sights of Vianden.  It doesn’t take long – it’s not much more than a village and the main sight is obviously the castle.  There are lots of hilltop castles around here but this is definitely one of the largest.  After a tough uphill slog (or “sog”, as it poured ferociously), I spent about an hour wandering through the castle.  Parts of it date back to Roman times but it has been rebuilt often over the centuries.

View from my hotel room in Vianden, Luxembourg
View from my hotel room in Vianden, Luxembourg

The town itself is very quaint and clearly owes its prosperity to tourism.  Vianden was apparently a favourite of the writer Victor Hugo; there is a Hugo museum here and I am staying in the Hotel Victor Hugo.   Given the castle’s association with the royal family of Luxembourg (which is closely related to the Dutch royal family), the town is understandably very popular with visitors from the Netherlands.

The main street in Vianden, Luxembourg
The main street in Vianden, Luxembourg

I spent two nights in Vianden and then returned to Luxembourg City for a night as my flight from Luxembourg City to Amsterdam left early in the morning on August 12.   It is the only sizable city in Luxembourg and is quite diverse due to the many financial institutions and international organizations that are based here.  It reminds me a lot of Quebec City, being a walled city on a hill, but with a more youthful and transient population (many of whom looked somewhat uncomfortable in their suits).

View from just outside my hotel in Vianden, Luxembourg
View from just outside my hotel in Vianden, Luxembourg…with part of Vianden Castle visible on the hill

After finding a shoemaker who was willing to repair my backpack (well worth the price, just to see how he worked with his hands and improvised a solution), I did a bit of shopping and visited the free postal and bank museums.  I enjoyed the postal museum more; it helped that there was an audio guide in English.  I can get by here with pidgin German, but it is a little more tiring than using my native language.

Home of the Bank Museum in Luxembourg City
Home of the Bank Museum in Luxembourg City

The dining options in Luxembourg City are much more interesting than in Vianden.  I chose the “Restaurant Tibet” and it was probably the best meal of the trip so far.

I was brought a complimentary pappadum with 4 dipping sauces.  I don’t know what they were really called, but I’m going to call them sweet and sour, hot chili, spicy pickled onion, and mint/cucumber yogurt.  They were all delicious and I combined some of them for increased effect.

The Rolls-Royce of telex machines, at the Postal Museum in Luxembourg City
The Rolls-Royce of telex machines, at the Postal Museum in Luxembourg City

My appetizer was Bhutanese Cheese Soup.  I have never eaten anything from Bhutan but it was excellent:  very cheesy, with a variety of vegetables and a nice tinge of hotness.

For the main course, I gladly went with the standard Tibetan dish:  Momo dumplings filled with either chicken or vegetables.  The sauce was great:  I don’t know the name but it was chili-based with a very smoky flavour.  Everything about this dish was delicious, even the presentation was very appealing.

My main course of Momo at Restaurant Tibet in Luxembourg City. There was more rice and sauce in separate dishes on a burner, but I couldn't fit them into the picture.
My main course of Momo at Restaurant Tibet in Luxembourg City. There was more rice and sauce in separate dishes on a burner, but I couldn’t fit them into the picture.

My beverage was Tibetan tea with salt and yak butter.  I’ve had this before and it can become somewhat difficult to drink if there is too much salt and butter.  This one had just the right amounts.

I’ve had some bland Tibetan food in Canada so the spicy flavours of this meal were a pleasant surprise.   I am now really looking forward to the exotic flavours of Indonesian cuisine – one of my favourite parts about eating out in the Netherlands.  Actually, I already had some Dutch food in Vianden:  for a snack, I had a “Goulashkroket” from the snack bar near my hotel.  The owner was Dutch, the menu was in Dutch and every single customer was Dutch!

I’ve enjoyed my solo trip to this corner of Europe, but I am really looking forward to meeting my wife in Amsterdam and (re-)discovering the Netherlands together.

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Journey to the Borderlands of Luxembourg

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(Vianden, Luxembourg)

On August 9, I left Reims for my next destination: Vianden, Luxembourg. I chose this place for the castle and the hiking; I also had fond memories of a 1987 family trip to another small town (Clervaux) in Luxembourg.

It was not a simple journey. First, I took a local train from Reims to the “Champagne Ardennes” TGV station, then a TGV to the Lorraine TGV station, then a bus (actually a large van) from Lorraine TGV to Luxembourg City, then a train from Luxembourg City to Ettelbruck, and finally a bus from Ettelbruck to Vianden.

Place Drouet d'Erlon (Reims, France)
Place Drouet d’Erlon (Reims, France)

While I was waiting for my TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse), another one passed through the Champagne Ardennes station. I now know what a dog feels like during a thunderstorm: I didn’t really know what was going on but I knew I didn’t like it. I suppose the closest equivalent is standing right beside a runway as a jet is taking off; it was incredibly loud and fast.  The ride on the TGV itself is much smoother than on VIA Rail, even though the TGV travels at up to 320 km/h.

Obviously, the TGV portion of my journey didn’t take long and I was soon in Luxembourg.  Luxembourg is linguistically fascinating.  Everybody seems to speak at least three languages:  French, German, and Lëtzebuergesch (Luxembourgish, in English), which seems to be an unusual hybrid of Dutch, French and German.   Most people also speak English reasonably well.

Crossing from Luxembourg to Germany, at Roth an der Our
Crossing from Luxembourg to Germany, at Roth an der Our

Vianden is extremely close to the German border (although one could say that every town in Luxembourg is very close to a border, as it has an area of only 999 square kilometres), so on my first day I decided to walk to Germany.  I took a circular route and was back within about an hour.  Roth an der Our, the German village on the border, is tiny and probably has been in decline since the elimination of border controls within the European Union.  Even though crossing borders is a non-event in the EU, it still is fascinating to look for traces of the old system.  Usually there is only a small concrete marker in the ground, but sometimes there is a more substantial reminder.

Insect hotel, near Bettel (Luxembourg)
Insect hotel, near Bettel (Luxembourg)

On August 10, the forecast was for heavy rain by the afternoon.  As a result, I decided to go for a longer hike in the morning and visit Vianden’s famous castle later in the day.  The tourist office recommended a hike through the Kammerwald, so I would be walking to Germany for the second day in a row.  This time my route would take a few hours and take me through the thickly forested “mountains” that rise above Vianden.

German-Luxembourg border, somewhere east of Vianden in the Kammerwald
Remnants of the German-Luxembourg border, somewhere northeast of Vianden in the Kammerwald

Within 5 minutes of departure, a large deer and I startled each other on the trail.  By the time I retrieved my camera, the deer was nowhere to be seen.  I really wasn’t expected to see large animals here, as the hiking route is well-publicized, but I encountered very few hikers along the way.  In fact, at one remote part where the route runs alongside a highway, a motorist even offered to give me a ride as I must have appeared to be out-of-place.

With the lack of traffic, my hike was very relaxing.    I often heard streams before I saw them; the relative silence of the forest meant that the streams sounded much bigger than they actually were.   The rain started just before I returned to Vianden; it added a mysterious mist to the deep woods.

The Königseiche, in the German portion of the Kammerwald
The Königseiche, in the German portion of the Kammerwald

I found out later that many of these paths were first established by smugglers.  It was nice to discover this, as I imagined while hiking that this would be a good place to train border guards.  One of the highlights of the hike was the Königseiche (“The King’s Oak”), a huge tree which is nearly 400 years old and has a circumference of 5 metres.  I would like to try some more hikes in this region – my schedule doesn’t permit it this time, but I am sure I will return to Luxembourg at some point in the not-too-distant future.

View of Vianden, Luxembourg, just before the end of my hike through the Kammerwald
View of Vianden, Luxembourg, just before the end of my hike through the Kammerwald

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Professional Soccer…in Reims!

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(Reims, France)

When preparing for this trip, I wanted to make sure that I attended at least one professional soccer match. Focusing on the Netherlands, I found a game featuring my favourite Dutch team (Feyenoord) and made arrangements with a couple of my cousins to attend it.  I’m really looking forward to it.  As I was spending so little time in France, I didn’t even bother checking if there would be a game during my visit.  Professional games generally are on Saturdays and I was leaving Reims on Saturday morning.

However, shortly after arriving in Reims, I stumbled across an article that discussed the opening match of the top French professional league.  It was in Reims, they were playing Paris St.-Germain, and the game would be played Friday night!  I still had my doubts that tickets would be available:  Paris has so many internationally-renowned players (at least 10 of them play for their respective national teams) and Paris was close enough that its many fans could probably buy up any remaining tickets.  However, the stadium wasn’t too far from downtown and I decided to visit the ticket office between champagne house tours, just in case.

The opening kickoff is still close to an hour away. Paris is in blue, Reims is in red.
The opening kickoff is still close to an hour away.

Sure enough, there were still tickets available.  It wasn’t cheap but I ended up with a seat in the 7th row, about 12 yards from midfield!  I was expecting to be in a nosebleed-inducing corner seat with an obstructed view, as I had bought my ticket mere hours before the season-opening match against such a fabled opponent.

...but for the warm-up, Paris wears white jerseys.
Reims wears red and Paris wears blue…but for the warm-up, Paris wears white jerseys.

I went to the stadium very early so that I could see part of the warm-up and get familiar with the players.  That was a good idea – it was very crowded near the stadium and there were police everywhere trying to maintain order.  Everybody was frisked before being admitted.  I found out later that Paris has had problems with some of its hardcore fans in the past.

Reims supporters show their colours
Reims supporters show their colours

The skill level, even in the warm-up, was astonishing.  I recognized Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) and Edinson Cavani (Uruguay) almost immediately – yes, they really do have tremendous ball control and vision.  Finally, it was time for the game to start…and for the rain to fall!  It rained for most of the first half, and the seats were very cramped, but it was still great to be seeing soccer played at such a high level:  the French league is one of the best in Europe.

Paris hammers a free kick into the Reims wall
Paris hammers a free kick into the Reims wall

Paris was clearly more skilled and they dominated possession of the ball.  Indeed, they made it 1-0 only six minutes into the match and I thought that I would be watching a one-sided slaughter.  But after scoring the first goal, Ibrahimovic hit the goal post on an easy tip-in opportunity and then missed a penalty kick.  Perhaps sensing that they still had a chance, Reims struck a free kick that seemed to catch Paris off-guard and suddenly the game was tied.  Then, shortly before half, a rare Reims counter-attack was perfectly executed and the home team took a 2-1 lead!

The fans were delirious.  It was unthinkable for Reims to be leading against such a  powerful club.  While Reims used to be one of the top French teams, it was out of the top division for more than 30 years and only returned last season.

Ibrahimovic argues with the referee, while the remainder of Paris St.-Germain shows little interest
Ibrahimovic argues with the referee, while the other players (on both teams) show little interest

Paris tied the match almost midway through the second half and it seemed like just a matter of time before they took the lead again.  However, Reims never gave up and their goalkeeper (see photo at the top of this post) played a sensational game.  Unbelievably, they held on for the tie and the crowd was overjoyed.  The police were everywhere and the stadium managed to empty rather peacefully.

This was a great (unexpected) experience and it will be very interesting to  compare this to the Dutch game I’ll be seeing next week.  First, however, I need to visit another country or two!

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Touring the Champagne Houses

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(Reims, France)

August 8 was a much better day.  It began with guided tours of two different champagne houses; a great way to learn about the famous drink that can only be made here.  Sparkling wine from anywhere else (or sparkling wine made here but not in accordance with the strict rules) cannot legally be called “champagne”.  The principles of champagne-making were essentially the same at both houses but the presentation was quite different.

Descent to the Vranken-Pommery champagne cellars (Reims, France)
Descent to the Vranken-Pommery champagne cellars (Reims, France)

I began with a tour of the Vranken-Pommery Champagne House (see photo at top of this post). This appeared to be a more traditional and higher-end champagne house. Their website claims that their champagne is ranked number two in the world…but that their rose is actually number one.  While the tour cost was a little higher than some other Reims tours, I discovered that a “standard” bottle of Pommery champagne costs more than C$60.00 in the on-site shop.

We descended 60 metres below the ground and were shown a portion of their extensive cellars: they have 18 km of cellars and millions of bottles. It was very difficult to take meaningful pictures because of the dim light but it was certainly very atmospheric.  After the stifling heat and humidity outside, it was also very comfortable in the cellars as the temperature remains constant at 10’C throughout the year.  We even saw champagne in huge 9-litre bottles and a collection of extra-old vintages that are still aging from as far back as 1874.

Bottle sculpture in one of the "portals" at the Vranken-Pommery champagne cellars (Reims, France)
Bottle sculpture in one of the “portals” at the Vranken-Pommery champagne cellars (Reims, France)

In addition to the cellars, there are several “portals” (60 metres high) that reach up to the ground level from the tunnel network.  Vranken-Pommery has installed some art in these oddly shaped spaces as they cannot be used to store champagne.

In the afternoon, I visited the G H Martel champagne caves.  This tour was a little less expensive even though it provided 3 (somewhat smaller) tastings instead of one.  However, it turns out that these caves are no longer used by Martel for champagne as they have a new facility in nearby Epernay.  The Martel caves in Reims are more like a museum:  I didn’t mind, as the lighting was much better and I had already seen a working cave in the morning.   The Martel tour was also considerably shorter and started with a video, so it was less of an experience than the Pommery tour.

Slightly less posh entrance to the G H Martel champagne cellars (Reims, France)
Slightly less posh entrance to the G H Martel champagne cellars (Reims, France)

The new Martel facility is almost entirely mechanized, while the Pommery facility is still labour intensive.  The Pommery bottles are still turned by hand in order to deal with the sediment that accumulates during the yeast-induced carbonation process.   This may be one reason why Martel’s products are considerably less expensive (about C$35 per bottle) than the Pommery products.

Bottles being "turned" to remove sediment, in the G H Martel champagne house (Reims, France)
Bottles being “turned” to remove sediment, in the G H Martel champagne house (Reims, France)

And what about the results of the tasting?  The time gap between tastings made it very difficult to compare between the two houses, although I preferred the sweeter champagnes to the drier ones at Martel.  Pommery is certainly marketed as a more upscale product, so for the casual champagne drinker it may simply be a question of image.  While I don’t think I will become more of a champagne drinker (I actually prefer the cider that I’ve had with my dinners here in Reims), at least I now understand a bit of what the champagne fuss is all about.

Post-tour tasting at Vranken-Pommery champagne house (Reims, France)
Post-tour tasting at Vranken-Pommery champagne house (Reims, France)

The day didn’t end with the champagne tours.  I also managed to see another UNESCO World Heritage Site (Basilique Saint-Remi) and to discover that there was a professional soccer game in town that evening.  The basilica was similar to the cathedral I saw the day before, except that there weren’t as many people.  As for the soccer game, it requires a separate entry and so I’ll report on that in my next posting.

Posts from the road

I’m in Champagne!

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(Reims, France)

The mysterious “City A” referenced in my previous post is Paris! However, upon arrival at Charles de Gaulle airport, I immediately caught a train to the historic city of Reims in the French region of Champagne.

Close-up of the stained glass in the Notre-Dame Cathedral (Reims, France)
Close-up of the stained glass in the Notre-Dame Cathedral (Reims, France)

I briefly considered spending some time in Paris, as it is unquestionably one of the great cities of Europe.   However, I have visited Paris before and my wife would like to visit “La Ville-Lumière” (the City of Light) together with me someday. With August also being one of the worst times of year to visit Paris, I thought it made sense to bypass it for now.  I also have a feeling that I will have an opportunity to visit Paris again soon!

Instead of Paris, I am in the less intimidating city of Reims for two nights.  I have never been here before but I do know that it is known as, among other things, the home of true champagne. There are many famous champagne houses here and I will be touring a couple of them tomorrow.  I am especially looking forward to visiting the caves deep underground.  I’ll be reporting on my champagne tours (including the tastings) in my next post.

Place-Royale in Reims, France
Place-Royale in Reims, France

My main focus today was supposed to be on fighting the jet lag and acclimatizing myself to European time.  Alas, there has been a luggage snag.  My backpack was partially open (and damaged) when it arrived on the luggage carousel in Paris…and some stuff was missing from the opened compartment.  I will need to do some shopping in order to replace the missing/damaged items.  It’s certainly an inconvenience but it could have been a lot worse.

I suppose that I have had quite a few challenges already on this trip.  I intended to take the train from Kingston to Toronto, but we only made it as far as Belleville.  We then had to transfer to buses because the freight train in front of us hit a car.  We found out later that there had been at least one fatality.  We arrived in Toronto two hours late but fortunately I had built quite a bit of slack into my schedule.

Even under scaffolding, the Notre-Dame Cathedral is overwhelming (Reims France)
Even under scaffolding, the Notre-Dame Cathedral is overwhelming (Reims France)

Then, when I arrived a little early at my hotel in Reims, I was told that it would be another 90 minutes before my room would be ready.  When I returned after 90 minutes, I was told that my room needed repairs and that I would have to go to a different hotel (which had a room ready).  Alas, when I arrived at the second hotel, they told me to return in 2.5 hours…because the room wasn’t ready (putting my occupancy far beyond the published check-in time).  Normally, this wouldn’t upset me too much, but I was feeling kind of grimy and really wanted to rest a bit after a sleepless night on the plane.  I also wasn’t impressed with the aim of a local pigeon.   There were some other frustrations with the tourist office and a few of the local vendors:  let’s just say that I was feeling a little victimized by the end of the afternoon.

Galette Mexicaine et cidre doux
Not your typical crepe: galette mexicaine et cidre doux

Anyway, the day ended with a nice dinner.  My wife really likes crepes, so I took it as an omen when I found a creperie named after her.  I enjoyed my galette mexicaine very much and I think this points the way to a better day tomorrow!  Travel has its ups and downs: the key is to move on from the disappointments and find some new highlights.

Posts from Base Camp

The Next Big Trip

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

So far, I have been having fun on this blog by withholding the identity of my next destination until I have actually arrived there.  As this next trip is quite different from the others, I’m going to do (most of) “the big reveal” now, although I am not leaving for a few days.

While I visited my next destination 5 times in the first 23 years of my life, I haven’t been there in the subsequent 23 years.  During that time, my travel focus was primarily on “new” destinations and on alpine skiing.  As a result, I have been somewhat out of touch with a very important part of my heritage for a long time.

March 17, 2014 (Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy) - It was an incredble 16'C on the slopes
March 17, 2014 (Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy) – It was an incredble 16’C on the slopes…and absolutely no lift lines!

A lot has happened in the past 23 years.  My memories of childhood trips to my father’s homeland remain vivid…but I really want to share those memories with my wife and reconnect with the country that has given me, among many other things, my surname and some emotional World Cup soccer tournaments.   And so, in a few days, we will be embarking on a long-overdue trip to the Netherlands.

Large rock on the piste in Cortina d'Ampezo, Italy (March 2014) - the orange sign in front is about 4 feet high.
Large rock on the piste in Cortina d’Ampezo, Italy (March 2014) – the orange sign in front is about 4 feet high.

My wife visited the Netherlands on a high school trip many years ago but she is also looking forward to finally seeing some of “my” places that she has only heard about for the past 15 years.  While we will be visiting some of my childhood haunts, we also look forward to discovering new parts of the Netherlands together during our two weeks there.  It’s important to connect with the past, but it is also important for us to make new Dutch memories of our own.  Accordingly, for the first time, I will be visiting the northern provinces of the Netherlands and also seeing more of the Amsterdam area than just Schiphol Airport.

No zoom lens - this bird flew right up to me at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, U.S.A. (March 2014)
No zoom lens – this bird flew right up to me at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, U.S.A. (March 2014)

Even though the Netherlands will constitute the bulk of our trip, there is still an element of mystery:  I’m leaving Canada five days early to briefly visit a couple of other countries before meeting my wife in Amsterdam.  Once again, these are countries I have visited in the past but I’ll be visiting specific places in those countries for the very first time.  Through a lot of experimentation with airline websites, I was able to find an interesting 3-stage itinerary that was considerably cheaper than simply flying between Toronto and Amsterdam.

One of the hardier creatures at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, U.S.A. (March 2014)
One of the hardier creatures at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, U.S.A. (March 2014)

This sort of thing has happened before.  I call them “mistake fares” because they don’t make any logical sense…and they tend to disappear once people start taking advantage of them.  When you find such a mistake fare for travel, especially during the higher-priced summer months, you go for it.  I didn’t really know at the time of booking what exactly I would be visiting during those extra five days, but I had a lot of fun figuring out an interesting itinerary between August 7 in “City A” and August 12 in “City B”.

Heavy Snows in Cortina d"Ampezzo, Italy (March 18, 2014)
Heavy snows in Cortina d”Ampezzo, Italy (March 18, 2014)

The mysterious City A, City B and various points in between will be revealed in the next few posts.  And even if you have been to the Netherlands before, I’m sure that you’ll find some interesting twists in this very personal trip!  In the meantime, this post contains some new photos from my March 2014 trips to Chicago, U.S.A. and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.