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living the life of dreams…

Perhaps for some having an iphone tethered to them is living the life of dreams…

My phone is off.  I went back to the room to collect my fancy digital SLR camera when I discovered the incredible view from the beach level of the hotel.  When the hotel elevator has a “beach level” button you know you are not in Kansas.

hard to believe but this is real...

hard to believe but this is real…

I am at the Hotel Excelsior in Dubrovnik, Croatia, having eaten a delicious octopus amuse-bûche, waiting for the rest of my seafood, including a Dubrovnik specialty called Buzarañe.  Had Dorothy ended up here instead of Oz, no doubt she would be dancing at night in her red shoes after spending the day barefoot on the beach and carefully making sure she didn’t click her heels because this place is so much better than Kansas 🙂

Like many of my travel adventures, my arrival in Dubrovnik was inspired by random chance and I have been dreaming of this city for over a decade.

The walled city is a UNESCO world heritage site and I have known about Dubrovnik for a long time, possibly even before Maria.  But it was Maria’s enthusiasm that added it to my travel list.

This was back in 1988.  No doubt an ideal time for a visit but I didn’t have vacation time, let alone funds, back then.  Maria’s family was from Yugoslavia so she described in rapturous detail this jewel of the Adriatic.

Of course, soon after Dubrovnik became a place associated with land mines rather than tourists.  Maria’s

maria wasn't lying...

maria wasn’t lying…

inspiration held though.  It made me more aware of the war – and also the post-war renaissance.

Getting to Dubrovnik is not super slick though.  It’s not difficult – but not a quick train ride or direct flight from most of Europe.  Partly it’s the geography.  Mountains, water and forest make for spectacular scenery – but obstacles to transportation routes.

But you should persevere and get to this part of the world.  You can take a ship from Italy if you are blessed with free time but if you need to get in faster, you will arrive by air like most of the tourists who make their way to this remote corner of Europe.

There are lots of places to eat – and fresh seafood is plentiful.  I think it would be hard to beat Prora though.  You should likely bring someone along 🙂

I had fun talking to my server about Croatia (I was writing this at the table so he thought I was a writer…) and drinking in the view.  And savouring the delicious seafood.  It’s an experience so sublime it speaks to your soul and all your senses are enveloped in the atmosphere of the place because it is so unique.

There is a beach with gently lapping waves, a forest covered island just offshore, an illuminated ancient fortified town, a pirate ship shining on the deep blue water.  On top of first class service, memorable food and outstanding local wine.

http://www.adriaticluxuryhotels.com/en/hotel-excelsior-dubrovnik/restaurants/

It was an hour plus of pure magic rivaling the night I had a French chef personally serve me his tasting menu at an over-the-top Shanghai restaurant or the night I dined under the stars in the Serengeti listening to lions roar in the background engaged in one of the most seductive experiences of my life.

And, hey, Croatia is probably closer to you – and you don’t need a visa 😉

 

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living la vida disney ;)

It’s always exciting when a place exceeds the dreams you have had of it in your imagination.  I have been dreaming of Bergen for over twenty years.  I imagined myself here in 1989… but on a budget of $50/day, Scandinavia dropped off the table.

I had read an article in the globe and mail travel section about the “mail boat” that cruises up the coast of Norway through the fjords.  Not a cruise ship but a regular boat whose principal purpose is cargo and mail delivery.  At the time it seemed you could book something really basic and it didn’t cost a fortune.

It was still way out of my backpacking budget so I’ll never know but a trip on Hurtigruten in 2014 is not cheap although I am sure the cost is substantially less out of season.  But I am here in Bergen on a glorious day in mid-May.  It is so sunny it’s tough to type and I have to contend with my reflection in the screen as a kind of unwanted screensaver.

http://www.hurtigruten.com

I wanted to save a little money on the Hurtigruten ship so I booked really far ahead and came in May instead of June.  I can’t guarantee your experience of Norway in May is going to be as spectacular as mine but I have rarely had a more perfect climatic travel experience.

gorgeous bergen!

gorgeous bergen!

And then there is Bergen… (the Hurtigruten ships start out of Bergen)…  It is like Brugge and Ljubliana – another small city that is so cute and perfect it’s hard to believe Tinkerbell didn’t scoot in prior to your arrival and sprinkle pixie dust over the place.

It’s an old trading post and seafaring port, one of the Hanseatic merchants` four most important trading centres.  I am sitting typing this next to the harbour on one side and rows of adorable houses rebuilt a series of times due to fire but apparently using the original blueprints from the 12th century.  It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site called Bryggen.

As has already been noted, Norway is a wildly expensive country to visit so I read about all the tourist attractions but almost nothing is free (maybe a church… not all churches though) so you will have to explore them on your own.  Most sound pretty small town so paying at least $12 to be underwhelmed seems a recipe for disappointment.

And the town is gorgeous so exploring it will provide plenty of free entertainment 🙂 The one thing I did pay for – and I would encourage you to do the same – is the funicular up to the top of one of the mountains (the city is surrounded by seven).

bergen via disney ;)

bergen via disney 😉

It`s the Floibanen Funicular and takes you to the top of Mount Floyen in seven minutes.  It costs under $20 (not much in Norway does J) and, on a sunny day, the view is breathtaking.  It also provides a great bird`s eye view of the city.

The other cool thing to do from Bergen is explore the fjords.  I expect I will be back.  There is no question Norway is gorgeous – but, like supermodels, it charges a lot of cash per hour so one has to plot a careful strategy.

I`m not sure exactly what I will see via Hurtigruten so that`s the plan for this trip.  I can fly back to Bergen on another European jaunt and check out the missing fjords if I am not OD-ed on ice, water and rock in the next seven days.

Tomorrow I join the ship.  Today I am soaking up the sun and the immense satisfaction that comes from realizing one’s dreams – and having the reality exceed everything one has imagined.  Skol Bergen 😉

p.s. after I wrote this, I searched for a great final meal in Bergen that wouldn’t break the bank.  I wanted to have fish.  I knew that if I got off the main drag next to the harbour the cost would likely come down.  I finally settled on Ruccola at Verdidsalmenningen 7.  It’s just down the street from the station for the funicular.  An amazing meal of salmon and vegetables for about 220 kroner – and the best house wine I have had in Norway!

http://www.cafe-ruccola.no

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austin is NOT Texas!

Indeed!  I didn’t hear that in Austin but I did amuse some locals with my New Orleans anecdote.  My take – Austin is Portland in the middle of Texas.  Incredible!  And very cool.  I will definitely be back… and without all the hoopla of South by Southwest… but I will be back for that too.

For now, just some tips on how to rock Austin.  And rocking Austin one of the best parts! The live music capital of the world.  Of course, for Americans, the world doesn’t involve a passport.  Geography is not their strength 😉  But, I have seen a lot of countries and I don’t think they are necessarily wrong.  Americans love to be #1… I just want the experience to be worthwhile – so, who cares… Austin is an amazing place to see live music!

the grande dame of 6th st

the grande dame of 6th st

If it works with your budget, make like a cattle baron and stay at the Driskill.  It’s the

good luck finding a seat during SXSW!

good luck finding a seat during SXSW!

Claridges of the USA J  The kind of hotel that has so much history and such great staff that the hotel becomes part of your experience of the city, like a well written character in a novel.

http://www.driskillhotel.com/

The Driskill also sets you up right on 6th Street so there is live music everywhere… even if you drink too much bourbon it is a short walk home 🙂

oil barons feel right at home...

oil barons feel right at home…

But, if you are smart, you will be drinking Shiner Bock (just ask for “Shiner” to sound like a local)… I gather it cost me more during SXSW but still great value… and a wonderful Texan small town entrepreneur story…

Home

The other thing one should do in Austin is eat!  There is a food and wine festival.  I am sure it will be part of my future.  This trip was focused on SXSW and expanding my brain and musical experience so I didn’t put huge efforts into sourcing dinner…

But what I loved was that even with minimal effort I had some wonderful meals.  My favourite spot was an authentic Italian pizzeria Due Forni.  I read about it in my hotel room one afternoon and then accidentally discovered on a wander that it was about two blocks from the Driskill – so it became a bit of a home away from home… definitely check it out when you get to Austin.

http://dueforni.com/main/menu-austin.html

Other places to check out are Crave on 2nd Street and Craft Pride if you are a beer aficionado.   I also had some lovely food at the Hilton and Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental.  I think you can almost throw a dart in Austin and have a good time on all the important levels – food, drink, music J

http://cravetexas.com/

http://craftprideaustin.com/

The only hard part to your stay in Austin will be the sad ride to the airport… to seduce you to return, you will even be able to drink some Texas beer and listen to live music at the airport!  Giving Schiphol a run for its money 😉

 

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searching for the perfect sazerac…

I’ve accepted I am never going to catch up on all the travels of the past couple of plane-crazed years but I am going to try and hit some highlights and mix it up a bit… so, let’s go back to New Orleans…

Last year New Orleans was my birthday trip.  Quite a few of the adventures made it onto the blog and I will return once I’ve ticked off some of the other “must see” destinations on my list.  Living in Vancouver, I am spoiled by numerous amazing bartenders making classic – and original – cocktails so I have been educated in the history of the Sazerac.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sazerac

The Sazerac is a very butch cocktail, supposedly the world’s first.  Like any drink with such a long history, it’s not clear if all the facts are accurate but it apparently started out as a combination of Cognac and Peychaud’s Bitters with an absinthe rinse for a hint of danger 🙂

It is the official cocktail of New Orleans and one of my favourites so I sampled a few during my stay in New Orleans.  My final morning in the city it was pouring rain so I decided one last Sazerac at the Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel before the taxi to the airport was the way to go.

http://therooseveltneworleans.com/dining/the-sazerac-bar.html

I had planned to get to the Roosevelt Hotel earlier but there is way too much to do in New Orleans to get to everything.  You SHOULD go to the Sazerac bar though!  A step back in history.  If you like your cocktails manly, order a Sazerac.  If you like them softer, order a Ramos Gin Fizz.  Just watching the bartender properly shake it is worth the price of the cocktail!  And the ingredients in the Sazerac at the Roosevelt made it far superior to any of my other experiments.

making a gin fizz

making a gin fizz

It was the perfect way to say goodbye to New Orleans… and because I was sitting at the bar sipping and chatting with the bartender at a quiet time of day I ended up in a conversation with the couple sitting next to me.  The wife was fascinated that I travelled alone.  They were from Texas – so I enthusiastically told them my birthday plan for 2014 was Austin!  I had to suppress my grin at their reply, “Austin is NOT Texas!!!”  Exactly why I was going there first 😉

I considered packing my cowboy boots but went for the dangerous punk-inspired black spike encrusted slippers instead – the right call 😉

I also brought my Glamor Trash earrings.  I have been wanting to mention James.  I think his earrings garner the most compliments.  He makes them put of old vinyl records just to make them even cooler!  I discovered his work at Dutch Alley on my way to the French Market.  His work is so distinctive I recognized it at the stall in the market.  I asked, “are you James?”  He wanted to see what I had bought.  He was so charming – and his work is so incredible – I bought a second pair 😉

http://dutchalleyartistsco-op.com/jamesjensen.html

So, buy some Glamor Trash earrings as your New Orleans souvenir, dress up like a lady and have a cocktail at the Sazerac Bar.  You will capture a lot of the magic in that one experience – a rich history, southern hospitality and creative surprises.

 

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is Cambodia the new Thailand? ;)

Of course, your best plan of action may be to make like me and quickly dispense with Bangkok and get on a flight to Siem Reap!  If nothing else, you will be able to tell people you are going to Cambodia.

A few people will have been – and they will tell you that you will love it (that will prove to be very accurate J).  Most people will still be channelling the Dead Kennedys even if they don’t know the lyrics to “Holiday in Cambodia.”

But, of course, they will just be a couple of decades out of touch… I, on the other hand, have been dreaming of Cambodia for a couple of decades.  I don’t know what took me so long!  Working all the time and going nowhere exotic…

But of course that has all changed in the last five years as I resolved to quit postponing all those “trips of a lifetime”.  Angkor Wat certainly was one of them.

For me, though, getting to Angkor Wat was much more personal.  Over twenty years ago, I had been in the hill tribes near Chiang Mai wondering if I was going to be randomly killed by the Khmer Rouge and hearing about the wonders of Angkor Wat while settling for Sukothai as it was still risky and complicated to cross over the border to Cambodia.

But things were changing and I knew I would get there.  In 2013, I gathered, going to Cambodia was no big deal so I booked a hotel, found out how to get a visa, made sure I had a flashlight, scored some malaria tablets and braced for the weather.

And Cambodia turned out to be Claridges… you just need to know where to stay 😉

shinta mani

restaurant – note swings

There is really only one place to stay when you come to Angkor Wat (unless you are on a tight budget – you can definitely do it cheap too and it will still be wonderful).  But if you can afford a decent night’s hotel room in the developed world, you will live like a princess in Siem Reap.

resort pool

resort pool

My room cost about $300/night (including all the crazy taxes) but it was palatial so you can spend less and still have a great time.  I stayed in the Shinta Mani Club where the rooms are larger.  They now have a sister property across the street, Shinta Mani Resort.  As a guest, you can spend time in the public facilities of both.

http://shintamani.com/

shinta mani

lap pool shinta mani club

For $15, someone will come and collect you from the airport.  Dan started my visit on a high note.  He told me Shinta Mani was the number one hotel in Siem Reap.  I knew he was biased – but after six nights there, I can’t say he was wrong 🙂

The level of service is astonishing – on par with very few other places I’ve stayed (it really is a Cambodian version of Claridges).  There is a lap pool at the Club, a big pool at the resort, bar and restaurant facilities at both, a spa… and gorgeous spaces that make you feel like you’re in the Caribbean.

I still wasn’t healthy when I arrived so my first evening was low key.  I had some lovely food in the hotel restaurant and had an enthusiastic, charming hotel staff member organize an Angkor Wat tour on my behalf.

leaving the hotel

siem reap river

The hotel really is so wonderful it’s tempting to just hole up there and never see a temple… but that would be wrong!  And then I wouldn’t have anything to write about 😉

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sprayed and quarantined ;)

I have not fallen off the face of the earth – or stopped writing or snapping photos – but it feels that way to me at least… I started writing this on the plane to Sydney… with so many great experiences in Toronto, Paris, Amsterdam and Ljubljana still to be committed to bytes… I have the memories – and the stories… hoping to record and share… we shall see… have committed to travel a little less in 2014 so my “normal” life is not always a gong show…

it’s Saturday so I can hide from the clients for a few hours so… for now…  we are going down under…

imagine you have used your Aeroplan points and booked nine months ahead so you can sit in business class.  You got lucky the flight to Korea got cancelled so you’ve been upgraded to the direct flight Vancouver-Sydney, which has allowed you to drink free champagne (real champagne, not sparkling wine pretending to be champagne :), watch FOUR movies and get a decent sleep thanks to your pod…   I love Air Canada 🙂

BTW, all movies recommended… Monsters University, Blue Jasmine, The Way Way Back… I am sure there was a fourth but watching four movies in a row rots your brain obviously 🙂

it’s 12 hours later…

I expect we will get sprayed.  They have already done the intercom message announcing there is a $16,000 fine if you bring in anything not allowed and don’t declare it.  I’m on a plane to Sydney, Australia.  Spraying and quarantining does seem right for a former penal colony (don’t bring that up if you do come to visit 🙂  but it’s actually a very smart thing to do.

Australia is an island and its flora and fauna are almost as unique as the Galapagos so it’s wise to be careful.  The cane toad taught them to be protective.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucQsDM7ZpsQ

This is my fourth arrival so I think I am prepared.  I didn’t pack my usual backup food and made sure to eat my fruit and nuts on the plane.  I made sure I didn’t buy any food gifts for my Australian friends at the airport.  I didn’t appreciate how strict the rules were and have had a luckily friendly conversation with the customs inspector and avoided getting fined or quarantined… but it’s good to be careful 😉

While it doesn’t feel all that welcoming on the airplane, once you’ve passed through customs everything changes!  This is “the lucky country” and it does feel that way.  It’s one of those countries that runs well so people are generally happy.  Aussies are some of the friendliest people in the world.  And it’s a very relaxed culture.

At least that’s how I remember it.  It’s exciting to be back.  My history with the land of Oz began over a decade ago.  I only became a chartered accountant because some dude in a suit in a tiny interview room in London, Ontario suggested that a Commonwealth CA would allow me to work anywhere in the Commonwealth should I pass the exams.

By that point I’d moved from roaming wheat fields and chasing live pigs down the road when they escaped from the barn to feeling slightly uncomfortable – but still succeeding – at the most famous business school in my country.  And now I had a chance to work on Bay Street.

My father talked about Bay Street while he taught me a lot about wheat fields and raising hogs (that is the business lingo for pigs 😉  Growing up in the middle of the Canadian north in a town that couldn’t even boast a population of four figures, working on Bay Street seemed as likely as flying to the moon.  I didn’t even know anyone who had been to Toronto on an airplane, let alone worked there.

But I was really lucky that I kept having interesting, accomplished, sophisticated men see potential in me that I never saw in myself and it landed me all sorts of places I never expected to be.

The biggest culture shock of my life – arriving in Sydney.  Not because it’s SO different to Canada.  But it isn’t Canada (it’s closer now than it was back then) and I was living in a foreign country!  A country so remote you got a free stopover.  Back then I chose Fiji!  And almost got sunstroke roaming in the mid-day sun in January… but that’s another story…

Now you can fly to Sydney from Vancouver or the US west coast direct!  But you are still far away from the rest of the world.  It’s part of the experience.

iconic sydney on a sunny day

iconic sydney on a sunny day

Once we’d been sprayed and sat on the plane for a while so that spray could kill whatever it kills and I’d passed through customs without being quarantined, I came into the arrivals area just like you would in every other airport.

But, at this one, my best friend from those days in Sydney so long ago was waiting for me.  Elizabeth is like my maternal grandmother, one of those people who is so gracious and delightful you want to clone them – or at least teach others to take their lead 🙂

Last time I saw her I was watching her get married!  This time I got to meet her equally delightful daughter and catch up on the last decade…

Immediately she said, “it’s your trip.  What do you want to do?”

That’s when I realized how incredibly privileged I was.  As I told her, for most people Australia is a once in a lifetime trip and they have a list of things they need to tick off.  I KNOW Sydney… not absolutely but I have done the tourist stuff more than once.  And I’ve travelled the country more than almost any Aussie I’ve ever met.

I can fly to one of the most remote corners of the earth and just chill… but you might only get there once… so recommendations will be forthcoming 🙂

For now, what to do when you arrive…

the view from icebergs

the view from icebergs

We went to Icebergs on Bondi Beach for lunch… because Elizabeth lives in Sydney and has a husband and young daughter so it was still on her “to do list”.  Things have changed in the last decade.  Apparently Top Chef Australia is huge!  So DO book…

We didn’t… and still got a seat in the bar with a brilliant view over Bondi and yummy food.  Sydney is in the top most beautiful cities in the world so there are many places you can go – and SHOULD!  But start at Bondi… as I said to Elizabeth, it’s just like the postcards… welcome to one of the most memorable places on the planet…

The sun didn’t shine all that often while I was in Sydney but there was always sunshine on the plate.  I don’t surf – so, for me, the land of Oz has always been associated with food and wine that tastes different when the sun shines so much…

Gastronomy, koalas, the incredible wow of great friendships still to come… stay tuned… 😉

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I’m pretty sure Syria is hell on earth but is Amsterdam heaven? ;)

I still have things I wanted to say about some of my other travels this year but I’ve just landed in Amsterdam so must continue my europhile dialogue 🙂  As usual I have written bits and pieces as the trip progressed but you will be hearing about it as I record my memories because too much was happening to be able to write it all down in the moment.  Someday I may have a boring trip but not yet 😉

This isn’t “my” city the way London, New York and Paris are but it’s familiar.  So I am trying to challenge myself on this trip.

I am staying in the funky new Sir Albert Hotel.  Definitely worth checking out.  The imaginary St Albert thinks the Pijp is the cool place to reside in Amsterdam so I’m seeing if I agree with him 🙂

http://www.siralberthotel.com/

my digs in the pijp

my digs in the pijp

I have now used the trams a little bit but I can’t quite remember the drill but do know you can take a train from Shiphol to Centraal Station in minutes and save some cash.

It took me a couple of tries to get on the right platform but as long as you get on the right train it is really easy and gave me a chance to gaze out the window and note the sky.  It’s the moody sky you see in all the famous Dutch and Flemish paintings.  I thought it was fake until I started spending time in Amsterdam.

I cheated and took a taxi from Centraal Station as the Pijp may be cool but it’s a long walk – and dragging all my luggage into and off the tram seemed not terribly fun.  It might be a little harder to get to but staying in the Pijp is definitely adding to my experience of Amsterdam.

It feels like a real neighborhood.  I feel really far from the Leidseplein even though it is only a short walk away.  This afternoon I just wandered aimlessly around the neighborhood to get a feel for it – and find some lunch.

my new 'hood

my new ‘hood

Amsterdam is always full of surprises.  I turned the corner from the hotel to amble next to the canal – and found myself wondering the protocol when there are women in their underwear looking at you as they stand in the window and you aren’t in the Red Light District!  (I later learned there are some mini Red Light Districts near the canals).  Amsterdam is not a place to be timid – but you might want to ask the concierge for directions 😉

Amsterdam is a city overrun with tourists so it was cool to feel like I was wandering through an authentic Amsterdam neighborhood but meant I needed to put more effort into finding lunch.  And I was famished as my body clock was totally off.

I finally stumbled upon the Marie Heinekenplein.  The weather had turned on me (welcome to Amsterdam!).  It was unfortunate as sitting in a public square eating lunch is one of my favourite things to do in Europe.

I was definitely not in a tourist ‘hood.  All the menus were in Dutch so choosing which restaurant to try felt like a bit of a gamble.  But – as expected – there was an English menu once I got inside.

before the rains :)

before the rains 🙂

When you’re jet-lagged time moves more slowly so it’s been a splendid day.  It’s nice to revisit places and not have the pressure to “fill every moment with 60 seconds worth of distance run.”  It’s not my forté.  Relaxing is not my strong suit.  But I am at heart a creative person – and have learned to appreciate a lot of creativity comes from down time.

And it makes you more human.  And lowers your blood pressure.  So today has been a great day for my physical – and mental – health.

My wandering gave me a taste for the neighborhood and I decided I should try a restaurant called Braque for dinner.  Some spirit just seemed to be calling to me 🙂

When I hit the front door of the hotel and it was pouring rain, there was a great temptation to just stay in the cocoon of the hotel and eat in the hotel restaurant.  But I am a traveller, not a tourist, and needed to have some small adventure on major jet lag day ONE.

So I grabbed a complimentary umbrella and dodged the bikes and scooters to jaywalk across the street where I was quickly confronted by a uniquely Amsterdam problem.

I don’t normally use a large umbrella so didn’t appreciate its wing span and one of the spokes hit a bicycle.  At first it seemed OK but then it slowly toppled into the street.  It didn’t seem to have a kickstand (maybe why it was so easily toppled) so there I was in the street trying to figure out how to get a stranger’s bike to stand upright while also trying not to lose the borrowed umbrella perched precariously over my head or get hit by a car.  Only in Amsterdam…

But I persevered.  I finally parked the bike against a building and braved the rain until I reached Braque.  It looked really busy but I know as a solo traveller you just have to be polite and smile a lot and someone might find you a seat 🙂

http://caferestaurantbraque.com/

Lucas was busy running food to the brave patrons sitting outside but he said his friend was leaving so I could have his seat at the far end of the bar next to the kitchen.  I was just there for dinner – but, as happens so often, it became an evening about far more than the food.

The food was delicious though!  And I would encourage you to check out the restaurant – and make a reservation.  And a great meal in Amsterdam is not as easy to find as it is in Paris.  But I think the chef might be French 🙂  The menu definitely has a lot of French influence.  I had some of the best bouillabaisse of my life followed by a perfectly cooked steak.  It was more impressive as getting a medium rare steak in a country with an indifferent palate takes a bit of explaining – but Lucas obviously conveyed my request for a bit of blood on my plate 😉

It was my first night in Amsterdam and a perfect way to start the current euro journey.  It’s why I am in love with Amsterdam.  I have now met so many Dutch people like Lucas.  Warm and gracious with a big smile for you.  A great conversationalist with knowledge of all sorts of topics, willing to engage in a conversation that isn’t just small talk.

I also had a brief chat with the guys sitting next to me at the bar while I was waiting for my food.  They were both from another part of the Netherlands but one now lived in Amsterdam.  I suggested that the friend visiting was also kind of a tourist.  That turned into a lively debate as to what constituted a “tourist”.  It’s an interesting question…

Lucas confessed to being tired because he had been up late the night before at a party to celebrate freedom.  The Americans talk about freedom a lot.  But, for the Dutch, it is a reason to throw a party.  How can one not fall in love with them? 😉

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