The typical street with the typical canal. Where?

Mirror image

AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam.
This is the only picture of all of us together.

Another picture of all of us together, in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam
From the window of Mme Tussaud (Wax Museum)

With her heartthrob

Stirred, not shaken

Poor baby left out in the dark

Democracy

Marylins

In the Amsterdam dungeon

Comfy

The line at Anne Frank Memorial. It took about two hours; I sat down in the shade, watching the cathedral clock on the right.

Bridge in Amsterdam

Flowery bridge

Some more flowers and ducks

Fake dragon in Amsterdam.
This is a copy of a famous restaurant in Hong Kong, which we actually visited.

THE HAGUE

We went everywhere by tram. In the Netherlands, one must check (on an electronic box) the tickets, both entering and leaving. The kids kept their own tickets, for fun (responsibility?). We worried about losing tickets, but it did not happen.

The stork is an emblem of The Hague.
This is just a cute glass pane in a tram station.

On a street in The Hague.

The seat of the government in The Hague: Binnenhof.

The governent is sitting

Ducks

At home
That was on Goudenregenstraat, pronounced khow-den-rekhen-straat, meaning Golden Rain Street.

Central railway station in The Hague. We got there almost everyday, on our way to various tourist traps. This time we were just visiting The Hague, very attractive: a rich art museum and the Escher Museum, in a former royal palace. The palace is still used: the sovereign rides from there in a ceremonial coach to the Government palace to open the Parliament.

The Hague

Flags of the provinces, by the government seat in The Hague

The Hague, Madurodam

Caesar
Crowned with laurels in Madurodam, The Hague.

Gulliver

Madurodam

Madurodam

Madurodam

Madurodam

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do

DELFT

Delft

Flower parade on the canal

Flower parade

Exhausted in the Delft factory

Delft
Charming buildings

The entrance to the Delft factory

Lunch in Delft

Fancy tall vase in Delft

The inner court of the Delft porcelain factory.

We were caught on the wrong side of the canal, because the bridges were lifted, to allow the flower parade to pass – see on the right. We got there for the porcelain factory, but the return tram was on the other side.

Delft
Flower parade

We sat on the grass to watch the flower boats pass.

ALKMAAR

Alkmaar.
Cheese brought to the market on the canal.

Cheesy

Alkmaar
as a painting

Alkmaar
another painting

Cheeseboat, Alkmaar

UTRECHT

Utrecht, the Saint Martin Cathedral.

On a canal trip in Utrecht

On the canal in Utrecht

Utrecht, on the canal

Utrecht

BRUSSELS

Brussels, Belgium. The Grote Markt – Great Plaza. This is only one of the palaces and churches that surround the square.

Grote Markt.

Brussels, Belgium.
Grote Markt

A memorial in Brussels for the Belgians who helped the Jews during the German occupation in WWII.

Art Nouveau, Brussels.

Magritte
see:
and many others.

The Manneken Pis in Brussels

BRUGES

Bruges, Belgium

Bruges, Belgium.
The prince in a stately procession.

Bruges
The coach ride has ended.

Bruges, Belgium.

Bruges

With our friends from Brussels

With our friends from Brussels.

Beloved wife in Bruges

Modernistic sculpture in Bruges. However, it very clearly suggests a crowded crooked medieval quarter around a narrow street.

ANTWERP

Antwerp
Contrast of styles

Antwerp, Belgium
On the main street.

Antwerp, Belgium

Antwerp, Rubens' house
The new wing, designed by Rubens himself.
It turns out he was not only a great painter, but quite a VIP; his father cuckolded the father of rhe nation, William the Silent.

Rubens' house

Rubens' house
The garden

There was a lady with a tame owl, by the cathedral in Antwerp. Very beautiful bird, with eyes that a photo cannot really show.

left txt Antwerp
With the owl

Antwerp
With the owl

Antwerp, Belgium
The statue of the hero Brabo (after whom the region is called Brabant). The legend is that a giant used to cut people's hands and throw them in the river, till Brabo killed the giant and threw away his hand.
This is a fancy explanation for the name Antwerpen: hand+werpen, i..e. "hand throwing". You can see the hands on the coat of arms.

KOELN

Koeln, Germany
In the Cathedral.

Koeln Cathedral

Details

Some more details

Koeln

Altar in Koeln Cathedral

PARIS

Paris, on the Seine. In the background, Notre Dame and the French Academy.

Paris
La contraption

The inner court of the Louvre, very impressive and encouraging: no queue.

Paris sucks!
After seeieng the queue at the Louvre, even Louis XIV rides away: "J'ai failli attendre"

All you get to see, after fighting your way to the front against hundreds.

Louvre

Louvre: Arcimboldo

The Diana Stairs in the Louvre, Paris.

Now we (somewhat) see Diana, but not much else

Sacre Coeur, Paris

Paris, Montmartre.
A pity Gabriel couldn't be there.

Not looking at the scenery
This is from the top of Montparnasse tower, about which I didn't know. We were lucky to get a clear view, and dropless winows, although it was rainy.

Embarkation for the Seine tour. "Pont Neuf" means "new bridge"; it is, of course, the oldest bridge over the Seine in Paris, built by Henri IV (1553 � 1610). His statue may be seen top right.

Seine naiad

Paris
On board

Paris, Seine.
Not quite fancy bridge.

The fanciest bridge, named after the Tzar Alexander III.

To honor the Tzar, the Russian imperial eagle in gold.

Paris.
Grand Palais, at the end of Alexander III bridge.

Sacre Coeur cathedral, Paris

Paris.
The Seine

Paris, Notre Dame cathedral.

Leudes
The statue, which stands in front of Notre Dame, is called "Charlemagne et ses leudes", meaning "Charles the Great and his trusted companions"; you can see one holding the emperor's horse.
The word is ancient French terminology, immediately recognizable as Russian "lyudi" = "people, persons" or German "Leute". Under the form "tiuti" it is also the root of "Teuton" and has evolved into "Deutsch".