Review: Fat Tire “Third Reich” Tour

The Fat Tire company seems to pop up everywhere these days, but our trip to Berlin was the first time we ever tried them. The verdict? I’m sold. Although the quality of a tour probably varies greatly with the guide (and fellow tourists), the bikes are super comfortable to use and Berlin is an easy biking city.

Since we had already spent some time in Berlin, we opted to take the Third Reich tour, which focuses on World War II and Nazi-related locations around the city. It overlaps with the more general tour offered, but if you’ve done a little site-seeing already, this tour will take you out of the way a bit more. I includes several memorials, monuments, and even the location of Hitler’s bunker in which he committed suicide. Since each stop is spread out, the entire tour takes about 5 hours and includes a stop for lunch (at extra cost). The leisurely pace was comfortable and gave us all tiem to meet the other bikers and chat.

Our Guide: Nicholas

As you might imagine, any tour about the Third Reich is very serious and heavy.  Nicholas, our guide, dealt with this with a dark humor and appropriately timed seriousness, as well as an impressive knowledge of the time period. While you don’t ever really want to “get in the head” of a Nazi, he was able to teach us about the warped thought process of the Nazis and how they misappropriated German culture and prejudices to push their own agenda.

For 20 euros (less with the Berlin Welcome Card), the Fat Tire Third Reich tour is a rich experience and good value for your money. I will be seeking this tour company out in the future when we consider bike tours in other cities.

Exploring Berlin in 4 Days: Part One

Last week Dan and I visited Berlin with his parents for the first time. Together, over the course of 4 days, we explored many of the major historical sites and a few museums, and generally had a great time. Berlin is a place with a very sad history and high unemployment, but it also has a growing and vibrant young culture and many important memorials.

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The trip to Berlin was my crazy idea first and stems from a dim memory of playing “Berlin Wall” on a beach somewhere back in 1990 when the wall came down.  I probably had heard about the actual thing from the news or my parents at the time. But as my earliest memory of a place in Europe, I knew I had to make the trip some day.  So finally we did. It was a great experience to finally bring this memory full circle and finally see the ruined pieces of the wall that remain.

Day One

After settling into our temporary apartment rental (a great way to stay in Berlin by the way), we set out for a serious day of exploring the Berlin Zoo. This city zoo is one of the largest in Europe and is home to a wide variety of animals from all over the world. Their resident panda has long been considered the star, but he was napping up high and away while we were there.

Instead we were happy to see many of the animals with young and even a bird fight or two. The sea lions were very noisy and we caught two sun bears wrestling. It’s always interesting to see the animals interact with each other.

Plus Dunkin Donuts!

Since that took most of the day, we wrapped up the evening with a walk through the large Tiergarten and past the Victory Tower (currently under repair). We also tracked down a German chocolate shop with the longest truffle bar in Berlin and a chocolate volcano. Sadly, the volcano was pathetically dormant.

Day Two

Day two we opted for a museum day and started at the Berlin Jewish Museum. It is so huge that they have a cafe stop halfway through your tour of the exhibits! I found the museum to be very interesting, but confusing to navigate and I found the audio tour to be annoyingly proud of the interior design of the museum. Once I started skipping the architecture sections I found the content to be very interesting and learned a lot that I didn’t know about Jewish history and culture. Plus comics. It was also interesting to be in a museum that didn’t “default” to a Christian theology.

After a whole 6 hours in the Jewish Museum, we went to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum which lays just on the American side of the old border and catalogs the history of Western Berlin and resistance and escape activities that occurred when the wall was still up.  I was shocked to learn that the museum is almost as old as the wall (founded in 1962) and was actually used to spy on Eastern Berlin patrols.

The entire thing really needs a makeover, but is chock full of interesting information and strange smuggling apparatus people really used to escape East Germany (as well as some of the terrible things used to keep people in).

A mock-up of Checkpoint Charlie is still set up in the street, but it wasn’t until we stopped by the Topography of Terror (the remains of the SS office) that I got to get up close to a fairly complete strip of wall and imagine what it might have been like to live in Berlin before 1990.

Check back tomorrow for Days 3 and 4 of our Berlin Adventure.

No Kidding: Good Times in London

I apologize for leaving you all hanging for an update this week, and now this one will mostly be about travel, but hopefully I’ll get everything back under control soon. I left for London with a cold and came back with a new one. But at least the time in-between was fun.

Trains vs. Airplanes

While planning our trip Dan & I went back and forth on the best way to get from Maastricht to London without spending a fortune. Airplanes seemed out, since the airport here only goes to places in Spain, but the EuroStar train tickets weren’t coming up much cheaper until we committed to staying more than three days. Then the prices dropped to an acceptable range and didn’t, we thought, involve going through crazy security to board a train. Trains from Maastricht are about equivalent to a cheap Ryanair ticket from Eindhoven, but the train doesn’t require as much travel to get to and from airports.

Getting to Brussels to pick up our EuroStar train (included in the ticket price) was uneventful, but when we arrived we discovered that train security can be just as much a pain in the butt as airport security. We went through two checkpoints before being stopped at a third by a surly guard who wanted to know what we were doing in London and how long we’d be there.

We said “5 days for a comics convention and to see the city”. He said, “What are you going to see?” This is the point where we stumbled. Dan & I hadn’t done much planning for the trip (its only 5 hours away after all) and we usually just start walking and see where our feet take us. Who knew we needed an itinerary just to enter the country. “Er…Westminster Abbey…” I say, confused. He gives a nasty look, “You’re going to see Westminster Abbey for 5 days? What else do you think is in London?” We finally stumbled out enough places to satisfy the guard and he finally let us through with snide remarks about the “proper” way to do things. Welcome to London indeed! Next time I’ll bring a guidebook. Maybe we were suppose to tip or something.

Fortunately the rest of the trip was uneventful, even though the EuroStar’s headrests are designed for people much taller than myself. For Americans, it is a lot like riding Amtrak. Maybe faster but not much more comfortable.

Sites!

Around the Thing!, Dan and I found time to do a little site seeing. Maybe I should send the next overzealous crossing guard to my blog if he needs the full scoop. We were lucky enough to receive an excellent walking audio tour from a good friend and it lead us all over Central London. We were impressed by how monumental (and large) the city is.

Some of the things we saw are:

• Westminster Abbey: Which sadly does not permit photography inside by it worth every pence that it costs to go inside and see the stunning and eclectic statues and tombs. I find the merging of church and state in the UK to be very curious and the Abbey is a monument in and of itself to that merger.
• Big Ben: Which is much bigger and attached to a Parliment (which I hadn’t realized).
• Jewel Tower: I’m always happy to see very old construction preserved within a modern city.
• National Gallery: A large and FREE art gallery where we played “guess which painting is Dutch”. I got a wonderful picture of myself with a large lion statue outside on the square to go with my high school photo.
• Fortnum & Mason: The same grocery store where the royal family has their shopping done. Elegant grocery stores with crystal chandeliers are way beyond my experience.
• Covent Garden: Which isn’t a garden at all but a shopping area.
• Buckingham Palace: Which is huge and had great wrought iron/gold gates. Dan thought the facade was too plain. We didn’t catch the changing of the guard because we went to the London Zoo instead.
• Tower of London: Much much more than a tower and well worth a visit if you like 1) Murder or 2) Jewelry.
• Jack the Ripper Tour: A two-hour, historical tour about Jack the Ripper. The tour guide was great, but so much of the area has been rebuilt that there were not many good visuals for the tour. Victorian London was not a happy place.

Comix Thing!

Of course the main reason we were in London was to attend the UK Mini & Web Comix Thing! on Saturday. On a personal and business level it was great fun and an excellent networking opportunity. I’m always impressed by the way comics can overcome pretty much any silence between two strangers who like looking at sequential art. Read my Complete Con Report at Fallen Kitten Productions for more details.

And you might be starting to see comics inspired things here as well. You’ve been warned.

Lions & Tigers & Scones

We wrapped up our holiday in a very typical manner for us. A trip to the zoo followed by Afternoon Tea at a place more upscale that you might typically find us.

The London Zoo was a good time, with mostly nice and large enclosures for their animals and lots of walking. Its not quite high season (and a Monday), so many eating areas were closed. On the other hand we didn’t have to deal with a large crowd and only a few school groups so I felt it was a good trade off. My favorite animals were the otters. We happened by their enclosure just in time for a feeding and a dozen of the little critters were tumbling over each other, chirping like birds, and crying like kittens in the hopes that they would be fed.  Adorable.

On the way back to the Center, Dan & I happened upon an entire street and open air market (Camden Lock) dedicated to alternative clothing and culture (goth, punk, hippies, etc). We didn’t have time to really explore, but it was pretty awesome looking and we’ll be making time on the next trip.

Afternoon Tea (which we had around 5 pm instead of dinner) was lovely with several sandwiches, warm scones, clotted cream, jam, small desserts, and two large pots of tea.  As always happens with Tea, there was too much food but it was all very tasty and well worth going to London to have it served in white china.

All in all it was a great trip, but I was happy to come home. My feet were killing me and I like the small space of Maastricht much more than any large city.

New Year, New Experiences

The New Year is upon us and my jetlag has more or less worn off from our trip home for the holidays and it occurs to me that Maastricht Minutiae has laid fallow for long enough. It was never really my intention to go without a post for a few weeks but visiting family and friends in the States took more out me than I anticipated. It wasn’t until a tiny Carneval parade banged down my street yesterday that I finally shook off my travel funk and got back to work.

As we’ve spoken about on the podcast (and alluded to on the blog), Dan & I were in New England this year for Christmas and New Years. We’ve been in Maastricht for nearly a year now, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this first visit home. Turns out it was pretty painless. I’d been missing my family and friends since Thanksgiving and was thrilled to see them, but I don’t particularly miss anything else about the US. I did get a little homesick when we visited friends in Boston; but after having built the first 5 years of my marriage in that city, it stands to reason.

The thing I was struck the most with was what I think I’ll call the “luxury of space” we have in the US; something I never noticed before. Its a funny concept and I’ll be holding onto it for a future post. I think Maastricht has also ruined me (in a good way) for the sprawling life of the average American town/city/suburb.

And huge freaking cars. Seriously. Why are American’s all driving boats on the highway?

Anywho, we’re home in Maastricht now and the New Year is a time for new plans. Firstly, I plan to continue expanding Maastricht Minutiae and finally move it over onto its own server space where I can have some more flexibility. We got a great new camera for Christmas and I’m hoping to improve my photography along with my writing this year. I have some series planned out on several topics of interest in expats which I’ve tweaked for the Limburg set. I’m happy to see some serious improvements in expat resources in Maastricht and hope that my little blog can be a part of it.

Dan & I are finally going to launch his online comic, Walking the Lethe, on January 19th. Its a dark story about a man who makes a deal with a demon to break his wife out of heaven. The comic will be available for free to read online (pages posted one at a time, Tuesday and Friday), with an optional monthly subscription that allows you to read ahead by about 24 pages. FYI: it is a mature comic. I’m very excited about this project (I’ve been building the websites for months) and I hope you’ll swing by and check it out after we get rolling. I’ll be giving another heads up on launch day and then probably in a month when we have some pages up.

By extension, I’ve been muttering on and off about starting my own Information Services business and I think that now is the time to finally dig in. I’ll be doing a combination of freelance copyright research, writing, and other organizational administrative tasks as befits my archivist/librarian background. Expect to see more in the next couple of weeks as I do all the paperwork and set up a little website. I’ll blog about the process too of course. Starting a freelance business in the Netherlands isn’t actually that complicated, but it does take more work than in the US.

Finally, everyone needs to have a fitness resolution right? Before the holidays (and snow) threw me off my schedule, I started an interval jogging program called Couch to 5k. The idea is to start out slow and work your way up to running a 5k (2.5 miles) in 30 minutes over the course of 9 weeks. I’ve always been anti-running, but my first couple of weeks were a lot of fun. Plus we bought new running shoes in the US. Now I’ll be starting from the beginning to get back on task. If you’re interested in starting up too, I’d love some virtual running partners.

I hope everyone out there is having an excellent New Year. I’d love to hear what your plans are and/or what you think you’d like to see here at Maastricht Minutiae. A new podcast will be out in a day or two as we get back on the ball with that as well. Cheers!

How to Visit Amsterdam in Three Days

While Dan’s parents visited last week, we spent three days in Amsterdam. We explored several museums, toured the city on our own and with a guide, and took a bus tour to the Alkmaar Cheesemarket & to see some windmills. I think it was a good trip and with some adjustments, it could be a great one for others.

This Amsterdam trip is best suited for adults since it includes a trip to the House of Bols and a walking tour of the Red Light District. It is pretty casual so you have plenty of time to pack in more museums if you want.

Day One

When you arrive in Amsterdam, be sure to drop off all your baggage at your hotel or hostel. While most won’t allow check-in before 1 or 2 pm, they will usually hold your bags for you until later. We arrived after noon, so we were able to check-in right away, but did have less time for exploring.

On the first day, it’s nice to just walk around and get to know the city. We used a Rick Steve’s book walking tour to explore the center of Amsterdam, but you can find free and cheap self-guided tours of Amsterdam both online or at the VVV.

Along your tour, you might find the Nieuwe Kerk & the Amsterdam Historical Museum. The church isn’t very interesting unless you like to visit historical churches, but it is a good place to pick up a Museumkaart (no line). Its also located on the famous Dam square where the first Amstel Dam was built. The Historical Museum, on the other hand, is very through, has English translations, and is worth a good visit. Give yourself an hour (more if you don’t have the Museumkaart) to explore before walking down to the Bloemenmarkt.

The Bloemenmarkt is a flower street market and the best place to buy tulip bulbs in Amsterdam. Most shops will close up by 5 pm, but a few will be open a bit later. After the Bloemenmarkt, enjoy the dinner of your choice.

Day Two

Day two is museum day. The major, public museums in Amsterdam are all clustered together on the Museumplein so it is a good idea to visit several at a time. If you want more time for each or between them, many are open late on Friday. We visited the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and House of Bols. All three were good, but for quick thoughts:
- In 2009, the Rijksmuseum is still being renovated but a significant portion is still viewable. Many exhibits include English translations.
- The Van Gogh Museum really is better if you spring for the audio guide but it can be long winded. Many exhibits include English translations.
- House of Bols requires visitors to be 18 years old and you get a cocktail & two shots of flavored Bols liquor included in your ticket. Its pretty interactive. Everything is in English as well as Dutch.

After dinner, wrap up the evening with a walking tour of the red light district. The Randy Roy’s Red Light District Tour is lead by an American woman who has been living in Amsterdam for 20 years and will run you 12,50 euros per person. It was an interesting tour, but rather awkward with the In-laws along. If this isn’t your thing try one of the museums in the evening or try visiting a café with live music.

Day Three

By day three you’ve been doing a ton of walking, so taking one of the several half-day bus tours out of the city will give your feet some time to rest and you the chance to take in some of the countryside. The Alkmaar Cheesemarket tour that we took was good (the market was smaller than I expected), but it is not available all year. You could also try a tour to Delft, a Windmill-oriented one, or (if you visit in the Spring) the Keukenhof flower show. There are several tour organizing companies in Amsterdam and you can also book some via the VVV.

After you return from your tour (bring snacks, we didn’t have time to lunch & got back around 2 pm), you can visit the Anne Frank Museum. The museum has restricted entry, so it is advisable to purchase advance tickets online through their website. Don’t try to do it through the VVV (like we did); they only have tickets available after 6 pm.

To kill time we visited the Woonboot (Houseboat) Museum. For about 3,75 euros you can tour this small private museum on an actual houseboat. It was neat, but I don’t know if I would pay for it; at least not again. They don’t take the Museumkaart, but do take the Holland Pass.

Some times during your visit, it is worth taking a canal tour. Lover’s has been recommended to me, but I haven’t tried them. Look for one with smaller boats and real tour guides to avoid getting a canned recording in six different languages.

Have you visited Amsterdam? Share your favorite attractions and activities in the comments.

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