Taking the train(s) to Brugge

Hello Travelers!
Monday, May 23rd

Amsterdam Canal

Water Taxis Near Centraal

Loren:  Dina and I got up early with the help of an alarm clock rented from the front desk at the StayOkay.   8 Euro deposit, fully refundable.  We had breakfast and took a tram to Centraal Station.  Once there, we bought tickets, which was very easy this time, and stashed the bags in a locker ( 7 Euro!). We had Croissants and coffee at a nice little cafe near the station.  Here's a little insight about train station wheelchair ramps: We had asked the clerk at the StayOkay to call the station the night before to secure a ramp at the siding.   They told him we should just go 2 hours early and arrange it. In my opinion, don't bother going so early.  After travelling around for a week on various trains, we found out the best way was to go to the station about 30 minutes before the train leaves and tell the ticket clerk that you reserved a ramp.  The clerk will complain that he wasn't told.  If you call the day before like some guide books recommend, you will be told that no one had informed them.  So, same result either way.  Also, don't count on a ramp waiting on the other end.  Especially if you are travelling between countries.

No Caption Needed

Antwerp Station

When we got to Antwerp station, there was no ramp waiting.  I muscled Dina's scooter off of the train since I did not want her going on without me.

We missed our connection to Brugge and had to wait an hour for the next train.  No big deal since 

the station at Antwerp is a fascinating old Baroque

building and the hour flew by.  We got on the train and continued on to Brugge.  Since we had the scooter the conductor had us sit in First Class which was almost empty.  In fact the entire train was nearly empty.       

The Courtyard of Boterhuis

Brugge Skyline

 We ended up talking to the conductor for most of the trip and she gave us some interesting back-story about Belgian people, customs, and prejudices.  A ramp was waiting in Brugge. Since our hotel was near the station and it was a beautiful day, we decided to walk.  The hotel was named Boterhuis (Butter house)  It was a great little privately owned inn with a nice big accessible room and bath. It was run by a mother and her daughter.  I would give it an A or A plus for accessibility, comfort, cleanliness, and ambiance.  It was a 3 minute walk to the Town Square.  Dina took a nap and I walked around a little and had a beer at a little pub by a canal.

Brugge Town Square

Very relaxing.  

Panic, Continued

Hello Travelers!
Sunday, May 22nd

Stayokay Vondelpark

Loren:  I finally decided to leave the station and go back to the hostel. Like a dog with it's tail between his legs, I boarded the tram and scurried back to the Stayokay.  On the way back, I realized I had lost a 100 Euro note!  Oh My God, what a day.  I was picturing disaster for the remainder of the trip! Missed trains, lost money, forfeited hotel rooms, etc.....   When I arrived at the Hostel, I spilled out the story of my misadventures to Dina.

At the Van Gogh Museum

 To her credit, she calmly told me to forget about the money.  She pointed out we had probably spent more on a meal recently.   She suggested going to The Van Gogh museum for a relaxing afternoon and returning to the station in the morning to get the tickets.  Dina was calm and helped me   re-gain my perspective.
The museum was right around the corner from the hostel so we strolled over there.  It was very easy to access with large restrooms and huge viewing rooms throughout. We enjoyed the next few hours looking at the huge collection of paintings and sketches of the master.  I have admired Van Gogh since my teens, and it was great finally seeing the large collection of his works.
After, we stopped and had  a Waffle and ice cream at a nearby stand.  Talk about comfort food!  We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon walking near the canals, enjoying a beer and tosti at a local cafe. We ate dinner at the Stayokay and got an early night since we had a train to catch in the morning.

Panic in the Station......

Hello travelers!
Sunday, May 22nd, 2011
Loren:   According to my journal, I had a panic attack after visiting the Amsterdam "Centraal" train station.
It all started like this:
I took the tram to the train station by myself after breakfast.
 Since we were headed to Brugge in the morning, I wanted to buy tickets and check out the logistics of getting on the train. Simple enough, right?   I went to the information booth to find out about having a ramp available at the platform.  Dina would need a ramp to board the train.  I was told to go to the ticketing area and ask there.

Amsterdam Centraal

Picture this: It's Sunday afternoon in what is probably the biggest train station in Holland(which, to add to the confusion, is undergoing a major reconstruction project). Day-trippers by the hundreds heading for home,  lines are everywhere.  Ticket machines, in all colors and styles, are also everywhere.  Ticket agent booths are the same.   Official looking people in various colored uniforms are trying to direct customers to the right area.  There are Hi-Speed trains, local trains, trains of various countries, all with their own ticket booths and salespeople.   Where do I go? Who do I ask? I spot a young couple talking to a ticket agent. Aha! no line! I stand behind them for 10 minutes. When they finally leave, the agent asks if I have a number.  Arrrgghhh!!  I go and take a number, but I don't even know if it's the right railroad!
More later.....

So, You Think That's Weird?

Saint Ives WC

Hello Travelers!


Loren:  So here we are in the heart of  beautiful "Olde Europe" taking pictures of toilets, access ramps, laundromats, gaps between the curb and the tram, and other various and sundry impediments or aids to handicap travel.   I don't know how many times we got "the look" from the natives and other tourists while taking pictures of the "loo" or laundromats during our trip.  If they stared long enough, I would say "I'm writing a blog." as if that would explain anything.
Dina and I had a few good laughs about this.   Other tourists are taking pics of the canals in Amsterdam while we are looking for the toilet in the restaurant even though we don't need to use it.
Since memory is less than perfect, digital photos are an excellent tool to use to jump start  my recollections.


There are many times we need to consider what may lie in the path when planning a trip to an unfamiliar place.  Also, we try to maintain a sense of humor and have some kind of back-up plan in case, for instance, a hotel may not be as described.

Amsterdam Tram

Amsterdam Train Station

                       








One time we were visiting Cozumel on the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. Dina had booked a room downtown near the beach.  When we arrived we saw that it was totally unsuitable since it had a steep staircase going up to the room from the lobby.  The property manager asked us if we wanted to see another place outside of town, a house.  Reluctantly, we agreed.  Now, I have to say, at this point some people would have balked and insisted on an equivalent room near downtown and the beach area. But we decided to give it a look.   After about  half  an hour, we went with the manager, in his car, to look at the house.  Turns out, it was a brand new, 2 bedroom ranch with a swimming pool, kitchen, maid service and large living room.  We were ecstatic!  We rented a car to get to town and really enjoyed the stay.
Moral: don't be too quick to eliminate offered substitutions.

Laundry at the StayOkay Vondelpark

Museum in Brugge

OK, so Rembrandt could draw

Hello Travelers!
Saturday, May 21st

Loren:    Around the corner from the Flea Market is the Rembrandt House and Museum.  Unfortunately the House is not   accessible.  The excellent museum and restrooms are very accessible with many of Rembrandt's drawings and paintings at an easy to view level.  The museum is accessed by an elevator up 1/2 floor.
Dina and I went through the museum and then I took a quick tour through the house.  There are audio guides available in the basement where the tour starts.  After the Rembrandt, we returned to the Hostel by "foot" strolling along the canals and stopping for a lunch of Tostis and bier.  Tostis are a lunch staple in this area of Europe. They are basically a grilled cheese sandwich.

                                                                                    We found out that the Van Gogh Museum
is very near our hostel so we took a short walk over to check it out.  We made a plan to visit the next day.
We took a long nap (til 8:30!) and then strolled Amsterdam until midnight.  This is a fascinating town after dark with the canals lit up and bicycles and people everywhere.

A Little Tram Trouble

Hello travelers!
Friday, May 20th

Loren:  We woke up and had breakfast at the Stayokay Hostel. Very nice buffet of cheeses, breads, meats, coffee, and fruit. The dining area is accessible by elevator to the second floor. The dining area is a bit of a squeeze by American standards, but still quite accessible. In fact the Dutch are very proud(justifiably so!)of providing access to the handicapped population. After breakfast, we made our way to the Flea Market in the Waterlooplein. We boarded the Tram to Alexanderplein with the help of the conductor and his ramp. We were supposed to change trams there and continue on to the flea market.

This happy fellow was reluctant to help us out.
Luckily the tram operator made a decision to allow us on!

Unfortunately, we then hit an obstacle with the next two tram conductors. The conductor on the first tram refused to allow Dina to board with the scooter. We waited for the second tram, but that conductor also said no scooters allowed! Since it was a short walk and a beautiful day, we decided to hoof it. we bought some little ceramic shoes at the market and then went around the corner to the Rembrandt House

Stayokay Vondelpark

Stayokay Vondelpark Lobby

Stayokay Vondelpark Room

Hello travelers!
Friday, May 20th
 Just a reminder that Crazy Legs Europe is a blog about the travels of Loren and Dina in Holland, Belgium, Ireland, and England in May and June of 2011. Dina is a handicapped person with limited use of her legs. She uses an electric scooter full time.

Loren:   Ah, Amsterdam!

We arrived at 8:40 local time. The train station is connected to the airport so it is a short stroll to the train to our hotel. We went to the help desk to find out how to use the train(I.e. getting Dina and her scooter aboard). The person at the desk was very friendly, but told us it would be a two hour wait to get the ramp in place for the next train.

While we were waiting, we tried to get Euro from a local ATM. Neither one of our ATM cards would work in the machine! Fortunately, we had some cash to trade at the money exchange. Our ATM cards worked well for most of the trip. More on that later.

We made train trip to Lelylaan Station and then took the tram to the north-east end of Vondelpark where we had a room waiting at the Stayokay Hostel Vondelpark.

The room was a simple private affair with two bunk-beds. It had an accessible bathroom with roll-in shower. We could have sub-let the 2 top bunks for 20 Euro each, but decided to opt for privacy instead!