In the fall of 1997 my company at the time (PDM Information Company) sent me to the CIMdata Europe trade show in Noordwijk, Netherlands. While I was there, I took a few days to explore on my own. I was so grateful for that opportunity. I was concerned that I would be very lonely exploring Europe by myself, but it ended up being a great adventure. I spent several days in Brussels, Belgium and then took the train to Brugge, Belgium. Several days later I took the train back to Amsterdam, Netherlands and spent a day exploring there before going to Noordwijk for the show. I've included just a few photos of those areas to give you a flavor of what they were like.
I thought Brussels was a beautiful city, with an interesting mix of Germanic, Dutch, and French influences. There were incredible buildings in the Grand Place area, where I spent much time exploring.
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| Street scenes in Brussels | More Grand Place |
Brugge is a much smaller town than Brussels, but is very quaint and picturesque. Although it was late October when I was there, it was warm enough to walk in just a sweater, and the leaves were brilliantly colored. All over there were waterways, wonderful buildings, gardens, shops and open air restaurants lining the walkways. I was charmed incredibly by Brugge.
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| Center Square | Scenic Walkway |
I did not have too much time to explore Amsterdam, but I did spend about five or six hours walking around the city. I also was able to take a tour boat through the canals, and see many fascinating things there. A large number of people live all year in houseboats on the canals. I have included a few photos of Amsterdam below
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| Amsterdam Neighborhood | Houseboats on Canal |