This is the last entry of my recent European trip, I promise ( Read more... )

Hoorn is an old town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Founded in 716, it became home base for the Dutch East India Company during Holland's "Golden Age". Cape Horn was named after the town by Willem Schouten, who rounded it in 1616 and was a native of Hoorn.
Хорн

Это старый город в провинции Северная Голландия в Нидерландах, ( Read more... )

If you travel to Belgium, you must visit Brugge. Because if you didn't, nobody believes you were in Belgium:) Personally, I like Antwerp and Ghent more, the history and modern times go side by side there. In Brugge history stopped centuries ago, and now is sold to tourists piece by piece. But Brugge certainly has it's own charm, and worth to take a ( Read more... )

That day our ship arrived in Ghent, The morning we spent in Brugge, but then we had a choice, either to stay longer in Brugge, or to return to the ship and spend some time in Ghent. We choose the second option, and it was a right choice! Ghent is wonderful. If Brugge looks like big museum with crowd of tourists walking everywhere, Ghent is ( Read more... )

Dutch people told us that we will like Belgium, and Antwerp particularly. Besides Antwerp being a beautiful city, the reason is a lifestyle of Belgians, they are more relaxed than Dutch, and enjoy life without a day-to-day stress. Dutch were right, we love Belgium. I'll show you a lot of pictures of Antwerp as a slideshow, but before will give you ( Read more... )

Delft became a city in 1246. It's historic town center with canals attracts a lot of tourists. It's also famous for Delft ceramics that is produced here since 17th century. Many Dutch painters worked in Delft, the most famous is Jan Vermeer. It's also native town of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, inventor of microscope ( Read more... )

Once upon a time a cradle with a baby was washed down to the canal. It happened that at the moment a cat was in the cradle with the baby. When cradle leaned to one side, the cat jumped to the other side, keeping the cradle in balance until rescuers reached it. This way the cat saved the child. This is how that place got it's name (dijk means dam in ( Read more... )

First it was cloudy and dark...

Поначалу там было пасмурно и темно...

Slideshow Слайдшоу

Also called Garden of Europe, is the world's largest flower garden. We visited it on April 30, when country celebrated the new King. There were a lot of flowers, sculptures, 5 pavilions with flower exhibitions. It's open till mid-May, then it's closed for the public ( Read more... )

April 30 was a holiday in Netherlands, Queen's Day. But this year it was very special, because Queen Beatrix decided to retire from her duties on this day, and her son Willem-Alexander became the first Dutch king in more than a century. There were parties all over the country. People were waring orange clothing, the color of the House of Orange- ( Read more... )