The play of colors and colors...
- I want to go to Amsterdam again...
- What was there already?
- No, I already wanted to! ! ! )))
My attempt number 4 to get into the land of tulips was a success. Tour "The game of colors and colors ... " from 11.04. to 19.04. 2011, operator Accord tour, director Viktor Gorodnichiy. There are a lot of letters, emotions, lyrical digressions in the review, the text is absolutely subjective and contains little practical information)))
Day 1. Everything according to plan - met, escorted to the bus (Scania bus, Ukrainian numbers, drivers are also ours Mikhail and Igor - thank you very much to them !! ! - they did their job for 5+), left, customs - standard 3 hours and hello , Europe! ! ! ! We eat all day, get to know each other - a special thanks to the group - a positive attitude in the team and the absence of delays - this is always the key to a successful trip ! ! ! !
Overnight transit, Lesna, Poland.
The hotel is modest, but in the center of the city))) Regarding overnight stays - a huge hello to the managers of the Accord, we continue to explore the suburbs of all the capitals of Europe))))
Day 2. Road - Erfurt - road - overnight. I love the road, so moving did not bother me, plus an interesting selection of films and a seat behind the middle door, where you can stretch your legs)))
Erfurt is a very nice town with old houses that was not damaged during the war years. We walk around the city - dandelions bloom, the grass turns green - this is after my +1 and the snow at home ...The journey from winter to spring goes by leaps and bounds)))
The hotel is excellent, from the Ramada chain. The breakfast is more than worth it.
Day 3. Cologne - road - Brussels. I know for sure about Cologne that there is a Cathedral there))) Our guide drove around the Cathedral for an hour, telling in detail about the history of its construction and interior decoration. They went inside on their own.
According to local legend, the sounds of the organ in the Cathedral have a healing effect ...I was not inspired - the quiet and mournful melody caused me an irresistible desire to escape into the wild, into the sun))) There was a strong belief that there was nothing more to see in Cologne except for the Cathedral ...Then free time and the way to Brussels.
Brussels was the first city in Europe that I, while still a student, saw from the bus window. Then it was comparable to a cultural upheaval. I anxiously awaited our second meeting. And the city did not disappoint me. I still love his energy! Pan-European "patchwork" - and in architecture, and in the inhabitants, and in the mentality.
Sightseeing bus and walking tour of the main attractions. Just a warning - attention to wallets! ! ! Pickpockets work quickly and professionally. Luckily none of us were hurt. I have a rhetorical question along the way - who teaches the Arabs the Russian language?
On the street called "The Belly of Brussels", seeing groups of Russo tourists, the Arabs actively invited to their restaurant with a phrase in Russian - massage is free)))) It remained a mystery - do they massage before dinner, after or instead of it? )))
Free time until late evening. Everyone managed to speak according to their interests - some for beer (there are more than 400 varieties of local beer in the country!! ! ), some for chocolate and waffles, some for shopping, some for a leisurely walk around the city. I found a girlfriend of "Manneken Pis", the same "Girl" - they say somewhere there is their own dog)))
Overnight. The hotel is a solid three stars. Tasty coffee )))
Day 4. Optional Antwerp - Ghent - Bruges. AAAAAAA!!! ! ! ! Emotions and positive from the perception of reality are growing exponentially. Plus an amazing tour guide - thanks to him for additional positive emotions ! ! ! !
The order of visiting cities is very well built - from less dumbfounding (may Antwerp forgive me) to knocking the ground out from under the feet of Bruges ...
Antwerp is a small old town with crooked tangled streets paved with paving stones, "bald" lindens and huge flower beds with pansies ...
Ghent - struck with the sounds of the harp in the Cathedral of St. Bavo - the musician is in one of the galleries of the cathedral, and the sound spreads throughout the square ...Very beautiful panoramic pictures of the city are obtained from the bridge of St. Bavo. Michael!
Paradise is an eternity spent in Bruges...A city mothballed for several hundred years and retaining its ancient architecture...First, a culture shock, then a cultural coma...The first symptoms of the "Florence Syndrome" - when the number of beauties per unit area exceeds a critical mark, and consciousness, Being in constant euphoria, it is difficult to perceive something new...
))) We climbed the Belfort tower - the view of the city from a bird's eye view is fascinating, for this it was worth climbing 366 steps on foot!
The hotel is excellent, still the same Ramada chain. In the morning I woke up to the trilling of birds outside the window ...
Day 5. Road - Amsterdam! ! ! ! I was preparing for a meeting with this city, I read a lot about it - other people's reviews, general information and history - I understood only one thing - you either like it or you don't like it - there is no third way ...I am very glad that it happened to me personally, with this city mutual penetration, the first date took place and went perfectly! Special thanks to our guide in the Netherlands - Vlad! I don't remember the last time I listened to a guide with such delight and admiration! ! !
The sightseeing tour began with a visit to a diamond factory - they talked about the technical side of cutting and the purity of the stones, but most importantly, they let me try on jewelry with diamonds ...As they say in Odessa, “yes!
On a pale blue background, almond branches bloomed with delicate spring flowers - what colors, what colors, what emotions ! ! !
In the evening - optional - a walk along the canals "Amstel Labyrinths". The same city, view from the water… Very interesting views and angles, I recommend it! ! !
Overnight. A solid three star hotel. Breakfast is similar.
Day 6. The apogee of the tour, its highest point - the day for which the whole trip was planned. Bloemencorso flower parade and Keukenhof park. The main parade was watched in a small town along the route of the cortege. Local residents also pleased tourists with a local children's parade. A very touching sight - in strollers of various shapes and colors decorated with flower arrangements, the children proudly sat, filled with a sense of the importance of the moment - of course - they are carried with honor along the main street, and tourists are trying to take pictures)))
Then there was a parade...It involved more than 50 vehicles (about 20 platforms and 30 cars), richly decorated with millions of flowers. This year's theme is music. How to describe it? Where to find words? How to express your own emotions? It's just a must see!! ! ! ! Necessarily! ! ! ! I address the same words to the Keukenhof park - 32 hectares of continuous flower delight! ! ! The "Florence Syndrome" is reaching its peak...The camera's battery has been discharged to zero in a day - the first time in its two-year history...
How beautiful he is - that fiery flower!
On a long stem proud and lonely.
The petals of a closed bud are beautiful.
For four centuries the world has been in love with him...
tulips yellow,
Tulips are red,
Tulips are white,
Tulips are different.
Optional “Under the red light…” - with our guide, it was one continuous song to Amsterdam at night… The city at night is completely different, just as interesting, but different! ! ! !
The realm of freedom, light drugs and corrupt love. .
Side note - our Mikola Yanovich also recently came to Holland to learn from experience ...Of course, in building a taxation system in the country ...And not what you thought))))
Day 7. Road - Hameln - road - overnight. Hameln is a fabulous old German city associated with the legend of the Pied Piper. Very cute and pleasant. With pleasure we wandered along its streets, got lost between the toy houses and listened to the stories of the guide. A feeling of slight sadness settled inside - you understand that emotions, having reached the top, began to decline ...
Transit overnight. The hotel in Poland is excellent, only after renovation. Breakfast is more modest than expected.
Day 8. Road - Krakow - road - Motherland. This is my second meeting with Krakow. I love this city. I went on a sightseeing tour, I really liked it. Traditionally they waved to the Trumpeter.
Wawel in magnolia colors is one of the strongest impressions from this visit to the city. Free time. I wanted to get to the St. Mary's Church for the evening service, but we ended up in the city on the Day of Remembrance of those killed near Smolensk - there was a large memorial service in the church with a broadcast on the square and there was no crowding inside.
Everything. Night transfer to Ukraine. Border crossing point Krakovets. Some potholes instead of roads. Well hello motherland...
Summary - I really liked the tour! ! ! A sea of positive emotions, which even upon arrival have not yet been completely streamlined, new pleasant acquaintances with fellow travelers, warm spring weather, amazing impressions of new cities and a dream come true in the form of Keukenhof Park ...
The organizational part of the Accord also pleased me - a good bus, thoughtful details of the program, normal hotels, professional drivers, a group leader - there is nothing to complain about. One big BUT in this barrel of honey is spending the night in the suburbs...Otherwise - 5+!! ! ! !