Europe Summer 2017 3/17 - Netherlands, Belgium and France in One Day? What a Fancy Day!

Yes, you read the title right! I also can't believe it either :p

I might call it "The Art of Europe Trip" where in just One Day you can hop on 3 countries and feel so Fancy

Rembrant Mill since 1636, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Day 4 - Saturday, 17 June 2017

This morning would be very interesting because we are planning to do biking around the neighborhood and there was another windmill located not far from my friend's house. The weather was very nice in that morning. Got the bikes from the parking area and we rode bikes in the morning. Lucky me, my friend has 2 bikes. So, windmill and bikes are perfect combination to experience local life at Holland, yeay! so happy :D

I could tell how long Dutch people's legs are because it's quite difficult for me to reach the pedals especially when I tried to pedal it hehe. In addition, mostly their bikes break position also different with Indonesian one, it's not located on your hand position but on the pedal. Just pedal to the back and it's break already, so it's bit unusual. But I managed ride the bikes because I change with the one that have break in the hand position.

It's not that crowded so I am not afraid to ride a bike there, no need to compete with the ones that run so fast like in the city center haha. You can spot people riding their bikes, jogging or even doing canoeing there. So we are heading to this windmill, apparently it's called Rembrandt Mill (De Riekermolen), it's very old, since 1636. Not far from there you can see Rembrandt Statue, and it turned out Rembrandt made so many sketches in that area.

bikes, jogging

people do canoeing at Amstel river :)

When we arrived, I saw a group tour of old people visited this place too but still not so many people there. Maybe because it's located not in the city center and not popular yet. The environtment was really nice, people can do canoeing at Amstel River just in front of that windmill.

After that, we went back to my friend's house and I brought my backpack and we headed to Albert Cuypmarkt, going with the Tram (Cost 2.9 Euro), it's a market located at City Center. Our plan is trying out Holland Street Snack and once we arrived there, ohhh so many good things to see there! I love it!! It's around 10.30 AM and we explored this market. The beautiful tulips and you can buy the seeds if you want. So many street snacks there and one thing that I amazed there are how cheap those berries can be! Oh my..Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries etc is just 1 Euro per box which is too cheap and I would love to go back there and my healthy menu would be not that expensive like the one that I had in Indonesia. Because in Jakarta, 1 box for berries like that would cost around 5-6 Euro, huhu. I bought Blueberries there and stroll again.

inside the tram

ohhh so pretty!! <333

interesting market!

Cheese!

I can eat berries like everyday there! sooo cheap! only 99 cents euro

One thing that you can't forget to try while in Holland is their Poffertjes, I know it's common already in Jakarta but trying out the original ones from the country itself just make another experience to try in Holland. I had one, 2.95 Euro/ portion, had small portion but still pretty much for me and it's so tasty! I thought Poffertjes would be shape like balls but there was not that ball look a like but more flat, still very good though. They decorated the Poffertjes with little flag of Holland, so Holland. Strolling around the market on that morning was super nice. I was too enjoy that moment and I didn't realize what time should I leave to catch my bus at 1 PM.

So I left the market quite long around 10 minutes pass 12 PM. Apparently the bus terminal is quite far, and actually I was bit panicked haha. Get into the Metro (Cost 2.9 Euro). In the end, I need to run and find my Flixbus to Paris at Amsterdam Sloterdijk. I arrived at Amsterdam Sloterdijk station at 12.58 while my bus will be leaving at 1 PM. Oops! I need to run and find station officer to ask where the Bus is as soon as I arrived.

I love Stroopwafels!

Yummy!! Poffertjes in here is quite flat

me and Maartje enjoying our Poffertjes :)

Loveeee it

found this stall selling Indonesian food :)

I love this market :)

one of famous Hotel in Holland, most celebrities stayed there

Flixbus is located outside the Station, but luckily it's in front of the Amsterdam Sloterdijk Station and I can spot the Green color of the bus directly. I ran (sprinted, actually) into that Bus because I almost late, I carried my trolley bag on my back and another small backpack in the front. It's tiring to run like that..phew but thankfully I still can catch my bus on time though. Show your ticket via email and passport and then you can go into the bus, for Flixbus, you can choose seats for free. I still felt exhausted because of that running yet sweating, huh hah huh hah.

vending machine for Metro

Amsterdam Sloterdijk

my Flixbus Amsterdam - Paris

inside the Flixbus

First time using Flixbus and I like the bus, so clean, comfortable, Free Wifi and USB Portable so you can charge your phone. The cost for Flixbus was 19 Euro and it took around 7.5 hours by Bus to my next destination, Paris :) I have no idea what to visit in Paris beside Eiffel Tower but glad to meet a new friend, apparently a French guy sitting next to me and got some suggestions what to see in Paris even Switzerland, it's nice to meeting new people like this. He said he has a plan to travel around the world and now he is gathering the list for places to visit, *cough* of course I am telling him about Indonesia :)

UNPLANNED STOP at BELGIUM? YAY!

Another lucky thing for me on that day, it turned out the Bus will stop a while in Central Station at Antwerp, Belgium. I know I've been exaggerating but I was happy because I can see a glimpse of Belgium. Stopped for 15 minutes and we can grab something for lunch, I was like wow..it was totally a fancy day for me, because in this one day I had breakfast at Amsterdam, lunch at Belgium and dinner at Paris. I had Quick, a fast food restaurant, got Cheeseburger and French Fries (4.2 euro). The Bus stopped for 2 times, once in Antwerp and another on somewhere at France, it stopped for 30 minutes but it's just Gas Station and one Convenience Store so nothing to see there which I prefer to stay longer in Antwerp then -_- It's a bit traffic in Paris so it took around 8 hours until we arrived at Porte Maillot Bus Terminal, Paris.

at Antwerp Central Station, wow so fancy

me and busmate from France, Remi :)

BONJOUR! Welcome to Paris!

Arrived almost 9 PM in Paris and still bright, the metro subway is located not far from the Bus Terminal, just across the road. I took the Metro from Gare de Neuilly - Porte Maillot Metro Station. Luckily, my new friend helped me out when I want to buy Metro ticket, such a good start entering Paris. I was bit worried actually because I heard some bad stories of this city, especially because I travelled alone so I felt so lucky because I met a nice people from France. I bought single ticket for Metro 1.9 euro to Les Gobelins, stayed with Couchsurfing from France. 

inside the Metro in Paris

At night we strolled around city started from Trocadero by Metro (1.9 euro), Trocadero area was so crowded at that night, this place built for the world exhibition also a good place for Parisian and the view of Paris. There are 2 museums there, Museum of Mankind (Homme Museum) and City of Architecture. 

From there for sure you can see Eiffel Tower, the icon of Paris. Eiffel Tower, still can't believe I am already in Paris where I was just at Amsterdam in the morning, Belgium on my way here to grab lunch and now already in France, wow. It's sooo crowded on that night, and you will find so many people try to sell souvenirs there but really it's really cheap because they sell Eiffel Tower keychains 1 euro for 6 pcs, damn! so cheap. I am also grateful because finally I can visit the place where TVXQ visited few years ago and remember, Bonjour Paris? :) (only Cassiopeia will know)

We waited there until the lights show is on, so happy because I got to see Eiffel Tower when the lights on and it was so pretty, the lights show started at 11 PM. I don't think I will get to see Eiffel Tower with the lights on if I am alone so I was so happy to see it. So many people gathered around Eiffel Tower and sometimes you will find someone offering you wine or beers to you, and once you seem interested or asked them, prepare yourself because it's hard to push them away since they will keep insist you to buy.

so packed with people

Seine River at night, what a view!

Eiffel Tower, surely can't be missed!

From there we strolled around Champs Elysee, where known as the luxury area with luxury brands where I feel bad because there were so many homeless people laying down there. We also got to see Arc de Triomphe, one of the famous monument in Paris that you can't missed it too when you visit Paris, I know it's mainstream one but while you in Paris, why not :p

Strolling around  and we were getting tired by walking so we decided to go back home, another Metro single ticket 1.9 euro. It was late already when we get back home and be ready again in few hours to stroll alone Paris, this time solo in the morning. 

one of expensive hotel in Paris

Arc de Triomphe

a Disney Store that I found in Paris

wanna do disco on the bus? haha

Thank you for reading my blogpost and see you soon!

PS. My phone is broken so I had trial and error trying editing my pictures from Lightroom via laptop because I lost all the pictures and data in my phone, where usually I edited my pictures on my phone through Snapseed and VSCOcam, I don't know if you could feel any changes on pictures in this blogpost, first time editing from Lightroom and so far I like it, pretty fun to use too :)