Exploring the World: Honeymoon in Europe : Day 2

Route : London (via France & Belgium) to Amsterdam !

Indeed, I was awoke at 0445 by the hotel's morning call..... On my....... I think I haven't even sleep at all...... With my blurry eyes, I took a peek at the window and the sky was breaking, it was in dark blue and not black colour.....

After a warm shower to perk me up and little packing, we headed to the lobby promptly to meet our Tour Director. To our atonishment, there were already heaps of people there. Little did, I realised that it was not our Tour Director as ours were downstairs. The hotel lobby is on the 1st floor.

As we proceed down the escalator, another heaps of people greeted us. No, it's not our Tour Director again ! Apparently, there were 3 groups (including ours) of tour departing at the same time, at the same hotel.... After a little hunt, we finally managed to locate our Tour Director who was at the other end counting our luggages.

Our baggages were loaded on the coach promptly by the Tour Driver and we were on the road soon. The sky was bright by then when we set off. It was only 6.10am.

The ride from London city to Dover (where we are going to board the ferry) is about 1 hr 30 mins away. As the hotel's breakfast room was not open at the time when we set off, we were given packed breakfast. It looked good and definitey healthy with bread, water, yoghurt and an apple. But I was sad. I hate cold breakfast. And this definitely doesn't liven my spirits at all. Despite that, I still ate coz I'm hungry ! The lebanese supper we had last evening just didn't fill my stomach afterall.

Soon we arrived into Dover and the sun was shining brightly with cool breeze. The weather is just perfect for any holiday ! We were slightly a bit early so we gotta hang around the place as our ferry was scheduled to be at 0915.

It was an P & O ship and it is definitely a ferry. It was huge when coaches and cars can drive into its platform. When we went onboard, we can actually work around and it is like a cruise, just minus away all the shiny pillar, spanking carpets. You sit on armchairs, there's a game arcade, many different kind of F & Bs to suit your choice. There is even a DFS for shopping.

Initially, I thought I'm going to take something like those Bintan ferry. Haa !

After 1hr 3o mins, we arrived in Calais (car-lay), France ! The weather in France was warmer but I like it. We got on to our ultra luxury coach with provide up to twice as much legroom and we zoomed into the highway of France to Holland. By then, it was already 1130 as the rest of Europe is 1 hr ahead of England. The entire journey is going to take 4.5 hrs, non-stop. But of course, our coach will stop for break.

As France, Belgium and Holland are under the European Union, travelling from 1 country to another is such a breeze. Without you knowing, we zoomed in Belgium with just a little traffic sign board greeting us.

There wasn't anything much to see as we were travelling on highway and due to lack of sleep the night before, I dozed off and awoke again quite many times during the journey. A hard knock suddenly shoke me up and suddenly, I am in Holland !

I was really getting excited.......pretty buildings greeted me as we drove into Amsterdam. By then, it was almost late afternoon and we are going on a canal cruise. The cruise was already waiting for us by the time we arrived and we were in the boat the next minute getting a glimpse of Amsterdam.

We were told bicycles is a way of life of the Dutch. The most common kind of transport in Amsterdam. The most environmentally friendly one. I witnessed a lot while the coach drove into the city. But never in my life I saw THIS much ! Not even in Beijing. A multi-storey of bicycle park - as our boat sailed passed.

Amazing architecture unfolds as we sailed through the canals. Pretty houses and buildings greeted me as I passed. Small doors and large windows are typical design of Dutch buildings. I adore and fall in love with them. I have a penchant for huge windows as I like natural light to flood the apartment (if I own one).

We were also told the canal barges are also houses for many. A house where they stay and not as a holiday house. Rows and rows of them lined on the canals neatly, one after another. Some are really so pretty that you will simply hope to own one. People sit by the canals enjoying the day just made the city so idyllic.

After a relaxed 45mins cruise on the canal, we headed to had our dinner. Yes, dinner while the sun is still shining brightly at 1900. Alvin and me were just not getting used to have dinner that 'early'. We had dinner at a chinese floatinf restaurant. To be exact, we were told it is an Indonesian restaurant serving Indonesian food. The Dutch used to monopolise and run Indonesia during the 15th 16 th century and so they picked up many Indonesian cooking. But I can assured you, there is nothing close to being Indonesian except the way they served the food. You sat around a round table, not long. The decor of the restaurant is chinese, the service staffs are chinese, the food and cooking method used are also very chinese. Alvin was of course very much delighted as he never expect to be served chinese food, what's more on the 1st day of the tour !

It was almost 2000 when we finished our dinner and the coach drove us to the hotel. We were located near the lively Rembrant Square. It was a 4* hotel. It was a fantastic hotel although it was small. Look at the room, how cool it is. It was amzed by how minimial it has yet you don't feel lack of something. The colour of grety and just white simply makes the room looks very chic.