Took the train in to Amsterdam today, and headed to the Heineken Brewery.  It was a lot of fun, and a great way to spend a couple of hours.  After we stumbled across a Casino and had some fun there, then my parents went off on Randy Roy’s Red Light Tours  (Shawn and I had already done it in the past), while I walked around and had a few beers in the RL district.  Sorry, no pics of the ladies, it is not allowed, and you could find your phone/camera in the canal if caught taking them.

Posing by the big copper brewing casks

Helping to stir the vat of beer wort

Mom and I on the “Heineken VR Ride”

Virtual Game to “pour the perfect brew”

At the virtual pouring station, I poured the “perfect beer” twice!! LOL, dad couldn’t figure out how to get it right.

There was a lot of fun stuff to play and interact with at the Brewery, including a Virtual Music Maker

There was also Virtual Biking/Karaoke we had fun with.  And this was BEFORE we drank any beers!  🙂

Drinking our “free” beers included with the brewery tour, and hamming it up.

Enjoying our beers at the bar at the end of the tour.

Got suckered in to payin $6 for a customized bottle of beer.

Yes, we ate some KFC in Amsterdam. But boo, they don’t have mashed potatoes, it should be a crime!

LOL, Mom found a casino. Dad did pretty well on his slot machine, and kept winning free game bonuses.

A pic of some of the ladies in the Red Light district, there are hundreds. We didn’t try to take any, because it can land you in hot water. But thanks to Google, here’s a pic.

Post drink after the parents went on Randy Roy’s Redlight District Tour. At Int Aepjen, or “The Monkey Bar”

Don’t get too drunk, the stairs to all of the basement bathrooms are steep and tricky.

Sorry for the late post, we pretty much all took a “sick day” yesterday since we’ve got colds.   The train from Brussels to Amsterdam went well with no issues, and now we’re staying in a lovely home in the beautiful suburb of Haarlem, about 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam.  Today we’re finally venturing out to go explore Amsterdam, and the famous Red Light District.  Stay tuned for updates on the adventures….

We know how to make the train ride to Amsterdam awesome

My Princess Bed

Our house comes with a Steam Bath/Sauna

Haarlem Canals

Building in Haarlem

Addicted to free wi-fi everywhere 🙂

Addicted to free wi-fi everywhere 🙂

Nap time to get over the cold

I think dad wants to bring one of these small cars back to Texas

Trying to translate the Dutch menu

Beer time

Always easy to find a nice outdoor cafe to enjoy a beer

Dinner at the house

Got up for our last morning in Paris and ate breakfast in the apartment.  Headed to the train station to head up to Brussels, Belgium for a night.   I ended up on the wrong traiin, but luckily it was going the same direction, so we all met up in the end.

Belgium is known for it’s Beer, Waffles, and Chocolate, I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to get mom to leave here….. it’s hard enough getting her out of the chocolate shops!

Mom is getting good at dodging the crazy european drivers

Bye Paris, heading in to the train station

Au revoir France, on to Belgium. Having a beer waiting for the train

On the right train to Brussels

Snacks!!

Chocolate!

Can’t decide which chocolate to choose!!

Dad watching his wallet shrink as mom picks out more chocolate to eat.

Made it to Grote Markt (Grand Place) in Brussels Belgium

Dinner in the beautiful Grote Markt

Yummmmmmmmm!!

Delicious dinner

Belgian Beer!

It’s been fun, and the apartment we’re staying in is beautiful.  But this city is big, expensive, and crowded, so it’ll be our last full day.   I decided to buy a ticket and go to the French Open, and the Parents continued on the double-decker bus tour from the previous day.  They explored around and visited the interior of Notre Dame Cathedral  (and I got to go myself later in the day).  We all eventually met up by the Eiffel Tower for dinner, before heading back to pack up.  Next stop is Brussels, Belgium for 24 hours, before heading to our next apartment in the Netherlands (Amsterdam).

Three bag checks, metal detector, and a pat down. Made it in to the French Open. Woot!

Martina Navratilova getting ready to play her doubles match.

Having a glass of bubbly at the French Open

These wheelchair tennis players are badass!! They might as well have a rocket booster on the back, the way they’re able to maneuver so quickly

Wheelchair doubles, more badassery

Lunch…a Royal with Cheese, in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. Don’t judge, LOL. I was starving, and Paris is freaking expensive (IF you can get a seat at a cafe table)!!

OMG… a Cafe with seats… Time to eat some dinner!!

Dancing on the train home

After killing our feet in the Louve the previous day (plus it was pouring rain), we took advantage of the beautiful weather, and bought tickets on a double-decker open air bus.  It allows  you to hop on/off at any of the major sites, but today we just rode around listening to the commentary, and also took a boat cruise up the Siene River.  Finding a place to eat in Paris that has seats is pretty difficult, and I’m pretty sure I’ve eaten more McDonald’s in the past few days than I have in a year.  (Plus they have bathrooms, which can be hard to find). Somehow today we managed to avoid the McD’s.

The Louvre Museum

How does this selfie stick work again??

Da Louvre Museum

Notre Dame from the boat

Boat ride down the Siene river

Sight seeing on the double decker hop on/off bus.

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel,

I’m on a boat! Floating past Notre Dame

Boat ride up the Siene River is great, til the guy behind us starts “digging for gold”

Time for some beers in the shade of the Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower… it’s HUGE 🙂

Managed to wedge ourselves in to a cafe for dinner… it’s tough. Took us about an hour to find a place to eat.

Sorry, been busy touring, and too exhausted to make a post, but here we go.   Flight from Rome to Paris on Easyjet went very smoothly!  Got to our apartment, and it’s gorgeous and in a nice quiet neighborhood.  Spent the first day at the Louvre (it was luckily open until 10pm this night), but after 9 hours… we were too tired to cook, so we just got McDonald’s, LOL.   Today we’ll be touring more sights, and I’ll get those posted asap.

Parents are enjoying my Airport Lounge Access while waiting for the flight to Paris

All aboard!

Blury selfie on the flight from Rome to Paris

Parisian Bedroom #1

One of our Parisian bathrooms

Our Parisian kitchen

We made it, now just have to survive the entry line

The Louvre!

Ms. Mom & Ms. Mona Lisa

Found some ancient Hawaiian art in the Louvre!!

Sphynx at the Louvre

Selfie!!

I feel like I’ve entered the House of the Faceless Men, from Game of Thrones!

Lovely Parisian cuisine!!

Yes, Pulp Fiction was correct. McDonald’s doesn’t have a Quarter Pounder with Cheese

Rome has been amazing  but time to fly to Paris tomorrow.  Today was a day to relax and wander, and rest after drinking a bunch of vino and limoncello the night before.

Vino vino!

vino and limoncello, ruh roh raggy

Piaza Navona, and it’s main fountain with an Egyptian Oblisk

Dome of St. Agnes in Agone, the church was amazing and ornate.

Amazing pasta dinner

More limoncello

The first Sunday of every month is free entry for all museums  monuments, and archeological areas.  The parents went to Castle St Angelo, and I went to a few museums that turned out to be a let down.  I did however get to go to the top of Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio for free, and it had amazing views.  Mom n dad had a bus mix up  and temporarily visited the suburb of Volpi. Later after we all met up, we saw the police raid the folks selling goods illegally, as one ran past to get away he dropped his bag.  Mom stomped on it so he couldn’t get it  and the police were able to confiscate it..

We have been here three days, and have given up on buying bus tickets  we’ve gone rogue, lol.

awesome city skyline

the view is awesome from the top of Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio

This area is called “middle aged women’s selfie corner”

I hiked the six/seven stories up only to find a shitty small war museum….. guess what… it had AC… so I gladly paid the €5 to get in

Police after mom took a bite outta crime…. told ya we were MAGA… Making Europe Great Again…..

Top of the Vittoriano Monument

Castle Saint Angelo…. mom just finished stomping out some criminals! story only will happen in person over beers!!!

so glad this shitty “museum” was free today… Palazzo Venezia…. walked through multiple empty galleries, then it was just occasional knick knacks like brass doves … ugh

Two brass doves…. yippie… yawn

Mom is mad we are out of limoncello to drink….

Dessert from the local fruit stand 🍉🤠

Today we spent touring the Vatican.  The parents went to the necropolis and museums (including Sistine Chapel).  I’d already done that tour before, so I opted for the Necropolis & Vatican Gardens tour instead.  Luckily my tour also included entrance to the Museums/Sistine Chapel, because my parents ended up accidentally taking the “secret shortcut” to St. Peter’s Basicila, and exited the museum.   Instead of having to walk a few miles around Vatican City, I was able to cut through the museum and Sistine Chapel to take the “shortcut” too, so we could finally meet up in St. Peter’s Square.

Daily breakfast, cooking eggs n sausage in the apartment

More of the Gardens with St Peter’s Basilica in the background

Vatican Gardens

Grotto in the Vatican Garde

St. Peter’s Tomb

Interior of St Peter’s Basilica

Naughty Venus, zoom in on her boyfriend, lol

St. Peter’s Square

Everyone got some much needed rest last night, and jetlag seems to be beaten.  Cooked some eggs and toast in the apartment before setting off for our tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forums.  It was a great day/tour, and we ended up walking 8 miles during the whole day.

Taking a seat in the Colosseum

Interior of the Colosseum

Huge buildings/ruins in the Roman Forums

Yawn… just some ancient arch

Trevi Fountain!

Pizza and Vino for dinner

Can’t take these kids anywhere… all they do is play on their cell phones these days…

End of day, and these kids are STILL on their phones… LOL