otterdam has this not-so-little secret spot for families, hidden in one of its swanky neighbourhood, Hillegersberg. While I have frequented this area to dine out, I only discovered Plaswicjkpark of late. Because why else would one go here if one doesn’t have an offspring?

I have a yearly tradition of travelling in August, before or after my birthday. Last year though, my mother visited me in the Netherlands and we made a small European tour so money was a bit tight when my birthday came. Not wanting me to miss my tradition, my husband took me to Brussels for a day trip.

Have you ever heard of Schokland?

Neither have I.

Until about a year ago when I’ve made a side-trip here on the way back from Hamburg. It was not even curiosity that brought me here but a growling, painful stomach in dire need of lunch.  After satisfying my hunger in the restaurant of Museum  Schokland in Middlebuurt only did I allow myself to get acquainted with it’s unique surrounding – a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. Roughly translated in English, this is written on the walls of the museum:

Schokland, a small piece of land in the Zuider Zee. Of old, around 650 Schokkers live in close vicinity to each other, on three man-made raised hilllocks for habitation: the terpen. The rest of the island is too low lying and too seampy for habitation. Regularly, devastating floods occur and in the villages, many also feel victim to the fierce fires. The living conditions on the island are not very pleasant. Nevertheless the Schokkers are very attached to their swampy piece of land.

I found it quite hard to imagine that the tiny elevated land where I was standing was once a thriving village during the Middle Ages. It was even inhabited by a small community of fishermen (650 to be exact) called Schokkers who almost perished in flood and poverty together with the island.

Today there are five inhabitants officially registered as living here.

Schokland is continuously battered by the North sea and life had become so difficult for the people living there that they were almost left to the mercy of charities. This is the ready why the Dutch government decided to surrender it back to the sea. In 1859, Schokland was officially ontpolderd and it’s residents evacuated.

There’s a small chapel near the small museum.

Around Middlebuurt, one of the three terpen (the other two are Emmeloord and Zuidert) there are several memorials reminiscent of  the life gone by in Schokland – a small church, a canyon, few statues, some traditional houses and the museum that houses fossils of large sea animals that once patrolled the North Sea and the Zuider Zee. It used to be teaming with life. Unfortunately a life of constant struggle.

Several fossils of sea animals have been excavated from the island.

Last year on the way back from Nantes, we stopped by a small town called Amiens  in the north of France to see it’s world famous gothic cathedral. It was already dusk and drizzling a bit and on a Sunday evening, the town was almost empty.

It has charming alleys on the way up to the cathedral and a beautiful canal view in Quai Belu. It was so pretty during the night with the lights of the restaurants reflecting on the water.

When the rain started to fall, we went straight to Amiens Cathedral because we didn’t want to waste time. It was a sight to behold – very detailed design especially the facade and it’s towers. It is the largest Gothic cathedral in France and known as the “Parthenon of Gothic architecture” because of its pure gothic design.

Note: Sorry for the crappy Blackberry photos. My time in Rome was very short and very hectic that’s why I wans’t able to take decent photos.

In the Philippines, we call a 24-hour trip an “overnight” because it means spending a night somewhere else than your own house. Kids and teenagers usually look forward to “overnights” at their friends’ houses – it’s a way of getting away from the prying eyes of their parents while enjoying time with friends. While for me, an overnight had been a way to see Europe in between business trips.

Hi and goodbye

Last summer I spent an evening in pompous Rome after a news conference in Umbria. Because I already travelled to Italy the week before for my other job, I did not have the luxury to extend my weekend trip any longer than Monday. So Rome and I sort of just said hi and hello – a very quick meet-up.

I stayed at Hotel Alpi, a 4-star hotel about 10 minutes walk away from Central Termini Station. I find it a bit on the expensive side at €98 per night, especially when I wasn’t able to enjoy the hotel fully – not it’s breakfast nor it’s cozy terrace. But what I found most disappointing was when they advertised at booking.com that they offer free wifi in their hotel rooms but when you ask them for it, they will tell you that it’s not possible with my computer but when I checked, I actually have to pay for it. That’s lying!

I spent a couple of hours enjoying the sights of Rome, on top of a double-decker bus. That little window of time made me appreciate the history of the city, frown at it’s excesses and realized it’s importance to the modern society. I wished I had more time to stay.