Berlin is free

I love it when new experiences come free (see, for example, my notes on London). Don't get me wrong, I am more than happy to shell out for awesome museums or tickets to the ballet - but it's like shopping a sale: you love that cashmere sweater all the more when you know you got it for a song.

Berliner Dom

Berlin is like the Filene's Basement of new experiences.

Morocco: Getting over Myself

(I am catching up on old blog posts I never got around to posting. This one dates from early April, after our week-long vacation in Morocco.)

I like to think I know my own shortcomings.  I will never win any awards for tact, I don't volunteer to do the dishes often enough, and I can be unintentionally short with people in a work environment. 

My biggest flaw when it comes to traveling: an endless capacity for timidity. I am afraid to go into places where I might not be welcome, to look lost or uncertain or to otherwise stand out, even to buy things (as that necessitates interacting with strangers).  Thus one of my goals for 2011 is to learn to talk to people when traveling. Easier said than done.

So when we set off to Morocco, I set myself five challenges, all related to getting over myself enough so I could enjoy my vacation.  It did not go as smoothly as planned, but as they say - two steps forward, one step back...  it's not quick, but at least you're moving in the right direction.

The Casablanca train station, our first morning in Morocco

Daytrippin to Antwerpen

Antwerp made the New York Time's 41 Places to Go in 2011 for its "fashion buzz" and "destination-worthy concept stores" (see also this recent article); countless airline magazines I have thumbed through this year have agreed. Antwerp must have some good marketers.

I like Antwerp, but I would not build a travel itinerary around it. Rather, Antwerpen (as the Flemish/Dutch like to say) makes an excellent casual day trip from The Hague - or Rotterdam, Brugge, Brussels, perhaps even Amsterdam. Akin to Portland, it's a city with few major attractions other than a chill and arty vibe. There's some history, some cafes, some shopping, and some museums, enough to fill a quiet day of touring, but mostly it seems to be the sort of place you would want to live.

Waiting not-so-patiently

The old center, close to the river, is full of pedestrianized cobblestone streets lined with European chain stores. In other words, it's only quaint if you have not already visited a lot of other northern European cities. But the center encompasses at least one gem: Goossen's, an institution of a bakery, located in a tiny storefront that is easily identifiable by the line forming outside its door (Korte Gasthuisstraat 31). The soft danishes incorporate chunks of whole fruit, but the real treat is the sugar bread, a dry and delicate loaf with raisins and a marzipan center, topped with a thin crust dusted with granulated sugar. (They will slice the loaf for you into very thin pieces, perfect for tea or coffee. Not that a single slice of our loaf lasted our return to The Hague.)

Grote Markt and the Cathedral

From Goossen's, one could wander up to the Grote Markt, the city's main square, or a few blocks west to the river, where there's an abbreviated promenade and a partial view of Antwerp's massive port. The center is dominated by the somber town hall and the soaring belfry of the cathedral, which is visible from just about any location in the city. But the old center may be the least interesting part of Antwerp.

Even for the fashion unconscious (like us), it's worth strolling through the two main shopping streets of Antwerp, Nationalestraat and Kloosterstraat, which run roughly parallel to each other heading south from the center. Both are refreshingly unpretentious, with shops that seem welcoming to hipsters and plebeians alike.