Europe, The best moments

It is becoming a tradition to sum up the results of the last trip.

The whole trip took roughly two weeks. And during this time I have visited 9 European cities in 4 different countries. I have made about 11800 kilometres in the air and on the road, including the relocations from Novosibirsk to Europe and back. Additionally, I have made hundreds kilometres on foot.

At times it was very tiring, but the reward was priceless: I have learnt new things, I have experienced new emotions and I have seen the world from the new side. It was cool.

Europe, A Quiet Morning in Germany

The morning of Friday. It is quiet in the streets, and nothing reminds of yesterday's merriment. Only a few people are walking and talking lazily, but the janitors are doing their regular work. It smells shampoo.

The sun is shining aloud, and I am enjoying my time on the riverbank. Tomorrow I will be at home, in Novosibirsk, where the Winter is still reigning.

The airport is very accessible from the city centre. It is only 15 minutes by train. And it costs only 2.80 euro in one way. The direction T11 delivers you right to the terminal. There is also opportunity to experience monorail if you choose T1.

While boarding with S7 I was asked to change my electronic boarding pass for the paper one due to the fact that the electronic ticket could not be scanned. Nevertheless, it was done very easy and fast.

I had a stopover in Moscow and then I arrived to the cold, but hearty city of Novosibirsk.

Europe, The Longest Bar Counter

We move out from Amsterdam and go to Dusseldorf by train. The trip takes about two hours.

Unfortunately, I have to say goodbye to my friend, because he is flying to Moscow today. However, my journey continues.

Following the street from the central station very soon I reached the Altstadt, the historical centre, where my hotel is located. There are a few people in the streets. It is very clean and quiet here.

The interesting thing about my hotel is that there is no reception here and you communicate with staff through the house phone. They open the door remotely when they find out your name, and then they say the code for the box where the key to a room is stored.

My room is on the 4th floor, and there is no elevator here. The room is rather spacious and has all the facilities: the shower, the TV, the hairdryer and other stuff. So, I fully satisfied with this hotel. For money I paid this is the best choice.

I set off for the walking around the city. There are many prominent protestant and catholic churches in the city, and the most famous are Johanneskirche,  Rochuskirche and Marienkirche.

Dusseldorf is a city in western Germany with population greater than 613,000. It is known as an international business and financial centre. It is also regarded as the German capital of fashion.
The city is crossed by the river Rhine. I live in the centre, which is located on the right bank. There are so many shops, restaurants and boutiques here.

The Embankment Promenade, The Burgplatz, The Konigsallee, The Hofgarten are among the top tourist attractions in Dusseldorf, and I am going to visit them all during my excursion.

At night the city centre is transforming significantly. It was peaceful and quiet, but now fun is everywhere. The crowds of people are standing near the bars and socializing freely. Now it is obvious, why Dusseldorf has the title of "the longest bar in the world". In fact, there are more than 300 bars in the Old Town.

Europe, Van Gogh was a Dutchman

The main target for today is the museum, devoted to the famous Dutch Post-Impressionist painter, who lived between 1853 and 1890. In fact, we are going to see the museum of Van Gogh.

However, before inspecting the gallery we decided to visit a roof terrace of the science museum NEMO, which is located close to the Oosterdok.

The terrace is freely accessible for everyone, and from that point you may look out over Amsterdam and the city's historic harbour front.

After a relaxing strolling, we were ready to enter the museum and to admire the works of the extraordinary master. On the way we could not but make several stops, examining and taking photos of the numerous city's sights.

At this time we purchased the tickets online. One ticket costs 18 euro.
In fact, the museum houses the largest collection of the artist's works: more than 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 700 of his letters. You may see here such masterpieces as Sunflowers, Almond Blossom, The Potato Eaters, The Bedroom and a great number of the artist's self-portraits.

Unfortunately, you are not allowed to make any photos in the museum.

Well, it is an outstanding collection of paintings! Surely, it would take some time to digest what we have just seen. And I needed to rush to the open air as soon as possible, because I was afraid of getting fainted.

It is worth noting that the Van Gogh's creations are genius in their simplicity. To my mind, he is one of the few artists, who could fill the ordinary things with great sense and depth. I cannot claim, if Vincent was mentally ill or not, but with no doubts he had a brilliant talent and exceptional vision.

At night we traditionally walk through the vivid city built around a dam on the river Amstel. Even the drizzling rain is not an obstacle for us.

I am absolutely sure, that these countless bikes, numerous canals and fairy houses with their narrow facades and ample windows will always be the inspiration for many people, including me.

At the same time, I feel a little bit disappointed that so many people associate Amsterdam primarily with free love and affordable drugs, but not with its unique architecture and museums.