Chu Ann's euro 2008 trip

Berlin HBF to Amsterdam Centraal

The Flying Pig Downtown Hostel
Nieuwendijk 100, Amsterdam, 1012, Netherlands
From the main entrance of the 'Central Station', walk towards the 'Damrak'. Pass the 'Victoria Hotel'. Take the first alley on your right until you reach the end which is 'Nieuwendijk'.
We are at number 100.
Trains between Schiphol and Central Station depart about every 10 minutes between 6am and 1am, and once every hour between 1am and 6am.

Amsterdam bike tour
See the city as it was meant to be seen atop two wheels. From the center of the old town to the picturesque canals and beyond, this tour provides a great overview of the city and a little taste of what it feels like to be Dutch.

Start: Central Station
Finish: Vondelpark
Bike Time: 1-2 hours at a nice leisurely pace

1. Central Station - take note of the 3-storey bike garage just outside the station. The garage can hold over 2,500 bikes. Watch out for the traffic as this can be very hectic area.

With your back to the station, turn left and ride along the waterfront.
2. Waterfront – As you begin to ride you will pass the Saint Nicholas Church on your right. The small tower just beyond is the Tower of Tears, part of the old wall defenses. The huge, weird building at the next canal is the old Shipping Headquarters. Visible on your left along the waterfront are the Floating Place Chinese Restaurant, the NEMO Science Center shaped like a big green ship, and the Maritime Museum with its replica of a Golden Age sail ship. Up ahead you can also catch a glimpse of the last remaining windmill in the city, now a brewery.

Take a right onto Schippersgracht, just opposite the Maritime Museum.
3. Plantage – This area known as the Plantage is known for its gardens and quiet streets. After you pass the park running along the left side of the canal, cross under busy Muiderstraat via the underpass on the left side of the canal. You will now be in the old Jewish District. The huge brown Portugese Synagogue is visible to your right.

Continue riding straight until you reach the Amstel River.
4. Amstel River – Take a left at the river and begin riding. You can see the Magere Brug drawbridge or “skinny bridge” to your right, the oldest in Amsterdam. Beyond is the Sluice Gates, which control shipping and the flow of water into the city.

Ride down to the next bridge and lap back to the head of the Prinsengracht canal.
5. Prinsengracht – As you take a left and ride down the canal, you will pass a number of interesting streets including Utrechtstraat with its quaint boutiques, and Reguliersgracht, known for its seven bridges all in a row. As you continue to ride, be sure to notice the house boats and interesting architecture all along the route.

Continue riding for about 1.5 km until you reach the busy cross street Rosengracht just before the incredibly tall spire of Westerkerk Church.
6. Jordaan – Cross and continue riding down Prinsengracht. You will now be entering the area known as the ‘Jordaan’, based on the French word for ‘garden’. The area was originally built for the working class living on the outskirts of the city, but is now a gentrified artist neighborhood with many cafes. The Noorderkerk marking the end of Prinsengracht, is a major neighborhood gathering place.

Take a right past the church onto Brouwersgracht and ride two blocks to Herengracht.
7. Herengracht – Turn ride and ride down Herengracht. This is the inner most canal ring, known as the “Gentlemen’s Canal”, and was considered the most prestigious. The largest and most impressive houses are on this street and many are decorated with unique carvings once used to identify the houses back before house numbers were used. The Golden Bend is the most famous section of the canal and can be found at the intersection of Nieuw Spiegelstraat about 1.5 km ahead.
8. Nieuw Spiegelstraat – Turn right onto Nieuw Spiegelstraat at the Golden Bend and ride toward the Rijks Museum. This street is famous for its antiques and provides a great view of the museum.

Take a right in front of the Rijks Museum and ride two blocks along the canal to the entrance of Vondelpark.
9. Vondelpark – Take a spin around the park and enjoy the scenery. This park was dedicated to the city by a rich patron on the one condition that dogs who visited the park would never be required to wear a lease. The Film Museum in the park has a gorgeous outdoor café and is a great place to wind down after a long ride.

or rent a bike

Hours Daily 9:30am-11:30pm

Address Damrak 18

Location Near Centraal Station

Transportation Tram: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 13, 16, 17, 24, 25, or 26 to Centraal Station

Phone 020/622-8376

Web site www.sexmuseumamsterdam.com

Prices Admission 3€ ($3.75) from age 16 only

Amsterdam central to Paris nord
6.26/7.56

to be comfirmed.

www.hostelblueplanet.com

Located: On the Champ de Mars in the 7th arrondissement (midwest Paris)
Metro: Bir Hakeim or Trocadero (Line 6), Ecole Militaire (Line 8)
RER: Champs de Mars-Tour Eiffel (Line C)
Taxi station: Quai Branly, Pilier West
Phone: 33 (0) 1 44 11 23 23
Eiffel Tower Opening Hours:

January 1st to June 14

* Tower: 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
* Elevator: 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. (Final ascension 11:00 p.m./10:30 p.m. top floor)
* Stairs: 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Final admission at 6:00 p.m.)

Visit Highlights:

The first level features a circular gallery that gives visitors an overview of the tower's history and design, as well as an introduction to some of Paris' most famous sights and monuments.

* A part of the spiral staircase that once led from the second floor to the top level is displayed on the first level. The staircase was eventually dismantled in 1983.

* You can also see the hydraulic pump that once supplied water to a former elevator.

* The "FerOscope" is an informational exhibit installed in one of the tower's beams. Interactive videos, light shows, and other media give visitors an evocative look at how the tower was built.

* The "Observatory of Tower Top Movement" is a laser beam that monitors the tower's oscillation under the effect of wind and temperature.

* Panoramic indicators of places and monuments visible from the first level, as well as historical panels tracing the tower's history, are placed around the gallery. You can also view the city in minute detail from an electronic telescope.


The second level offers noteworthy panoramas of the city, as well as more insight into the tower's history and construction.

* Animated window scenes tell a visual story of the tower's unique history.

* Get a dizzying perspective of the ground through the glass floor. Once again, not for those prone to vertigo.


The top floor provides breathtaking views of the entire city, as well as top-rate dining. The elevator climb of 18 meters (59 ft.) also allows you to fully appreciate the tower's elaborate metal latticework.

* A reconstitution of Gustave Eiffel's office features wax figures of Gustave and American inventor Thomas Edison.

* Panoramic indicators and viewpoint indicators help you identify the city's landmarks.


Seen from a distance, the tower bursts into a shimmering display of light every hour after nightfall, until 2 a.m. in the summer. This display is made possible by 335 projectors, each equipped with high-wattage sodium lamps. The intense sparkling effect is created by the beams shooting upward through the tower's structure.

Notre Dame Cathedral is centrally located on the Ile de la Cité, the area of Paris that divides the city's right and left banks. The Ile de la Cite is surrounded by the Seine River.

Address: Place du parvis de Notre Dame, 4th arrondissement
Metro: Cité or Saint-Michel (Line 4)
RER: Saint-Michel (Line C)
Bus: Lines 21, 38, 47, or 85
Phone: 33 (0)142 345 610

Notre Dame Cathedral Opening Hours:

* Cathedral main hall: 6:45 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. (visitors' circulation is partially interrupted during masses and services)

* Cathedral Towers:

o July-August: 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; weekends 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
o April-June and September: 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
o October-March: 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
o Towers closed January 1st, May 1st, and Dec. 25th.

* Archeological crypt: 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; closed on Mondays