There may have been flowers involved. And beer.

(And don't forget to complete the survey by Memorial Day!)

Beautiful Brussels

A few weeks ago we were just getting started with our fortnight in Brussels and Holland. The trip kicked off with several days in the wonderful Belgian capital. 

This has long been one of my favorite European cities: Brussels is not as sprawling as some of its continental capital cousins, but it's every bit as full of architectural, historical, and artistic treasures. In addition, there are more sidewalk cafés than you can shake a stick at, arguably the best beer in the world (plus some mouthwatering cookies and rich chocolates), and its central location has given it the chance to become the heart of the European political experiment. 

But despite all the fantastic daytime activities, my favorite experience may have been the exhilarating, inventive, moving, mind-blowing staging of Mozart's Requiem by the opera. 

On to the Netherlands...

First stop: an educational visit to one of the components of the Netherlands renowned Delta Works, a system of engineering marvels designed to keep the powerful North Sea from flooding this low-lying land. We learned about and toured the Maeslant barrier, which is a set of giant sea "gates" near the port of Rotterdam. So fascinating!

Next, our group of seven set sail on a privately chartered barge for a leisurely cruise through the provinces of North and South Holland. Over our seven-day cruise we visited Delft, Leiden, Zaanse Schans, Gouda, Delft, Rotterdam, and The Hague. We were also lucky enough to visit the spectacular Keukenhof Gardens near the end of the annual eight-week season.

Barging on a small, private vessel (with huge staterooms!) is a delightful, relaxing experience and an ideal way to for a traveler to spend time with friends or family. Just imagine: no packing and unpacking as you visit loads of charming destinations, fine wine and cuisine served daily, serene nights docked on the canals....Mon Voyage can help you find the perfect private barge charter or river ship for your own adventure in 2023 or 2024.

We had a busy few days in Amsterdam to wrap up the trip, with several walking tours, museum visits, and two wildly different but equally superb performances at the incredible Concertgebouw, Our last hurrah was a veritable Indonesian feast at a tiny restaurant next to the flower market. (We had already enjoyed plenty of tasty Dutch pub grub like bitterballen, pictured below.)

Notes from the Don't Forget Department:

1. Don't forget to fill out the Small Group Trips survey by Memorial Day. The results will determine at least one additional trip for 2023 (adding to the three already scheduled) as well as several destinations for 2024. Join us for a trip and you'll see what excellent company Mon Voyage clients can be! Whether you've traveled with me for previous SGTs (going back to 2010), have always wanted to, or have only toyed with the idea, I encourage you to participate in the survey.

2. Don't forget that the 90 day deadline for the late summer Normandy and Paris art lovers' trip is TOMORROW. Extra rooms will be released and final payments are due at this time. Reach out to me right away if you are interested in jumping into this group.

3. Don't forget to plan ahead. I have lost count of how many private trips are on my plate for the rest of the summer because SO many people are traveling and I have received numerous new referrals from existing satisfied clients. In addition, I have three more groups trips this year alone. I may be able to squeeze in a few requests for fourth quarter travel, but at this point we are largely looking at 2023 and even 2024. And don't forget that hourly fees are higher for last-minute planning, never mind the availability issues.

Now it's time for me to get back to tackling all those projects that were waiting on my desk when I flew back from Amsterdam a few days ago. Have a productive week and then a relaxing holiday!