Dam Square, Amsterdam

Amsterdam became well-known city to large population of India through the sleeper hit Hindi film "Queen". However, among the travelers it always had the reputation. And this little gem of Dutch lived up to the hype and expectations.

Once we are out of Amsterdam station, we were welcomed by sea of people, trams, and bikers. It was our first evening in the city. Bone chilling wind blew on our face giving us the first taste of oncoming winter. As we didn't have any set plan, the best thing to do was just follow the natural flow of people. We strolled through restaurants, trendy cannabis coffeeshops, beautiful canals and the legendary alleys of De Wallen.

The heart-pounding music and high-octane screams brought us to the Dam Square. The atmosphere was absolutely carnival with giant Ferris wheel, high-flying swing carousel, dazzling shops, and vibrant lights.

Amsterdam is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world. It is the fastest, most flexible and super cool way to move around the city. The reason for mentioning this is after seeing thousands of bicycles parked near the square. Believe us, in Amsterdam you will see cycles and cyclists everywhere. And if you are walking lost in appreciating the mesmerizing canals, there are chances of colliding with bikers whirling on both sides, bells clanging. We digress.

In the center of the square is the "national monument" built in 1956 as a tribute to the Dutch soldiers who died in World War II. This 72 feet pillar was designed by J.J.P. Oud, and sculptures are done by John Rädecker and his sons Han and Jan Willem Rädecker. In the center there are four shackled male figures equating the the misery and hardship of the war. On either side two male figures represent the resistance by intelligentsia as well as working class respectively towards the war. While weepy dogs at their feet symbolize loyalty and torment, a lady with a child in her arms and doves flying around her signifies the victory, peace, and new life. We couldn't get the clear shot because of low light as well as horde of pigeons.

On the west side of square is the Royal palace. Originally it was built as a city hall in 17th century during Dutch Golden Age. In 1806, Louis Napoleon (Brother of Napoleon Bonaparte) converted the town hall into a palace for himself. The ownership changed a few times depending on the political clout during that period. Finally in 1936 it was made as the sole property of Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Next to palace is the "Nieuwe Kerk", a 15th century church. At one time it was a Dutch Reformed Church parish, but now it is a part of Protestant Church in the Netherlands. Even so, it no longer functions as a church. The space is mainly used for exhibitions.

The two more popular things in the square is "Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and "Ripley's Believe It or Not". We couldn't help but wonder these two franchises (if we could say so) have their presence in almost all major cities. They are okay if you are a fan, but not in Amsterdam. This magical city offers many sinful activities and better you be indulgent here.  You can also spot Grant Hotel Krasnapolsky and department store De Bijenkorf.

A dam was built around the river Amstel to prevent the Zuiderzee sea from flooding the city in the 13th century, that is why the city is called Amsterdam and that is how the "Dam Square" came into existence for the first time. Now it is one of the most important locations in the city, bustling day and night with locals, tourists, and travelers.

How We Travel With Full Time Job

People frequently ask us how do we manage to travel to a certain extent, followed by the question do we have a full-time job?

Yes, we do have a demanding full-time job. How do we manage to travel? Well, we made it our priority. Traveling is not a rocket science. It is an addiction, like drug. Once you are hooked into it you will find a way to do it.

What weekends are for? Any weekend is good for a day trip when we are not entertaining friends or family. The monsoon is the best time to visit nearby falls or waterbody. There will be a lot of lush around, and the climate cool and breezy. 

As a couple we have the responsibility to go and visit our parents and extended family once every two months and at all important festivals. We wouldn't miss it for anything. We haven't foreseen the added advantage of geography when we fell in love and got married. As Pallavi comes from the coastal part of Karnataka, there is a vast array of beaches, rivers, backwaters, temples at our disposal to explore. On the other hand I being from Malenadu gives us the opportunity to see falls, forts, forests, rivers, and architecture. In this way we would kill two birds with one stone.

That leaves us with general holidays like Independence Day, Republic Day, October 2, November 1, Labour day, Ramadan, and Christmas. We make sure to take leaves along with those days to turn it into a small holiday. Those short breaks will do wonders to our soul, and we are more refreshed and energized with each such trips. It gives us the purpose to work harder and perform better professionally.

Then once a year we take 15 to 20 days paid-leaves to go on a vacation. From the past four years or so we made the conscious decision to go overseas to explore the other part of the world. Its our ultimate dream and passion to travel around the globe. If we could afford we will be living out of a suitcase for the rest of our lives. Unfortunately neither our parents are filthy rich nor we do have some trust fund stashed away somewhere. So, the only way is to work our ass off and stay grounded, that is the way we are wired. In between us we have traveled more than 15 countries and we are so proud.  We know this is just the beginning as we have a long way to go.

A little bit of plan and the desire is all required for traveling. Money, well, let's talk about it in another post. So, where are you going next weekend?

Written By: Tarun

Manneken Pis, Brussels

"An object of glory appreciated by all and renowned throughout the world"

It was drizzling by the time we left Grand Place. From there it was showing just two blocks in GPS. We walked along admiring the beautiful souvenir shops and waffle outlets. In the process we almost missed the bustling corner between the Rue de l’Étuv and the Rue du Chêne.

No amount of warning made us ready for the disappointment we had to endure seeing the statue of Manneken Pis in Brussels. After the initial dismay we looked at each other and laughed. To our surprise everyone around us doing the same thing and talking to each other in their respective language, just like how we did.

The iconic landmark of Brussels is this two-foot-tall bronze statue of a naked little boy peeing into a fountain basin. This was designed by Hiëronymus Duquesnoy the Elder in 1619. The present day statue is a replica made in 1965 while the original was housed in Museum of the city of Brussels. The original sustained many vandalism attempts and thefts. In 1695, it suffered the bombardment by the French Army. Yet again in 1747 French Grenardiers who were posted in Brussels stole the statue. People of Brussels rebelled against this act. To appease the crowd, King of France, Louis XV not only returned the statue but also granted Gentleman's gown of brocade, embroidered with gold. It is said he also commissioned Manneken Pis to be decked with St. Louis's cross and to carry the sword.

In 1745 the same sculpture was found in the city of Geraardsbergen allegedly stolen by British soldiers. As a token of gratitude people of Brussels gifted replica of Manneken to Geraardsbergen city. However, some say the said-city already possess the Manneken since 1459, much before Brussels could do and it is still a bone of contention which city owns the oldest statue.

Third time in 1817 it was stolen by a man named Antoine Licas who was forced to labour for life as a punishment. And two more attempts were made in 1955 and 1957. It was flinched again in 1963 by Antwerp student association called "De Wikings", only to return to the authorities after five days. It has been stolen for at least seven times, the latest being in 1965 and this time was mutilated. That made the authorities to think seriously, so now the restored original Manneken stays put in the City Museum in Grand Place.

It is still unclear why the Manneken Piss came into existence. Most deduce it to be symbolic with Belgians contempt for authority and their outlandish kind of sense of humor. One legend has it a rich merchant's young son went missing during their visit to the city. The terrified parents searched the city endlessly only to find the boy peeing on the corner. So, as a gratitude towards the people who helped him finding his son he had the statue built along with the fountain. Another legend goes something like this; around 13th century the city of Brussels was under the attack by enemies. A little boy named Julianske was spying on them and found the gunpowder in the enemy camp. Immediately he peeed on them to diffuse the arsenal, thus saving the city. As a tribute to that little boy Manneken Pis was erected.
  
Though small this little guy owns 965 individual costumes donated by kings, dignitaries, professionals, leaders, musicians from across the globe making him the most secular statue in the world. The museum in Grand Place displays all the outfits worn by him, some dating back to hundreds of years old and some designed by the top designers.

Belgian Chocolates

He is quite popular in Waffle Shops

In Brussels one can see Manneken Pis as souvenirs everywhere and not to be left behind we brought a wine cork with the naked boy peeing on it. It is cheeky, fun, and amusing to see something different. And visit to Brussels is incomplete without snapping a photo with this guy.

Souvenirs

Tips
-Entry: Open
-Near to Grand Place
-It is the place to have the best Belgian Waffles

Arc de Triomphe, Paris

Before even setting foot on Place Charles de Gaulle we knew for sure that this "Charles de Gaulle" is an important dude in French History. For once their Airport is named after him. He turned out to be French general, statesman, and President of France. Because here at Place Charles de Gaulle we could see Paris's iconic Arc de Triomphe, symbol of France's pride and patriotism. We had been wandering in and around the Avenue des Champs-Élysées for the past two days. But somehow due to lethargy or weariness we could not make it to the Arch. However, we got lucky the third time. After taking a few long-shot photographs we decided to pass through the tunnel under street that would take us near the Arc. Inside the tunnel there was a huge crowd waiting to get the ticket to go to the rooftop. For a few minutes we couldn't decide between whether to stand in the queue or move ahead.

The arch was built between 1806 to 1836 as a tribute to those who fought for France notably during the Napoleonic wars. Napoleonic wars were a series of battles fought between French Empire and its allies, spearheaded by Napoleon I and  European coalition powers funded and led by United Kingdom.

The inner and outer surfaces are adorned with names of generals and all French victories. The triomphe was designed by Jean Chalgrin in 1806. The inspiration to this is Arch of Titus in Rome, Italy. This arch was the tallest triumphal arch till Monumento a la Revolución in Mexico City took over in 1938. This monument literally stands in the middle of the street with a towering height of 164 feet and width of 148 feet.

Our timing was perfect as we get to to witness the relighting of eternal flame at the Tomb of the unknown solider. It is symbolic to honor one soldier as it epitomizes all others who died in battle fighting for their nation. It is eternal because the flame is never put out and rekindled every evening at 6:30 through a small ceremony. We felt so fortunate to see this. It reminded us of Amar Jyothi of India Gate back home.

We get to chat with an Indian couple honeymooning in Paris. The bride was from Mussoorie, India and we were curious to know whether our favourite writer Ruskin Bond still makes his weekly visit to the local bookstore and continues his autographing session. She said mostly he does if he is in pink of his health. The guy used the word "amalgamation" a lot in his sentences. It is not everyday you come across that word in a casual conversation. That is why we named them "amalgamation couple" so we can remember them. 

The Arc de Triomphe stands literally in the middle of the street.  Few boisterous teenagers clicked photos of themselves by placing tripods in the middle of the road with arc as background. We looked into the vehicle drivers' and to our surprise they were all smiling and enjoying the little antics. Oh! The joy of being young and carefree. 

Tips:

Opening Hours:
April-September: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
October-March: 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Entry Fee: Free
Entry to Rooftop: 12€