To the Belgians they are Brussel Waffles. What's in a name - pass the fork!

My personal experiences in Belgium have, over the years, been reduced to flitting shapes and shadows.  This is not a reflection on the region or the people, but rather a reminder that all I know of Belgium I learned through a train window.  At night.  It leaves something to the imagination.

Here’s what I do know about Belgium, they make good chocolate, beer and waffles.  Throw in the fact that they created french fries and you’ve covered all the major food groups.

Read More »

Groningen has more boats than T-Pain.

Groningen, a small city in the north of the Netherlands, is home to about 185,000 people, almost a third of which are college students.  It is also home to about a million bicycles – give or take.

When I visited Groningen I was a young man and the idea of a beautiful town filled with people of a similar age and bars that didn’t close until 7am seemed like a good one. It worked out pretty well.

The city is a relatively short train ride from Amsterdam which makes it a great day trip destination.  Among the sites I’d recommend are the University of Groningen, the Groninger Museum, and the Aa Church.  There are also a couple of red-light districts if that’s your thing.
Read More »

Back in June, when I posted my Local’s Perspective on Palo Alto, I tagged three UpTake friends to participate too: Claude from Les Explorers, Erica from Travel Blissful (formerly Blissful Travel) and Guido from Happy Hotelier. Reading their blog posts puts me in a mood for a European Adventure! Check out what they had to say:

Erica writes about her hometown Halmstad, in southern Sweden. Sweden, and most of Scandinavia, is on my travel wish list. Erica’s recommendations make me want to take off for the whole summer and visit those northern countries.

Guido writes about The Hague, Netherlands, a place I visited as a college student. Guido highlights several reasons to go back as an adult.

And Claude claims he is too busy to write about Provence! Oh, Claude, please write about Provence. My birthday is coming up soon, and I have almost convinced my husband that a trip to France would be just the way to celebrate!

Be sure to check out our other Local’s Perspectives, from Nancy Brown’s Carmel Revealed to Washington D.C. Revealed by Priscilla Macy. Would you like to share a perspective on your hometown? Send us your details at feedback at uptake dot com.

Happy Traveling!