The Legendary City of Antwerp
In the days of old, there once lived a horrible giant that terrorized all of the Flemish province to include the land that the legendary city of Antwerp rests upon today. The giant, named Antigoon, made his home along the Scheldt River and demanded a toll from all those who desired to cross over its waterway. If anybody encountering the giant was unable to render payment in full, Antigoon would sever one of their hands and toss it straight into the river. For years, the giant guarded the only bridge leading in and out of the city. The local people, many of them amputees, were powerless to drive him away. Even the battle-hardened Roman legionaries in the area dared not challenge the monster; they would rather lose a few coins than lose a hand that carries a sword. The situation eventually became so dire that the Scheldt River was said to contain more hands than it did fishes.
One glorious day, a brave young soldier named Silvius Brabo mustered up enough courage to confront Antigoon. He had grown tired of giving the great beast his meager wages each time he wanted to cross the river to visit the city. You see, the young lad had found his true love in the legendary city of Antwerp and he vowed to put an end to this giant’s savagery once and for all. (more…)
Posted in Tall Tales and Big Fish Stories, Adventurous Places, Europe and tagged Antwerp, Belgium, Europe by Big John with no comments yet.
Cologne and Dusseldorf: Rivalry on the Rhine
Situated on the Rhine, and separated by a mere 27 miles, are the heavily populated cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf. These two German metropolises, while essentially neighbors, are completely at odds with one another. If you ask any resident of Düsseldorf which city is better, he or she will tell you that their city is definitely the best. Not surprisingly, if you were to ask somebody in Cologne that very same question, you’re likely to get a similar response favoring their own neck of the woods. Not only is the architecture and various attractions in each city distinctive, the type of beer consumed in each city differs as well. As you may very well know, when it comes to matters of beer drinking, there are very few things in the Rhineland of greater importance!
Rebecca in the cobble-stoned courtyard of Alter Markt (Old Marketplace), Cologne.
Not to be easily persuaded one way or another, Rebecca and I decided to take a self-guided tour of both Cologne and Düsseldorf to assess the situation ourselves . We would explore the varied sights, dine in the various restaurants, and sample each of the city’s distinct beers. Perhaps then, after some toilsome and extensive research, we could offer our own unbiased assessment and settle this long-winded debate once and for all! (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe, Great Dining and tagged Cologne, Dusseldorf, Germany by Big John with no comments yet.
Our Bicycle Ride Through Amsterdam
To begin, I must confess that the title of this post is a bit misleading. Our bicycle ride through Amsterdam makes up only a very small portion of the photographs you will see below. With 1.3 bicycles per person in Amsterdam, it just seemed easier for Rebecca and I to do most of our exploring on foot. Not only is Amsterdam the capital, it is the most populated city in the Netherlands. Its name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city’s origin around a dam in the river Amstel. Just like Venice, Italy and Bruges, Belgium, Amsterdam is a city of beautiful canals and extraordinary history. I know you’ll experience a desire to visit this city yourself once you view some of our pictures.
One of the many splendid sights when on a bicycle ride through Amsterdam. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe and tagged Amsterdam, Holland, Netherlands by Big John with no comments yet.
LIfe is Good When You’re the King of Bruges
I am the undisputed King of Bruges but I used to be a run-of-the-mill, regular Joe just like the rest of you. I did all my extensive shopping at Walmart; got my six-dollar haircuts at Super Clips; and spent my annual vacations at the Shady Palms Motel, conveniently located only a breezy twenty-minute walk from the beach. I’ve never owned multiple properties (or any property not on cinder-blocks for that matter); I’ve never mingled with celebrities; and I’ve certainly never claimed to come from any line of royalty. I was an ordinary Andy, trying to do my best just to survive that daily grind. This would have been the sad and mundane story of my life, had not a simple DNA testing kit changed everything.
The kit that changed everything.
When my wife told me she picked up something intimate and personal for my 45th birthday, I was thinking Victoria’s Secret for sure. Every woman knows that there’s no greater gift than to dazzle her man in something made of satin and lace. Well, apparently in my wife’s inner-circle, she was never privy to such valuable information. In my wife’s inner circle, the very best birthday gifts are those that you never knew you wanted. So, you can only imagine my feigned excitement and very real surprise when I unwrapped a DNA testing kit called 23andMe. Honestly though, it was a thoughtful and unique gift. Had I known that I would soon be filling a large vial with spit, I just would’ve eaten less chocolate and Doritos prior to opening it. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe, Tall Tales and Big Fish Stories and tagged Belgium, Bruges by Big John with 1 comment.
A Glimpse into the Enchanted Land of New Mexico
There’s this guy I know who is a collosal dreamer. There’s really nothing wrong with associating yourself with people like that; unless perhaps you’re intent on surrounding yourself with only the more well-grounded, mundane types. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t recommend engaging this guy in anything more than casual conversation. I let my guard down just once around him and he had me nearly convinced he knew the whereabouts of some hidden treasure chest worth millions. Had I possessed anything less than the most superb rational mind, I would’ve packed my suitcase that very moment, grabbed my fedora and compass, and booked the very first flight to New Mexico.
Well, the last I spoke to this adventurous fellow, he had descrambled a bunch of secret passages in some old man’s book, purchased a flight to Albuquerque, and turned an entire wilderness area north of Santa Fe completely upside down. Unfortunately, the treasure had eluded him just like the thousands of others before. Suprisingly though, his failed expedition left him completely undaunted. He actually seemed assured that he was closer now to finding it than ever before. He told me he had simply strayed off course due to a matter of simple semantics and was planning to pick up the trail again in the coming months. I told him he should quit chasing waterfalls and come back down to level ground. He just sort of smirked at me and walked away. That’s how this guy is. He’s quite the character!
Anyway, not long after that peculiar encounter, I happened to visit the Land of Enchantment myself. Now don’t go spreading any rumors here. I wasn’t there trying to find any 11th century treasure chest full of precious gems and golden nuggets. I was simply there to get some tasty New Mexican cuisine. I heard the green and red chili toppings were to die for. Since my wife, my son, and my friend were also feeling hungry, they came along for the ride. We had quite the adventure and before departing our 47th state, the beauty of New Mexico had us all a bit entranced.
Big John and team follow the old cattle trails to a mesa top with a view. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Great Dining, North America and tagged Kasha-Katuwe, New Mexico, Tent Rocks National Monument by Big John with 2 comments.