Catatan perjalanan di Netherlands - Volendam

17th November 2008


Selepas meninggalkan windmill, kami menuju ke Volendam. Sedikit info mengenai Volendam :


Volendam is a popular tourist attraction in the Netherlands, well-known for its old fishing boats and the traditional clothing still worn by some residents. The women's costume of Volendam, with its high, pointed bonnet, is one of the most recognizable of the Dutch traditional costumes, and is often featured on tourist postcards and posters (although there are believed to be fewer than 50 women now wearing the costume as part of their daily lives, most of them elderly). Volendam also features a small museum about its history and clothing style.


Di Volendam, kami berkesempatan untuk meninjau2 rumah2 disana yang begitu unik, terusan2 dicelah2 rumah. Kedai2 pula dibina diatas benteng yg memisahkan laut dan daratan. Kami juga berpeluang mendengar penerangan bagaimana diamond diproses di sini.

Catatan perjalanan di Netherlands- The Windmill

17th November 2008

On the way to Volendam, kami singgah di suatu tempat dimana terdapat satu windmill..kami turun untuk bergambar dan melihat windmill secara dekat..cantik kan??

Catatan perjalanan di Netherland - Hotel Tolhuus, Warder

17th November 2008


Kami bangun awal pagi untuk solat subuh & bersiap2. Bag perlu dikemaskan semula kerana kami akan terus check out pagi ini dan berjalan2 sekitar Volendam & Amsterdam sebelum meneruskan perjalanan ke Brussels, Belgium


Abang & Ayah keluar untuk tinjau2 keadaan diluar memandangkan kami sampai semalam hari sudah pun gelap. Abang inform diluar sejuk betul..Selesai angkat barang2, Hairul uruskan untuk check out sementara kami keluar untuk tinjau2 keadaan keliling dan bergambar.


Cuaca memang sejuk. Terasa seperti pegang ais. Suhu 3° C. Kami tidak menjangkakan akan dapat menyaksikan pemandangan yang begitu indah dengan cahaya matahari yang baru menonjolkan diri...



Rupa2nya Hotel Tolhuus terletak betul2 dihadapan laut tetapi kami tidak dapat lihat laut secara terus kerana terlindung oleh benteng. As we know, Netherlands merupakan negara yang terletak di bawah paras laut. Yg saya tidak expect adalah keadaannya seperti itu. Kami panjat benteng utk lihat sendiri laut dan bergambar2 disekitar kawasan tersebut. Walaupun cuaca agak sejuk, kami begitu excited, kalau boleh satu sudut pun kami tidak mahu tinggal untuk kami snap gambar..


Selain dari berhampiran laut, hotel ini juga terletak di tengah2 ladang ternakan lembu & biri2..Dalam perjalanan kami keluar dari kawasan tersebut, kami dapat lihat rumah2 yg terletak di kawasan ini juga tersangat cantik dan kami dapat rasakan keadaan yg begitu nyaman & tenang..

Catatan perjalanan - Lille, France to Warder, Netherland

16th November 2008

Selepas mendapat MPV, Hairul cuba menyesuaikan diri dulu dengan MPV tersebut, then tanpa melengahkan masa, kami meneruskan perjalanan ke Netherlands. Kami singgah utk solat di suatu tempat berhampiran Lille. Ia merupakan sebuah institusi pengajian. Disana saya berjumpa seorang wanita bangsa Algeria tetapi dibesarkan di France. Beliau fasih berbahasa Inggeris dan beliau lah yg membantu kami menunjukkan ruang solat wanita dan tempat utk kami mengambil wudhu. Di ruang solat itu sedang diadakan kuliah agama utk kaum wanita tetapi sayang saya tidak dapat memahami apa yang diperkatakan kerana kuliah dalam bahasa Perancis.

Selesai solat, kami berjumpa semula diluar. Ayah beli sebungkus besar croissant di kedai Pak Arab berhampiran. Ada 18 kesemuanya. Untuk makan dalam perjalanan..Hujan masih renyai2 ketika itu. Perjalanan diteruskan pada jam 4.20pm. Dijangkakan tempoh masa perjalanan untuk sampai ke Hotel Tolhuus di Warder, Netherland dalam masa 3 jam. Jarak 200km.


Pemandangan di kiri kanan kebanyakannya adalah ladang2 ternakan. Selepas merentasi sempadan Belgium, hari sudah mula gelap. Kami mula melelapkan mata kecuali Ayah yg menjadi co pilot..Saya sedar apabila kami sudah menghampiri tempat dimana hotel tempat kami menginap. Oleh kerana hari sudah gelap, tiada apa yg dapat kami lihat. Apabila sampai di hotel Tolhuus yg terletak di Warder, kami memunggah luggage dari kenderaan dan segera masuk kerana cuaca amat sejuk diluar. Urusan check in diselesaikan oleh Hairul. 2 bilik kesemuanya. Kami mengambil satu bilik dan Hairul dibilik satu lagi. Hairul pesan, kalau dah siap, inform because dia nak bawa kami berjalan2 ke Amsterdam. Walaupun hari sudah malam, tetapi hakikatnya masih awal kerana jam 5 sudah maghrib! Selesai apa2 yg patut, kami dengan excitednya masuk kenderaan dan menuju ke Amsterdam.

Bandar Amsterdam begitu lively dan happening di waktu malam.Kami hanya berjalan2 disekitar bandar sebelum memasuki satu restauran Arab untuk makan kebab lagi..Selesai makan, kami jalan2 lagi sebelum pulang semula ke hotel utk merehatkan badan

Catatan perjalanan-RCH-King Cross St Pancrass-Lille France

16th November 2008


Since I could not sleep last nite, I woke up very early, took some view pix from our room and arrange clothes to be wear that day for every one. Reason for doing so because I have to re pack our luggage and leave the biggest luggage at Royal Cambridge Hotel.

Force everyone to get up, get ready and have some breakfast. After done with the packing, we start to move to check out at 7.30am. At registration counter, we met Hidayah for the first time. Hidayah ask us to wait for breakfast at 8.00am, but we dare not take the risk because we have to be at King Cross stn before 9.30am.
We walked to Paddington stn. At Paddington, the officer incharge help us to get the ticket thru the machine using credit card because the counter is not open yet. And we did not have syillings to buy tickets. The officer than guide us on how to go about to reach to King Cross.

We have to take train to Edgware Stn, then change to another train that will bring us to King Cross. We did not realise that there is another Paddington Stn which link to District line & airport. If we took train from there, then there is no need for us to change train. However, since it is early in the morning and its Sunday, no rush hour for us..

We reach King Cross St Pancrass International Stn appr an hour earlier than promised. Husband called Hairul to inform that we already reach KC stn and will meet him there. Our train to Lille France will be at 9.57 am.While waiting for Hairul, we bought some mineral water, croissants, newspaper etc. We took some pix here and there

Once Hairul arrived, we then proceed for security check & pass the immigration. And there it is..the euro star train..Euro star speed can reach upto app 300kmph. At times when the train pass a tunnel, I can feel the pressure in my ears. I spend all the time to look left and right to appreciate the views. And it is unbelievable when the train goes ito the tunnel which is under the English Channel.

Our journey to Lille will take 2 hours, but since Europe is an hour ahead than London, we have to add 1 hour. We arrive at Gare de Lille at 12.57 Europe time. Hairul inform us that he has to rush for Europcar office before it is close for lunch. The office will open again at 3pm.

Once the train stop, Hairul really rush to Europcar office to arrange for the car(MPV). Unfortunately, he was informed that the car key was transfered to another Europcar office because they were informed that we will arrive later than scheduled time. The other office is situated at the other train station which definitely we cannot manage to get there before it is close for lunch. We still have to wait until 3pm to get the car.

We walked to the other train station which I believe it is for TGV train. It was drizzling that time, windy and very cold...and we are very hungry

Manage to find a kebab restaurant to fill up our tummy and get ourselves warm. After finish our kebab, we walked to the Europcar office and wait while Hairul did the arrangement. Finally we got the MPV at 3.20pm. It is a 7 seater MPV which we never see in Malaysia. SEAT AlHambra..yeyyyy

Catatan perjalanan - LHR to Royal Cambridge Hotel

15th November 2008

While waiting for Kumar at LHR, we took the opportunity to go to washroom, buy few bottles of mineral water and chatting with a family who are on the way to Moscow but they transit in London for 3 days.

At first we plan to take Heathrow express direct to Paddington, but Kumar said dont waste money.

We took the Underground instead. Kumar helps us to carry one of our luggage. It is not that difficult to understand the underground system but we have to be fully aware on the latest updates. That was what happened to us. The journey is not as easy as we think. Since it was weekend, the circle line was closed.

When we reach South Kensington Stn, we were informed that the circle line was closed and some misunderstanding on the train destination.

We dont mind taking the underground, but due to the long hours flight and conflict of time changes( we are now 8 hours behind), we felt so uneasy with the situation, tired & hungry. After few changing of trains, finally we reached Paddington Stn. We walked to our Hotel which is about 5 minutes walking from the station. My husband thanks Kumar for his help and informed him that we will find our own way to buy our dinner nearby the hotel. We pity him because he looks very tired.

After settle with the check in process, we leave the children in the room to have some rest. My husband and I went out to buy something for our dinner. Finally we decide to buy Arab food from a Yemeni restaurant. It was very cold that time, the children already asleep when we reach our room. Adik refuse to get up and refuse to eat. She looked very tired & sleepy. Since the rice were too much for us to finish that nite, we carry forward 2 packet for our breakfast next morning before check out and leave to King Cross Stn to meet Hairul and take Eurostar train to Europe.

I cannot sleep that nite. Maybe its due to time changes, change of place & too tired..

Catatan perjalanan - KUL to LHR

15th November 2008

We woke up at 5am to get ready. After performing solat subuh and take our breakfast, we hug our kittens to say goodbye.
The taxi arrived at our home around 7.30 am. After loading our luggage, then we leave to KLIA.

We reached KLIA around 8.30 am. The check in que was quite long. After around 40 minutes, we have done with the check in. Before we proceed to pass the immigration and to terminal C, Ayah bought some medicines from Pharmacy

We then proceed through the immigration and take euro train to Terminal C. We were 1 hour early, but we do not mind. At least we have time to relax before the long hour flight. The children were so excited. Our flight at 10.30am and the flight duration will be around 13hours. Expected to arrive in London Heathrow at 4.15pm.
The children spent most of the time watching videos and listen to songs. I dont really like to use the headphone and trying to sleep. Since we had very early breakfast and they serve lunch later after 1 hour from departure, my stomach got upset almost 3/4 of the journey due to my gastrik problem. Luckily I have prepared with the medicines and have it all in my hand luggage. After taking the medicine, then I feel better. Lucky the pain did not prolong.
We arrived LHR at 3.45pm London time. 30 minutes ahead scheduled time. The process at LHR immigration went on smooth. I have filled up the form in the flight. Kumar has reminded us on how to answer questions post by the immigration and Hani also have emailed us Letter for UK entry. After we passed the immigration, I called Kumar to inform him that we have arrived. We waited around 15minutes before he arrived. He came with her daughter Ruby which I last saw 5 or 6 years ago in Kuantan. That time, she was in year 6 at MGS Kuantan when her parents got to leave for London. Now she is doing A level in London..Time passed very fast...

Next...our experience taking underground train from LHR to Paddington and to Royal Cambridge Hotel at Sussex Garden