A 23-year, 800,000-mile drive . . .

Gunther Holtorf’s 23-year road trip
Two hundred countries and 20 times around the planet – a man’s amazing journey in his Mercedes

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18910560

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Cliff Chapman
www.traveljunkies.com
New places to go, good value accommodation, great activities and exciting things to do.
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Lighthouse Hotel in Scotland

Visit this beautiful and unique hotel near Stranraer in Scortland.

This very unique luxury hotel and restaurant delights everyone who has the good fortune to stay or dine here. It has the charm and romance of an 1815 functioning lighthouse with the comforts of a small very unique luxury hotel and restaurant.

Corsewall Lighthouse Hotel in the beautiful countryside of South West Scotland has the charm and romance of an 1815 functioning lighthouse with the comforts of a small very unique luxury hotel and restaurant.
Pony trekking and cycling are very popular and walkers can enjoy some of the best trails in Scotland.  For golfers, Stranraer Golf Club and Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club are nearby, and the Championship Golf course at Turnberry is within easy reach.
Nearby Galloway Forrest Park has international Dark Sky recognition as best Astronomy location in Europe, and Bladnoch Distillery and the Book Town of Wigtown are only a short drive away.
The world famous Logan Botanical Gardens and Culzean Castle grounds and gardens run by the National Trust for Scotland, make an excellent day out, while a  day return visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland is available from Cairnryan.
Its International reputation for top quality accommodation, the award winning restaurant and spectacular coastal location make Corsewall Lighthouse Hotel an exclusive getaway for the most discerning guests

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Cliff Chapman
www.traveljunkies.com
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Discover Amsterdam’s Bars & Cafes #1 – In‘t Aepjen (In The Monkey Or Ape)

This is the first of a series of extracts from Paul Clutterbuck’s book Inside Amsterdam in which he re-visits some of his old haunts.

1. In‘t Aepjen (In the Monkey or Ape)
Zeedijk 1
1012 AN Amsterdam
Tel: 020-6268401
Hours: Sun-Thurs 3pm-1am Fri-Sat 3pm-3am
Beer; Belgian draft and seasonal:
Wine; South African
Food: Dutch snacks
.

Historic, bizarre and fun

This café is housed in one of the only two wooden houses remaining in Amsterdam. The other is in the Begijnhof near the Spui. As far back as 1519 this was an inn for sailors as Zeedijk was literally the dyke keeping the sea at bay and ships would dock there or nearby. The café name comes from the 16th century when sailors would not be allowed back on board ships once docked – only an officer’s privilege – until it was time to sign up for the next pleasure cruise.

Sailors would be paid up-to-date by the Dutch East India Company and head off to spend as fast as they could on the dreaded drink, women and gambling. When it came to lodgings, this inn would sleep penniless seafarers in the roof where monkeys given in lieu of money were kept.

The monkeys had been transported from the Far East (probably Indonesia). There is still a Dutch saying used today “jij bent in de aap gelogeerd zeg” which roughly translates to sleeping with monkey’s but in modern day terms means someone who has got himself in some serious problems and needs a friend or relative to help them out.

In‘t Aepjen has an amazing array of artifacts such as the strange gorilla mannequin (note the poor attempt at a monkey) in one ceiling corner. Opposite is what looks like Lawrence of Arabia playing an accordion and making his way up the staircase. I am reliably informed that this is, in fact, the only musical mannequin in Amsterdam or at least the only broken one. The original staircase has been preserved well (no monkey scratch marks) and the high ceiling gives the feeling of being in a cathedral annex. The old and much used bentwood furniture, the rugs on the tables and the ancient looking birdcages are typical of a brown café but the refreshingly (for a change) light coloured walls aren’t.

The beautiful wooden floor is made from German beer barrels and the reason there is no sand to shuffle under your feet might be due to gaps between the boards. The sand must already be in the basement. Normally no music is played but at weekends an accordionist slips in to stare competitively at Lawrence and lead the regulars through a good old fashioned Dutch sing-a-long.
You’ll remember your visit that night.

Get your copy of Inside Amsterdam here and help kids with facial deformaties worldwide enjoy a better life.

Thank you
Cliff

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Cliff Chapman
www.traveljunkies.com
New places to go, good value accommodation, great activities and exciting things to do.
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Discover Amsterdam’s Bars & Cafes, But Before You Get Started #2 . . .

Last Week I introduced you to a book about the “Boozers of Amsterdam”

htttp://www.traveljunkies.com/blog/discover-amsterdams-bars-cafes-but-before-you-get-started

This book, Inside Amsterdam, was written  a couple of years ago and brings to life the city as seen throgh the eyes of it’s legendary cafes. Stories that will captivate the reader.

In this series of articles, Paul has allowed me to reproduce some of the descriptions of these historic and fascinating cafes, enabling you to find the real Amsterdam and enjoy the difference from the run-of-the-mill city guides.

So, who is Paul and why has he written this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Clutterbuck

Paul Clutterbuck lives in the South of England with his wife Angela and has two daughters and three grand children. He spent four years living near Amsterdam where he fell in love with the city and especially the hostelries where he soon became a regular. So much so that this month, July 2012, he is cycling around Holland with a bunch of friends, revisiting some of his old haunts.

A keen cyclist, Paul’s plan is to cycle 70 miles a day for five days taking in the countryside, but if I know Paul, the mileage is likely to be reduced and the countryside won’t extend far beyond Amsterdam’s city boundary.

So apart from the obvious, why is he doing this cycle ride at a time when the weather is very much against him?

Paul is riding for a charity he is passionate about and has supported for many years.
His sponsorship and all profits from his book are donated to Operation Smile, an organization providing reconstructive surgery across the world for children suffering from facial deformaties.

Alexandra Talbot, Executive Director of Operation Smile UK said
“Mr Clutterbuck has been a long-term and dedicated supporter of our organisation and has very kindly offered to support us again with the launch of this wonderful book detailing many magical places to visit in Amsterdam”

Like me, Richard Branson has a personal copy of Inside Amsterdam, and he wrote . .
“Paul- Congratulations! Brings back many memories!
[signed, Richard (Branson)]”

Starting next week, I’ll be publishing the first of a series of articles about the cafes that Paul has personally selected from his book.
Why not join me along the way with your own copy, knowing you’re supporting a very worthwhile charity.

Go here to get your own copy of the book or as a downloadable PDF.

And remeber to tell your family, friends, colleages and followers. You wouldn’t want them to miss out.
After all, isn’t that what Twitter and Facebook are for?

Cliff Chapman
traveljunkies  

How to Write a Perfect Blog Post .

Learn how to use psychology to get more traffic and sales with Social Triggers.

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Cliff Chapman
www.traveljunkies.com
New places to go, good value accommodation, great activities and exciting things to do.
Get a free listing in traveljunkies for your travel or activities business!