The history of Burma, a land of pagodas, (now called Myanmar) goes back to at least the 2nd CBC. Located in Southwest Asia, Myanmar is rich in Buddhist traditions and customs. The last kingdom fell to British rule in 1885. The country gained its independence in 1948 and immediately fell into civil war. Since 1962 Burma has been under military rule and the name was changed to Myanmar. For many years it has been a “closed country” where visitors were not allowed and the locals were not allowed to leave the country. In the last few years restrictions have been lifted and tourists have arrived to view a rare glimpse of a bygone era. There are many diverse ethnic groups, natural beauty, traditional markets, and warm gracious people.

This was our first cruise on the Azamara Journey. By today’s standards the Journey is a small ship. It was originally one of the Renaissance R ships and has been made into a ship of the very highest standards. For our sailing there was a crew of 403 and 551 guests. This is a huge staff guest ratio. There is one open seating for dinner, casual dress attire, and no tipping. We found it very easy to find our way around the ship. The ship was also small enough so that you see the same people multiple times. We took this cruise to experience the ship and its wonderful service. The ports of call were Amsterdam and Flushing, Netherlands; Antwerp and Zeebrugge, Belgium; Rouen, France; Greenwich and Southampton, England. We enjoyed the many things that each port had to offer.

Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish region of Belgium. Bruges has always been important due to its port. At one time it was one of the most important commercial cities in the world. Today the walled city center is a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. There are many canals, bridges, and a market square in the center. It is easy to explore by foot. Taking a canal ride by boat is another good way to see the many sites.

The Floriade is an international exhibition of flowers and gardening, held every 10 years in the Netherlands. I spent one day at the Floriade in 2002 and have been looking forward to visiting a second time. This year it was held a Venlo, about 1 ½ hours train ride SE of Amsterdam. I spent two full days photographing the 2012 Floriade.

For a spring garden display, Keukenhof Gardens can’t be topped. Keukenhof is situated on 80 acres SW of Amsterdam on what was a 15th century hunting estate. A castle was built on the grounds in 1641 and the garden itself was established in 1949 by the then mayor of nearby Lisse. Keukenhof is the world’s largest flower garden where each fall over 7 million bulbs are planted. Kinderdijk is a small village only about 10 miles from Rotterdam. It is near Holland’s oldest city of Dordrecht. Kinderdijk is famous for its 19 windmills dating from the 1500s. Zaanse Schans is a collection of historic windmills and houses that were moved from the area of Zaanstreek in the 1970s. Today is a very interesting and colorful outdoor museum.