Brussels

After a 10 hour flight, a three-hour wait in the Schipol airport for the train, an hour walk through cobblestone and rain, we finally made it to the first stop in our European adventure: Brussels. After a long day of travels, we were starving. We found a quaint little restaurant in the Grand Place called “Le Roy”, where we had our first hot meal. That evening, we walked the streets of Brussels and found ourselves at the famous Manneken Pis. We made our way around town by the Hop-on-Hop-off Bus Tour, which took us by many remarkable landmarks in Brussels, and a free tour through the Kings Palace. One word: WOW.

Paris

All aboard, we are headed to Paris! We got a cab to our hotel and then, on to sightseeing! The first stop was The Louvre, (just down the street from our hotel!). We saw famous masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and others that I have only seen in textbooks. We walked around the gardens and could see the beautiful Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower in the distance. We loved the Hop-on-Hop-off Bus Tour in Brussels so much that we decided to try it again in Paris, making our adventures in the City of Lights that much easier.  The hour-and-a-half wait to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower was definitely worth the wait – what a breathtaking view it was! We walked down the Champs-Elysées and did some window-shopping, but didn’t dare to go in the stores. As we were sitting outside Notre Dame at a cafe enjoying authentic Parisian crepes, the bells of the cathedral started ringing. It was remarkable to hear. It was a perfect way to end our tour in Paris.

London

On our first evening in London, we walked through Hyde park, and made our way to the Princess Diana Water Memorial that was given by The Queen. As we were making our way to Kensington Palace it started to pour. We considered turning back, but then we thought better of it…we are Washingtonians! A little rain never hurt anyone, right? We visited The Tower of London and saw the Crown Jewels. It was absolutely amazing. That evening, we took a 30-minute ride on the London Eye. At the top, we could see down inside The House of Parliament. On our last day in London, we mingled with the stars at Madame Tussauds and got our picture with the Queen. After having our picture with the Queen, we couldn’t pass up stopping by Buckingham Palace for our last stop in London.

Amsterdam

Third time’s a charm? Fourth time is a charm for us.  We found our hotel with no problem at all. After settling in, we ventured off to Dam Square. We started our first full day with a tour in the Anne Frank House. Walking through a house that holds so much history was a little eerie, but it was an amazing experience.

In Amsterdam, we had an experience that was not to be forgotten: bike riding. It is a must do for tourists traveling to Amsterdam, but be careful! It’s not for leisurely riders. Biking is a way of life for the Dutch, and the streets are alive with quickly moving crowds of bikes that you must be watchful of.

We hopped on the free ferry to Amsterdam Noord, made a few turns here and there and ended up in the Dutch countryside. It was a very peaceful ride with beautiful scenery.

What better way to spend our last day in Amsterdam than to take a cruise on the canals? We actually took two cruises: one by day and one by night. The evening cruise was my favorite. We had a live tour guide who told us about the history of the canals and the city.

Thank you I Fly Nonstop and Delta Air Lines for this incredible opportunity! I had a blast on my European adventure and am already planning a trip back.

“It’s just a matter of days before my mom and I jet off on our trip of a lifetime.  There’s only so much planning you can do before saying, “Enough! I’ll just go with the flow”.  My mom and I are filled with excitement, just waiting for the day we leave.  It’s hard to believe it’s been six months since I learned I’d won a trip to Amsterdam.

Soon after we arrive in Amsterdam on a nonstop Delta flight from PDX, we will catch the train to Brussels.  While in Brussels for a few days, we will be hitting up the chocolate shops of course, the famous Manneken-Pis, and much more.  We will be staying near The Grand Place (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site), so we will be close to lots of restaurants and shopping.

From Brussels, we will head to Paris for another few days.  While in the City of Lights we are hoping to visit the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral.  We can’t miss the Eiffel Tower and a little Parisian shopping while we’re at it.  One thing that I’m really hoping to see is the Catacombs of Paris (The Underground).

We will next catch the train to London, where we are excited to catch sight of the Royals, since we’ll be staying near Kensington Palace.  Besides the must-see Tower of London and Big Ben, we’re also hoping to catch a magnificent bird’s eye view of London from the London Eye and we want to visit Madame Tussaud’s and take pictures with some “celebrities.”

As our trip winds down, we will take the train back to Amsterdam for the last leg.  While in Amsterdam, we will visit the Anne Frank Museum, take a stroll through the floating flower gardens, and enjoy an evening canal tour.  We are also hoping that we have time to take a bike ride through the country side to see the largest windmills in the world.

There’s so much to do and so little time!  But there is no doubt in either of our minds that we will get to do and see everything on the list, and maybe even a bit more.”

Photo credits: Brussels, Grand Place, mishkabear; Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France, Neil Willsey; Floating Flower Market, Erin & Ben R; Bruxelles Chocolate, KLMircea.

The Nord Market, Jordaan District and Dam Square

We arrived in Amsterdam to weather much like Portland. Heavy drizzle did not stop us from venturing out. We ventured to Nord Market in the Jordaan district, which had everything from fruit to fish, cheese and clothing. These markets can be found all over the city on different days of the week. We wandered in the Jordaan, looking at the shops, and found a wonderful cheese shop/deli. It is amazing how many different types of cheese this country has! That evening, we headed out to explore Dam square, and the New Kerk. There was a group of musicians from Africa playing a concert in the Kerk, it was  a nice surprise to see and hear the music while looking through the church, while taking in the history of this beautiful sight.

Bike Rentals and Day Trips

We woke to a beautiful, sunny day, and decided this would be the day to explore outside the city, and take in the Dutch countryside. We rented bikes and took a free ferry behind Centraal Station with the bikes. After crossing the water, we were on our way. Within 20 minutes we were riding through quaint little towns through the waterland area. The views of the water and farmland were beautiful. It is surprising this is so close to the hustle of Amsterdam! We rode to Marken, a small fishing village, and popular tourist destination,  then took a ferry to Vollendam. The town was  having a festival of some kind, so it was VERY busy, so we did a little shopping, got back on our bikes and headed back towards Amsterdam. From there, we stopped in Monnickendam, another quaint little village, for coffee and Italian ice cream. Further on back towards Amsterdam, we stopped at a place that made wooden shoes and Dutch cheese. We watched a demonstration of how these were made. All in all we biked about 30 miles through the Dutch countryside, then back to the city! It was a great day!

Bike Ride to Haarlem

Today we took our bikes to Haarlem, a much busier ride, but a beautiful destination. We rode along the Haarlemmerestraat, which was a straight shot from Amsterdam to Haarlem. We sat in a nice rooftop cafe, which gave us a wonderful view of all the red rooftops in the town. We biked back to Amsterdam and took an evening canal tour, and saw the city by night. The canal tour offered a lot of historical information on the architecture of Amsterdam. We sat back and enjoyed the beautiful Amsterdam night.

Exploring the City

Today we explored Amsterdam! We bought a metro pass, which was a great way to see the city and made it very convenient to hop on and off the take in the sites. We hit the Albert Cuyp Market and the Floating Flower Market, also the other main squares in the city. We debated hitting a museum or two, but decided to save this for Paris. Amsterdam is filled with small inviting alleyways to explore and so many cafes just calling you to sit down and have a drink or two.

All Aboard to Paris!

We’re Paris bound on the Thalys Train! First, we had to try the Dutch delicacy of herring. It was not a huge hit, but we had to try it. Herring is definitely something you must acquire a taste for! When we arrived in Paris, we found our hotel in the Rue Cler area, near the Eiffel Tower. The elevator only held one person  – very tiny!  The Rue Cler is a great street that is filled with all kinds of markets, where you can make a complete lunch or dinner. Our hotel overlooked this street, and we had a peek of the Eiffel Tower from our room. That night, we went out to dinner  at a quaint café on the Rue Cler, amist all the hustle of people. We then walked to the Eiffel tower, and then down to the water. We boarded a river tour late at night, and went down the Seine, taking in Paris by night. The Eiffel tower was beginning the light show as we returned from the boat. What a beautiful sight.

Exploring the Parisian Lifestyle

We took a four hour bike tour around the city of Paris.  We met at the Notre Dam before starting the tour, so we were able to explore the cathedral prior to the tour. The tour took us through many areas of Paris that we may not have found on our own. After the tour, we walked back near the Notre Dam area, deciding to go to the Orsay Museum after dinner. We explored the museum, that evening, which may have been a mistake…our legs were tired!

The next day we toured the Sacré-Coeur Cathedral, and the Artist’s District. Next, we did our own walking tour (how Rick Steves of us)! We then toured the gardens at the Louvre, and made our way to the Arc De Triomphe, and back to the Louvre for an evening of art. We all found the museum as wonderful as we had been told, although we could only see a small piece of it! The guide at the museum told us that if we looked at each piece of art for 30 seconds, it would take us 6 months to see each piece if we went to the museum every day, open to close. That is a LOT of art.

That night, we went shopped in the small markets on the Rue Cler and packed our own picnic, which we took to the park under the Eiffel Tower. We had wine, bread, cheese and olives, and delicious tarts from a Patisserie.  The best part of our trip to Paris is being able to make our own dinner as we walked, picking up bits and pieces at the cafes and patisseries.

Homeward Bound

What a fantastic journey. From Amsterdam to Haarlem to Paris, we had an incredible time sipping the wine, sampling the food, exploring by bike and taking it all in. I must come back to Holland and France some day. As we headed back to Schipol for our nonstop flight back to Portland, I still can’t believe all that I have seen. Thank you I Fly Nonstop!

Earthquake, tsunami
Sight and smell I can’t forget
I am not the same

When we landed in Tokyo, we were the first ones at immigration.  It was a bit of an anomaly, as we not only flashed through immigration but also through customs.  We wielded our Flight of Friendship stickers, our pins, our t-shirts proudly as we exited the airport and prepared to face Japan.  Really, it hadn’t changed, but, really, it had…

You are the first large group to Japan since March 11.

With that simple statement, Sue-san, our tour guide established a sense of urgency in all of us that was quickly quelled by the realization that we were already doing our part. Against many odds and obstacles, we were here.

March 11, 2011 will be the new benchmark for disasters and the effects of the continuing struggle between Mother Nature and humanity.  A 9.0 earthquake, a 10 meter (33 foot) tsunami that, in places, reached 10 km (6 miles) inland and a devastated nuclear power plant that had the world on edge.

A humble group of Americans and Japanese had come to raise spirits, strengthen resolve, provide an economic injection and lend our backs to the recovery efforts. To remind the Japanese that they are real, that they are relevant and that they are not forgotten.  And with that in mind, some of us put on our best “tourist” hats and hit the expectant crowds of Tokyo…  that never materialized…

When people think of Japan, they probably think “crowded” and “packed” anywhere and everywhere, and for many of us who had been to Japan before, we knew this to be true.  So when we stepped onto the grounds of Asakusa, one of the most famous attractions of Tokyo and Japan, the quietude that displaced the normal cacophony of the crowds was shocking.

When a group took to the ocean off the coast of Sendai to visit Matsushima, one of the three most celebrated scenic attractions in Japan (the other two are Miyajima and Amanohashidate), they were the first international visitors the residents and proprietors of the islands had seen since that fateful day.  Imagine not seeing any visitors at the Mt. Rushmore or Carlsbad or Yosemite for over three months.  But this was their reality. You could already see the recovery in the places we visited.  Where once doors were closed, shopkeepers welcomed us with smiles and open arms.  This was indicative of not just Sendai, but Tokyo as well. Visitors can have peace of mind in knowing that Japan is ready to showcase itself once again as a treasure to be taken in first hand.

In the words of a friend: I remember the faces of the shopkeepers in Matsushima who had only re-opened their stores three weeks earlier as we bought mementos that may have been worthless to us, but right then, were priceless to them.

We weren’t there to be a catalyst for change; we were there to be a catalyst to return things to the way they used to be.

Truth be told, the logistics of trying to help with the recovery efforts are daunting, but there are so many more ways that we were able to help, and as strong and stoic as the Japanese people are, one thing was obvious no matter where we went…  Japan needs its friends now, more than ever.

Have no doubt, Japan is on the road to recovery on the backs of a strong, resilient people instilled with dignity and cultural pride. The recent win of the Women’s World Cup by the Japanese Women’s Soccer team demonstrated to the world what the Japanese are all about and that Japan’s future is bright.  Together, we can help get them there faster and in the company of friends and partners. They say that when times are hardest, that is when you know who your true friends are.  Well folks, now is a great time to demonstrate your friendship with the Land of the Rising Sun.

It’s too late to join the Flight of Friendship that Azumano led just a month ago, but it’s not too late to do your own thing and make your own contribution.  Go there, be a tourist, visit friends or family, offer a smile, a nod of understanding and experience that infamous Japanese hospitality.

You can read more about the Flight of Friendship and the people they met, experiences they had and memories they shared on Sean’s blog.

My sister, daughter and I are just days away from departing PDX for our non-stop trip to Amsterdam. We have been packing and planning for months, and it’s hard to believe the trip is almost here. We are all bursting with excitement.

We will be in Amsterdam for four nights, staying at a unique bed and breakfast just a few minutes from Central Station.

From there, we will bike to small towns surrounding the city – from Amersfoort to Utrecht to see the farmland and forests, and then to Haarlem to see the beach. My daughter and I are relying on my sister to be our tour guide, as she has been to Amsterdam several times and knows the area well.

After our stay in Amsterdam, we will take the Thalys speed train to Paris for two days of exploration. We are staying near Rue Cler Street, which is full of little shops and street vendors where we can buy flowers, pastries, fish, meat, clothes – you name it. My sister has planned a 4-hour bikeabout tour on the first morning we are there. After that we will explore shops, cafes and museums, hoping to soak up all we can in two days before heading back to Leiden in the Dutch province of South Holland for the final night of our trip.

Photo Credits: Amsterdam Central Station (B&W), jelleprins; Utrecht, Daniele Faieta; Haarlem, anafreitas

Practicality aside, Delta also presented a wonderful strategic and creative challenge.  There is no better time for an advertising agency to work with a brand than when it is reinventing itself, and there is no more fertile opportunity for W+K specifically than when that brand is looking to uncover and communicate its core values and true voice. Delta was in such a place, and we were able to work with the team in Atlanta to find Delta’s truly differentiated offering and to create a campaign to communicate this promise.

The airline industry is not for the faint of heart. It is a difficult business. It always has been. From the industry’s birth on the bluffs of Kitty Hawk through today, challenges have been its fuel, and how an airline deals with those challenges is the true measure of its worth. This is the thought behind Delta’s new tagline, “Keep Climbing,” and the campaign that supports it. With “Keep Climbing,” Delta and its employees are committing themselves to making flying better in meaningful ways.

For the September 2010 launch of the new Delta campaign – which appeared primarily in NYC, but also in Portland thanks to the Port – we shot two TV spots and several videos and produced a multitude of print ads, billboards and destination images for the brand to communicate Delta’s mission to “Keep Climbing.” So far, popular response to the campaign has been terrific and Delta is so pleased by the positive impact the campaign is having on the brand that it will redouble its marketing efforts next year with a national push.

Photos courtesy of Wieden+Kennedy

Neal Keny-Guyer
President
Mercy Corps

Presently riding the high speed train between Tianjin and Beijing.  As you can see by the attached photo, we’re going 321 kilometers per hour or, almost 200 miles per hour. The trains are quite nice and clean, all in all a very civilized way to travel.

Photo credit: Courtesy of the Port of Portland

A delegation from the Port of Portland visited the Port of Tianjin in Northern China today. We are working with them to develop an executive exchange program. The Port of Tianjin is on reclaimed land (that’s what the Dutch call it…we would just say landfill) and it is enormous. 300 million cubic meters of fill were used to create the Port area which has marine terminals, warehouse and distribution facilities, a cruise terminal, housing and recreation facilities.

The port itself employs approximately 20,000 people and it is the principal economic region of the area. Tianjin is of particular interest because Northern Chinese ports like Qingdao, Dalian and Tianjin produce cargoes which are particularly well suited for Pacific Northwest (USA) routings.

Executives of the Tianjin Port have indicated an interest in visiting Portland this fall.

Photo credits: Courtesy of Port of Portland

We visited the Chinese car maker BYD. They are rapidly becoming a leader in electric vehicle technology and production. They are also the fastest growing auto brand in China. BYD began as a maker of cell phone batteries and has expanded into cars (including electric vehicles), solar panels and related technology, smart energy, net energy homes and most recently, electric buses. The Port first visited BYD about 3 years ago and was visited by BYD at about that same time.

They contemplate their electric vehicles into the US in 2012 and have asked that we be prepared to compete for their auto import business which, of course, we will happily do.

This definitely is a company to watch.

Photo credits: Courtesy of the Port of Portland