Lesser-Known Museums
I thought it might be interesting to start a thread on lesser-known museums that travelers have discovered on their Tauck tours and/or pre and post tour days. I recently reported how the Purse and Bag Museum in Amsterdam had to permanently close its doors due to the pandemic.
AMSTERDAM
Below the Surface Museum -
The museum houses the artifacts/items found during construction of Line 52 of the Rokin Metro Station, which is in the city center. I wouldn't make a special trip, but if in the station I think it is worthy of a visit.
Houseboat Museum -
Located on the Prinsengracht Canal, the museum is actually a houseboat constructed within the hull of a former cargo ship. We discovered it while on a wine and cheese canal cruise. It is located just a short walk away from the Anne Frank Museum.
Our Lord in the Attic Museum -
During the Dutch Golden Age, Calvinism was the only recognized religion and Catholics were forbidden from practicing their religion. For a fee, however, the authorities turned a blind eye and allowed Catholics to practice their faith within certain homes. The refurbished canal home is not the attraction here, but found in the attic is an actual church. It is beautiful in its simplicity and is well worth the visit. It is located an easy walk away from the Central Station.
Museum Tot Zover (Dutch Funeral Museum) -
Although it sounds macabre, it really isn't. It is an exhibit covering all aspects of Dutch funerary practices and beliefs pertaining to life and death. It also houses some very nice paintings. The adjoining cemetery is also nice to stroll through.
I will continue to add other cities. I hope other travelers share their favorite "minor museums."
Comments
The Marmottan Museum in Paris normally has Monet exhibits but also hosts others. I think originally a hunting lodge off the beaten track. We did not encounter crowds there.
Not from a Tauck tour, and in your backyard:
The MTA Transit Museum - https://www.nytransitmuseum.org/
Located in In Brooklyn, not far from Prospect Park, the history of the NYC subway system. It's located in a decommissioned subway station and includes subway cars you can walk through, going back into the early 1900s.
We visited the Ox Culture Ceramics Museum with Tauck in Xian, China. Tauck also arranged for our group to visit part of the curator's private collection.
BKMD,
I have a stepson who lives on Prospect Park SW. Small world. Thanks for the museum tip.
Here’s my first one, really enjoyed my tour
LONDON
https://dickensmuseum.com/
and another
https://www.soane.org/home This is within walking distance of the Savoy hotel
https://spencerhouse.co.uk/
This home is magnificent, when we went it was rarely open to the public but this may have changed. If you are planning a trip to London it’s worth checking and booking before you leave for your vacation Spencer was a relative of Diana, Princess of Wales.
When we have visitored LONDON we have tried to visit the lesser known, more restricted opening times and off the beaten track places because it’s so much easier to visit the well known places and they need less planning in advance.
Thanks, British. I will be in London on a Tauck trip next spring and was looking for some ideas. Might you know of a tea museum and/or all things related to tea?
No, no tea ideas. Afternoon teas are really for tourists, but I do love them, not good for the waistline though.
My favorites tea is Earl Grey. I discovered a variation this year, Earl Grey Crema, delicious. It seems to be spelt Crème too.
I know it might be touristy but I have my heart set on formal tea at the Savoy. I'll look for the Earl Grey variation. Thanks.
We have stayed at the Savoy, not with Tauck. The concierges were wonderful there. There are some gardens behind the Savoy hotel. If you are Gilbert and Sullivan fans like we are, there is a beautiful memorial statue to Arthur Sullivan there. I found it very moving. Here is a link to it
https://londonvisitors.wordpress.com/2019/01/13/great-london-sculptures-memorial-to-sir-arthur-sullivan-by-sir-william-goscombe-john-in-victoria-embankment-gardens/
Actually, the above website is really good. It shows the dates of special exhibits at museums and all kinds of things!
I'm glad we booked four pre-tour days! We performed Pirates of Penzance in junior high school. I have no clue which character I played. I remember wearing a pirate hat, however. I digress.
I'll be adding some museums in Spain and Portugal later. Since it appears many forum members have booked tours there, maybe it will generate more interest.
On our ESW tour we had afternoon tea at the Savoy. It was absolutely delightful. We made our reservation before we left on the tour so we could get the time we wanted. I’m glad we had tea because the dinner that night before we went to the theater was awful.
I have to admit, when we stayed there some time ago, we ate in the hotel restaurant, the Gordon Ramsay one and it was very disappointing, but we love the hotel.
For future ref, the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware in Hong Kong is a treat for tea lovers, with an excellent cafe. Some museums I've mentioned in earlier threads: Musée Regards de Provence, one of those charming little museums that provides a perfect taste of local art; the Alimentarium, an unusual food museum in Vevey, Switzerland; and while I'm not usually big on stately homes, I discovered the Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan, a property of FAI, the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (the National Trust of Italy) while wandering beyond the center; it proved a charming setting in a lovely part of town with equally charming staff. And alas I never made it to Rome's National Museum of Pasta, which I just learned is Permanently Closed.
I don't have anything to offer in Madrid since the Museum Triangle (Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofia) are the must see museums there.
Here are some other suggestions in Spain:
SEPHARDIC MUSEUM - TOLEDO..........pronounced TOE LAY DOE, not like the city in Ohio
Traces the history and expulsion of Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal during the Inquisition. Some were allowed to remain but only if they converted.
MUSEO del QUESO MANCHEGO - TOLEDO
A wonderful little place devoted to manchego cheese.
MUSEO de BAILE FLAMENCO - SEVILLE
Dedicated to the flamenco dance form.
MUSEO del ENGANCHE - Jerez de la Frontera
Houses equestrian art, a carriage museum, stables and the beautiful prancing horses.
It looks like Tauck removed Jerez from the Spain and Portugal tour. What a shame.
kfnknfzk asked:
There used to be a museum of tea and coffee in London, but sadly it closed a few years back after the death of the owner. There are two tea shops that bill themselves as museums. The first is run by Twinings. They list it as a museum, but I think it only qualifies as that because it dates to 1706. Extensive selection of teas and paraphernalia. They also offer tea blending and tea master classes. It's on The Strand near the Royal Courts of Justice.
https://twinings.co.uk/pages/twinings-flagship-store-216-strand
For tea with a French accent, visit Mariage Freres in Covent Garden. They also bill themselves as a museum, but are mostly a shop with an attached restaurant. Their website is terrible, but here's a link to the tripadvisor information:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d15701300-Reviews-Mariage_Freres_Tea_Emporium-London_England.html
Finally, a photo of the entrance to the Twinings shop on The Strand:
Ken from Vegas,
Thank you so very much! After my post I started to research and did see the Twinings. I will look into the other one as well. I am on a mission! Thanks again.
Speaking of tea, not a museum but a tour - The Celestial Seasonings factory in Boulder, CO offers a great tour. Also, if you've never seen prairie dogs before, you'll see them on the land surrounding the factory. I believe it was part of the now defunct Colorado Tauck tour..
Thanks, BKMD. We hope to relocate back to New Mexico (Santa Fe) next year and will definitely take some driving trips to Colorado.
We have coyotes here. They come out of the canyons looking for food. I carry a stick and whistle at all times. I don't know if a coyote is the same as a prairie dog.
I did research the Brown Hotel (a tip from you on a different post) and It looks beautiful. Yet another place to explore for tea.
Thanks, again.
Boy was I off! It looks like a really big chipmunk! I bet BKMD is laughing at my dumbness right now!
The Brown Hotel in Denver is where Tauck stayed at the end of the now defunct Colorado tour. I don’t remember much about it except that their was a single woman on the tour. Some of us had really small rooms. We were both going back to our rooms together and she showed us hers and it was huge! Funny the things you remember.
kfnknfzk - yes, thanks for the chuckle, and thanks for the pic, Cathy. A pic is worth a thousand words.
I'm just thankful Cathy did not insert an old woman running towards that giant chipmunk with her big stick and whistle around her neck.
Regarding the Brown Hotel, the one I researched was in England. Looks lovely.
British - You mentioned you were disappointed at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in the Savoy. He has three of them. Do you recall which one you ate at?
Also, does Tauck allow the "free" breakfast at any of the restaurants serving such or are you restricted to a certain one? Thanks.
We stayed at the Savoy independently on an great Amex deal, it was about 8 years ago, I can’t recall if there was more than one Gordon restaurant but it was a grill one I think
Thanks.
We stayed at the Savoy twice in 2017 as part of Tauck tours. Based on the current photos and my memory, we could have breakfast in either the area called the River Room or the Thames Foyer. You walk thru the foyer area to enter the river room so it kind of depended on which you preferred. There were some tables next to the window overlooking the river in the River Room (duh) but we never managed to get one. The foyer has a sort of large gazebo vibe with a lovely high ceiling. The decor looks a bit changed to me based on current photos.
The Savoy is the only Tauck hotel we've ever stayed at where breakfast was fully ala carte instead of buffet or a mix. The menus (available on their website) are basically the same in both locations and we had no limit on what we ordered. It's looks to be pretty much the same today as it did back then. The food was excellent and plentiful. The farewell dinners for both tours were in private dining rooms and also very good.
We stayed at the Savoy independently in March of 2014 where we (maybe just me) had a jaw dropping OMG moment when we saw Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard from Star Trek) and Roger Daltry (The Who's lead singer) just hanging out together waiting to be seated for Brunch. We also ate at the Savoy Gordon Ramsey and found it to be very good, but a bit pricy.
Thank you for the additional information.
Regarding breakfasts, I think almost every Tauck hotel has an a la carte menu. Not all of them will tell you that, however. If you ask, they will always oblige.
Most we've been in had a mix with things like fruit, yogurt, pastries, etc buffet but then you could have egg dishes, pancakes, etc made hot. My husband loves Eggs Benedict. Even the river cruise ships (before covid) had both buffet help yourself or have the waiter take an order. I prefer the mix where I can pick out which cold items I want but hot items aren't just sitting in a steam table. One of the things I like about river cruises is not having to learn a new breakfast routine.
Welcome back flagger. I’ve missed you!🙊
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