It is another cold and overcast day, a day to break the scarf that I bought on Islay and head out to the station to catch the train to Amsterdam, I have decided to day is an inside day and what better way to spend it that heading to the Vincent Van Gogh  Museum in Amsterdam. The trip is 2 1/2 hours so with a light lunch packed it is off to the Netherlands we go. The trip is predominantly spent passing field after field, when we get to the Dutch low lands the farming continues but the crops change and the appearance of lots and lots of glass houses,…

A heavy fog covered the city of Brussels as I venture out into the day, My first task is to switch hotels as my former hotel is now full and I find myself with out a room, luckily I located alternative lodging just around the corner, so fortunately I don’t have far to drag my bags. After checking in and dropping off my bags it is a brisk stroll in the cold air to the station to find a train to Antwerp. Luckily the trains to Antwerp run pretty regularly and it is not long that I have boarded and found a seat for the 30 minute trip. Antwerp is…

A cold wind is blowing and even though the sun is out there is an icy chill in the air. After finding accommodation for this week it is off to Brugge which is a 1 hour train ride. The train station is a 20 minute walk from the city centre along cobbled stone streets and after buying a map it is off to the centre we go. There are lots of tourist about as I make my way and it is not long before I have found the market square, a short stroll is the canal and the boat trips are very popular, 6.90 for a 30 min ride. The…

Well it is Sunday and a nice sunny day in Brussels, there is a fun run on around the city and square, and it is nice having breakfast in the sun and watching the runners go by, most of the track is on cobble stones so I don’t envy there ankles. After something to eat I set off for the Belgium Museum of Money, it is an exposition of the first Belgium bank and the story money has played in the world, it is interesting to see the wood lined rooms that were where the first bank meetings were held. The afternoon is a relaxing one as I try and…

Another fine day in Brussels and after a slow start, I ended up at my favourite bar, drinking le Choffe and barracking for Portugal with Joseph, my Portuguese bar tender, till 1am. Happily Portugal won the soccer, and a good night was had, interestingly tourists are still taking photos of the Manneken Pis at 1am. After getting some breakfast I decide another day trip is needed so today I am off to Ypres, this is a 2 hour trip almost to the French border and towards the coast, again like Gent I have no clue what to expect when I get there and I have discovered that the further you…

Today I have decided to validate my euro rail pass and set it to work with a trip to Gent, this is a leisurely 1 hour train ride through the rolling hills of the Belgium country side, after getting the hang of the train system it is not long before I find my platform and have boarded the train and am riding towards Gent. The country side is very farm intensive, fields of corn are everywhere, cows, sheep, deer, chickens and pheasants are seen in various numbers, the fields are an emerald green of lush grass, and even the cows are so content they lie about enjoying the sunshine. After…

Brussels is a city which wakes up late, I think this is due to the fact that the sun is not up until 8.30 so by 9.30 when I venture out into the cool, overcast day the shop keepers are still opening there shops. I find a local coffee shop and breakfast is, in true Belgium style, chocolate and almond croissant, kreikflap (cheery pastry) and a coffee. it all works out at about 6 euro which is cheaper the 26 euro at the hotel. I suppose it is because of Brussels and its eu nations standing but there are a lot of Romanian gypsy’s begging on the street, in fact…

Well no photos for today, after returning my rental car at the airport, having done a full tour as there are no signs to tell you where the rental cars are, it is off to the terminal to do a reverse run so as I have an idea of what I need to do when I fly home. The trip from Heathrow to St Pancreas takes about 1 hour on the Piccadilly line, upon arriving I find the euro rail ticket office and by my ticket to Brussels, I had the choice of a rush to catch the 12:54 or get on the 2:45 so I take the later giving…

After taking one last stroll around the Ely Cathedral it is back in the car for my second last day of touring the UK, and today has the promise of being a great day, no rain, warmish and Duxford, yes it is one for the boys, Duxford is the premier aviation museum, so it is planes, planes, and even more planes. In fact the place is so big you could easily spend 2 days here. The main plane that I was wanting to see was the Lancaster Bomber, and Duxford has 1 of the 4 in Britain, and the display is amazing, the only criticism is that there are to…

It is a sunny day that sees me venture off towards the midlands, in anticipation of visiting Stonehenge. The road out of Bath winds into the hills and it is not long before the farmland fields open around me. After about 1 1/2 hours of driving I have reached my destination with Stonehenge looming large in the field on my right as I make my way into the packed car park. The entry fee give me access to a free audio guide which is very informative, the first pearl of wisdom is that henge in old english means hanging so really Stonehenge is the hanging stones. Unfortunately the crowd is…