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| And we're off! |
So last Saturday Vanda and I said our final goodbyes to our flatmate and my family, packed up the last few bags of our life, realised we had packed too much and had to unpack a few things, repacked and THEN finally got on our still yet to be named Triumph Bonneville T120 and set off. We have been planning ("planning") this trip for a couple of months with a relatively open route between London, UK and Debrecen, Hungary.
"But Rupert, how has the trip gone so far?"
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| A little Sausage and a big bike. |
I'm glad you asked hypothetical avid reader, it started in a relatively scary fashion with the coastal winds of the English Channel blowing us every which way but loose on our trip to Folkstone. We took the Eurotunnel at around 2:30pm, and managed to get our own compartment (probably because our bike looks miraculously unstable). If you are considering a trip to mainland Europe at any point soon I would highly recommend using the Eurotunnel train, before we knew it we were already in the subjectively beautiful Hauts-de-France. The wind decided it wasn't done with us and threw us from lane to lane for the rest of the day until we hit Bruges, which was our stop for the night. We had a wonderful Belgian meal and beer in the main square to celebrate our first successful day on the road and headed to bed, excited to see the city the next day.
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| "Maybe that's what hell is, the entire rest of eternity spent in F*@king Bruges" |
Bruges is an interesting place, there is no doubt. But it is interesting in the way a toddlers first word is interesting. At first it is a little miracle, an exquisite experience that changes your perception of life's very meaning. But soon the novelty fades and you realise this word is all you'll hear for a little longer than you anticipated. Basically go see Bruges for a day or so. Any longer and you may go crazy.
Our next destination was Amsterdam. But on the way we decided to stop at the bizarre town of Baarle-Nassau/Baarle Hertog, a small Belgian enclave in The Netherlands. The town is split by such odd borders that they have had to draw dotted lines across the entire town. This has caused a number of funny situations, such as a house having two addresses, a shop having to have two separate tills and house numbers reverting half way down the street. At one point me and Vanda were in different countries 5 times in a minute, a new record for distance in our relationship.
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| The logistical nightmare of Baarle Nassau |
So after a spot of lunch and a coffee on the Belgian side of the border (before paying in The Netherlands) we moved onto the Dutch Capital. We decided to stay at a location named Campsterdam on the north side of the river Amstel where we rented a vintage camper that opened onto the river. This was a beautiful location and in high summer I would definitely recommend a stay here, unfortunately for us the weather didn't hold at night (along with the power) and we ended up freezing on our first night there. Amsterdam is a mixed bag. I have been many times before but this was a first for Vanda. Surprisingly she was a little disappointed. I think we all build up ideas of places before we experience them, or even after we experience them, and we both felt a little let down by the Amsterdam we saw. It is a beautiful and vibrant city sadly let down by its in-your-face tourist trapping and brightly lit debauchery. That being said we also met up with some Italian friends of ours from London and had a great time relaxing by the canal with them, so I believe it is the city you make it to be, definitely a place you have to see.
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| Bikes, Check. Canals, Check. Wonky Buildings, Check. |
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| Vintage campers allow for instagram like goldmines |
After Amsterdam, we decided to visit an old friend of Vanda's in a town in north Holland named 'Lelystad', interestingly this town didn't exist before 1967, when it was built on land reclaimed from the North Sea. Even more interestingly we decided to take a northern route there, which required crossing the North Sea to get there. Anyone who finds themselves in Holland on a Motorcycle absolutely has to drive the Houtribdijk road. Pictures can't do justice to how magnificent the open road is with the sea on both sides.
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| Chilling in the sea...kind of. |
After Lelystad we stopped off at Utrecht before the longest journey so far down to Maastricht to stay with a friend of ours. Maastricht is another town that you have to see if you can, a small student town with mixed German/Dutch architecture and an all-round friendly feel. Our next trip today sees us leaving The Netherlands for Germany and the start of our great European crossing. As soon as I get a chance again I will update you all on where we have ended up. But for now, ta-ra!
Puffer
