Europe - by train (well 21 trains)...

Apologies for the tardiness of posts of late but it's been a very busy time as we are in the final few weeks of our time in England. We've done a lot in our year, but we hadn't travelled outside the UK much and so we decided to pull the kids out of school a couple of weeks early and enjoy a two week whistle stop tour around parts of Europe via Eurail/Interail. We had an end destination of Prague to visit our great friends the Farrow Family but otherwise planned a circular route across five countries taking in Brussels, Paris, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Prague, Berlin, Utrecht, Amsterdam, and The Hague.

What an amazing adventure - so many different languages, cultures, architecture, amazing food and ultimately fun. We "experienced" a night train from Paris to Austria sleeping in a couchette, we took 3 cable cars up 7,500ft to the top of the Tyrolian Alps, we cooked dinner on an open fire at 10pm on the Farrow Farm, we dined in a revolving restaurant at the TV tower overlooking Berlin, we slept in a cabin at Tropical Islands and swam until 11pm in the 24hr pools, we touched the Berlin Wall, we experience the Amsterdam canals (not cannabis) by boat, we got blown off the Pier in The Hague, and we took A LOT OF TRAINS!!

Week 1 - London-Brussels-Paris-Salzburg-Innsbruck-Prague

The trains were actually amazing (first class tickets helped) but they were fast (235km/h), affordable, on-time, clean and just an amazing way to hop from the heart of one city to another city in Europe. Passports were checked just once leaving and returning to the UK but otherwise we crossed borders with no checks and no hassle (unlike flying). The train ride from Innsbruck to Linz through the Austrian Alps was jaw droopingly beautiful and a trip highlight. All of us would highly recommend the Eurail/Interail experience and Josie and I will be planning a retirement train trip around Italy, Germany, Austria, etc, in the future...

The time in Prague and Zvole with Faz, Lenka and Yakim (Tadeash was sick when we visited) was amazing - it was hot (32 degrees) but hanging out with them at their lovely home in the woods was a highlight of our trip and a much needed opportunity to recharge batteries before tackling the return leg. Our favourite day wasn't the awesome guided tour of Prague or the beat-the-heat trip to the water park but was the day we just spent hanging out at home with great friends, eating, drinking and playing board games all day. Love you and miss you guys already... I want a Rummikub rematch...

The return leg included more big Cities - Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam and Brussels, but also some diversions to Tropical Islands or "Centre Parcs on Steroids" an hour south of Berlin in an old Airship Hangar the most amazing 24/7 Tropical swimming Paradise. A fantastic way to beat the heat and escape from the concrete jungle of over crowded European City life for 2 days. The kids swam from 7am to 11pm fuelled by frozen yoghurt and European buffet breakfasts. For the adults the Architecture in Amsterdam, Prague and Berlin was a highlight and a visit to the DDR museum and East Berlin Art Gallery in Friedrichshain, a collection of over 100 paintings on the longest continuous section of the Berlin wall, was very moving.

Week 2 - Prague-Berlin-Tropical Islands-Utrecht-Amsterdam-The Hague-Brussels-London

At times the trip also felt like a culinary journey, both trying local cuisine but also taking advantage of multicultural options in Europe - we enjoyed Frites and mayo (plus chocolates for dessert) in Belgium, Schnitzels and Strudels in Austria, Pretzels and Spatzles in Germany, Cheese and Waffles in The Netherlands, but then also Lebanese in The Hague and Sushi in too many places to mention, but the best was in Linz, Austria... (cheeks already full and a thumbs up from Ben)

The kids really enjoyed the experience and loved travelling by train (well maybe not the night train Abigail). Hopefully we've just wetted their appetite a little to see how wonderful travel can be and that google translate and hand signals can get you a long way when you can't speak the language (sorry to the Austrian night train manager). An amazing adventure.