Today started with a fabulous breakfast at the hotel for frees. I have never had salmon for breakfast before but it was a delight, along with the customary European cold meats, bread and cheese (including one I tried about a month back which tastes of caramel - it actually exists in Norway!). I thought I'd eat as much as possible as I have discovered that much like Finland was it is very expensive. (Which got me thinking....do people earn more comparatively as a result? We're talking £8 for a glass of wine, £2 for a chocolate bar and £8 for a sandwich here...I'd be bankrupt!). First on my hit list was somewhere I was really excited to go - Vingeland Park. This is a park 20 minutes away on tram number 12 and contains 212 granite ... read more

I had reserved the day after the conference to do what I do best.....being a tourist. I first got the tube from Euston to St Pauls - even getting the tube is great. It was pretty busy and it's good to people watch (some of them don't like this though...). Instead of going to the cathedral I turned in the other direction and headed to the Museum of London. There was an exhibition on there called 'Doctors, Death and Resurrection Men' which I had wanted to see since it opened a few months ago - it focused on how the bodies were provided for dissections back in the days when there were anatomy schools and learning in medical school from actual bodies was common place. However, as there was a shortage so called resurrection men went ... read more

It's sad that although I've been to many a strange and delightful range of countries I've never actually blogged about poor left out Blighty. I'm in Laaandan for a conference but as I love cities and exploring thought I'd stay here for a few days extra and try find out just why I find Laaandan so appealing even though I've only been here twice (and one of these occasions I spent the whole day in a tv studio). Even getting into London Euston is exciting. I spied the BT tower and a few surrounding buildings that are brightly lit up. Then I remembered after my elective getting back here from 6 weeks in Asia and spending the evening in a Maccy Ds cos I had no monies. Good times. So after dropping my stuff off I ... read more

We kicked off the morning with an absolute binge on the free breakfast complete with wrapped up 'stolen' croissant for later. What a feast. There were still bits of Brussels we hadn't seen so kicked off getting the metro from the south station which was just around the corner to the hotel. There was a market on with about a thousand fruit and veg stalls! I don't know how they all make money because surely there's too much to chose from! Getting off the metro the first top was the Jardin Botanique, an old park complete with statues and a cute fountain. It was surrounded with tall gray/blue buildings which was quite a weird setting for somewhere so green. From here we walked passed the Pl du congress - Brussels version of Nelsons Column but with ... read more

We kicked off the day still in Brugge as there were a few bits to tick off the best sights of the city! It's been absolutely bitter cold We walked around the Minnewater which back in the day was were all the ships and that would drop off all the cargo. It's a very pleasent park with lovely water views and had an abundance of swans (which brought up the questions does the Queen own all the swans in the world or just in Britain? I don't know...). On the way to the belfort in the Markt there was loads of delightful little shops, most selling either chocolate, lace, beer, tat or all the above. I got a nice box of chocolates from a shop called Chocoholics which was mainly due to the name! Next we ... read more

Not to let it get me down about the previous nights antics we had a new city to see! Our first mission of the day was to get to the train station on the other side of the centre of town, easy. We got our tickets and stood waiting for the train.....and waited.....and waited....and moved platforms....then waited..... eventually the train to Brugge arrived! We 'accidentally' got some seats in first class which was rather nice! I have not mentioned yet that in Brussels they speak French which I speak very little of but enough to get by (although I think I said bye when I meant to say hello when I was in the supermarket....) but in Brugge they speak Dutch - weird non? Luckily, the hotel is right next to the station so with a ... read more

So this is country number 17 of the Europe ambition and country number 7 visited with in 1 year. Introducing Belgium! This trip is different for me though as this time I have a travel companion! The plane journey took about 15 minutes because the wind pushed us on our way (this is actually what happened). Touch down in Brussels and our friend was kind enough to offer us a lift to the hostel! How pleasing! As we arrived late we crashed full of expectation for the day ahead (and what a day it shall turn out to be...) Firstly we took a walk along the streets taking in some great comic strip murals randomly splattered on various walls within the city. They are amazing and I wonder who painted them. We came to Ste-Catherine which ... read more

I am now at home wiping away the tears that always come when I return from an epic trip away.... Yesterday I started the day by taking the metro to Basilica Di San Pietro in Vincoli, a 5th century church with has 2 exciting exhibits.... the first is the shackles of St Peter that bound him when he was imprisoned in the Carcere Mamertino - apparently they arrived in 2 parts but then magically joined together (without glue or cellotape...). The second is Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses. It was quite brilliant, with its flowing beard wrapped round the waist...and the 2 horns on his head. That's right! Horns. This was inspired by a mistranslation of a Biblical passage where it was meant to say ray of light they actually translated as horns (as you do) thus ... read more