The last few days.....

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The last few days. After Falcor, it was clear nothing could really come close so we headed off from Munich all the way to Bonn on a driving day with very low expectations. We left at seven. AM.... This has literally never happened. It did mean though that, even with a couple of stops (no pinging and, fortunately no explosions or rattles) we got to Bonn in time for tea before settling in at Aunt Alma's hotel (quirky style supposed to be like staying at your aunt's house which it was if your aunt likes boiling rooms, not enough beds and, bizarrely, pink shag pile in the breakfast room!)
Leaving Bonn the next morning, Sunday we headed over the border to Gaia Zoo near Heerlen. Even Seth has been here three times (technically four actually if you count before birth) and it's a wonderful zoo. Open and seemingly fenceless enclosures thanks to great use of water and height differences, the animals never seem stressed or anxious. Ash on the other hand did seem anxious knowing that his nemesis, the cafe at the zoo, was soon to come. Ash has form for getting befuddled here and ordering wildly from the menu. This time my chicken salad came back as ....a burger, Seth's kids burger came back as ...a burger and ash had ....a burger. It could have been worse......
The afternoon saw a trip around the savannah, a bit of the Amazon and the capybara (Seth coming up with some very interesting ways we could steal one and take it home in the roof box) An Albert hein then a missing petrol station (honestly both our sat navs told us this station was there but a fairly well established row of houses was all that was there 🤷🏻‍♀️ ) and a short drive eventually took us to our amazing hotel, right on a lake, with a moat! We all had a swim this time, making the most of the heated pool, not the beautiful but clearly freezing lake. Seth languished in the bath watching his tablet, we ate bread and cheese from a towel table cloth (and gave Seth what I thought was chocolate milk to drink. Turns out it's a Dutch chocolate pudding, no wonder it was thick!) And headed off to sleep.
Monday, the last full day of 2023's holiday. A few years ago, Ash found out about the home computing museum in Helmond. Finally, he got the chance to go we got to Helmond fairly quickly (still ping free) but then spent the same time again searching for a place to park that took visa (the Netherlands is very maestro heavy and we've come a cropper before) eventually, after some time and three places we were parked and off we went, Ash to computing nirvana, us for a drink, some Lego and sandwich shopping. Helmond is lovely, the computing museum apparently perfect, think we'll be back!
A slow, ping free drive and, three hours later, we were in Bruges. It was mine and Ash's fifteenth visit so no need for more than a bit of chocolate buying and a beer at our favourite bar before heading to our last 2023 hotel for a posh dinner and comfy night.

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