Brugge und Koln - 19-21 Nov 2010

One of our goals in returning to the UK was to "do" Europe. So we nipped across the channel and sampled 5 countries, in a single day!

Axel knew a great farmhouse near Damme, which is just North of Bruges, Belgium. Nic was working in Manchester and flew to Brussels - Stuart drove to Folkestone then thro the Eurotunnel to Calais, on to Brussels to meet Nicky, then back to the farmhouse. Eurotunnel is remarkable - slick, efficient, even if a few trains were cancelled each way. They left on time and took 35mins - much quicker than other methods of getting to France. We met up with Axel, Chloe, Matilda and granny Dorothy - had a great dinner, sleep, breakfast then hooned into Bruges on Saturday morning.

The Bach cello suites have been borrowed by many other instrumental groups, violas, basses, even tubas, but if you listen to the video clip carefully you will hear a version on the church bells in the Belfry in the market square. Even a bass player thinks this might be going a little too far!

Belgians have a wonderful diet - they are famous for very strong beer, waffles and chocolate. It is amazing they live past 50. Stuart had a hot chocolate, made from a cup of hot milk with a block of chocolate on a stick, melting in the milk. Yum. And the choccies are made in many shapes and sizes!!

After a trip the museum to see some amazing sacred Dutch and Belgian art, it was time to drive to Koln, and Nickys first trip to Germany.

Stuart and Axel were bass-bores for an hour on Sunday morning, then met up with the girls for coffee by the Rhine. The Dom is huge and magnificent - we need to return to Koln to do it properly.

Carrefour in Calais was visited and the supermarket trolley was load tested with grog for the train ride back to the UK. On Sunday we drove thro parts of five countries, Germany, then 20 mins of Holland close to Maastricht, right across Belgium and a little bit of France, passing Dunkirk and then Calais, before returning to Old Blighty.