A catchy one that is coming youir way!!

Oh and if you haven’t heard this yet, get ready. 200 million odd hits on you tube; massive in Europe, listen out for Brazilian Michel Teló with Ai Se Eu Te Pego.  Annoyingly catchy!!

Sorry, Marmite is a cream sir.

At the end of last month I had a weekend visit to Snowdon for Mr Longs stag do.  And very enjoyable it was too.  Although we are not far from a few essentials, I did stock up on Cat’s favourite spread, only to be told by a Manchester airport customs lady, that Marmite is a cream.  I could have complained or indeed spooned 125 ml out into a bag but heh, I still had the teabags.

The in-flight mag for Easy Jet had city guides to a number of European destinations; rather smugly I had been to Vienna, Budapest, Split and Venice, all this year.  Tee hee. Gotta love blighty, 3 days of news on Pasties, and petrol!

Easter has been near the coast of a flat Holland.  A few miles from The Hague, a compact city with a great Escher museum, (him of infinite stairs and waterfalls) Hazel loved the projected stairs that fell away when you walked on them.  Didn’t see much International Justice, but it was a weekend.

And so the European leg comes to an end, tomorrow we climb on to the ferry for Hull, turn and bid farewell to a continent that is relatively small geographically but manages to cram so much in.  Nearly 7500 miles, 14 countries and 23 border crossings in 4 and ½ months. Thank you.

But that’s not all; we have the Midlands yet, hang in there! And the top 5 lists....

Easter

Today we sit in a massive campsite in The Hague for Easter.  Proper entertainers and all....

Happy Easter everyone

Chicken Invaders

Most of these blog things I generally ruminate over as the European countryside swishes by, then put to paper, as it were, when we are parked up and Hazel is asleep.  I had a belter for you today, perspectives on Europe as we head towards the Rotterdam ferry and home. The problem is we have found some hidden games on the laptop and I have just played Chicken Invaders and seemed to have forgotten all that went before.

So I’ll just mention that these fair weather caravaners/motorhomers who pop up when the thermometer zips past zero are rather annoying.  For 5 months we have all the facilities in the campsites, that were open, all to our selves.  Swings for the H, no showers to wait for and free wifi.  Now every Herman, Jann and François in a mobile home has hit the road!

Any one any idea why Phil Collins is SOOO big in Germany? I don’t mind a bit of the Colmeister, now and again, but he is on the radio more than Adele!!

Today Hazel said Orange, Yellow and....her name.  She takes a mental run up to her name and is ever so proud if and when it comes out.

And finally “now that there is a drought can I use my water butt to store petrol” (it tickled me)

melodies pure and true.

Ain’t spring great! Here in Scandinavia it seems to take on a sense of urgency as if the cold will come back and it will have to start again.  The dawn chorus  has a louder necessity to it and the buds are creaking with pressure.  The people urgently embrace the first warm sun as well, and amongst the joggers in newly squeezed in lycra, the promenades throng with amblers in spring, (not winter) coats.

We like Denmark and the Danes, and apart from their ridiculously expensive capital, it feels like Devon.  Apart from, all the Danish tourist attractions we have seen, which are very good, are all about Vikings.  We are lucky in the UK, we had Vikings, Romans and Normans.. Denmark is Vikings and Carlsberg. Well a bit more. Turborg as well.

We crossed over to Sweden and stayed with some friends in Malmo.  The bridge is 8km long, after 4 km in a tunnel and is the longest road and rail bridge in Europe.  Amazing. We crossed the whole bridge in fog which was very eerie; like driving through a cloud.  

Bob Marley has pipped The Kings of Leon as no 1 driving song. Well, sunshine, the road, can’t beat it!

NEW PHOTOS

In same place as last time. Right hand margin, click on to go Flkr. When on Flkr click the sullivans Photostream The new ones start from Milan!

Germany

I have never been passed by a rocket in the sky before but after driving on the Autobahns for a while, I think I know what it would be like.  The last Merc that went past, I’m sure was jet powered and passed the sound barrier soon after overtaking.  Each time it happens we still say, woe that was fast.

We stayed in a little town outside Dresden, which we hear has been rebuilt beautifully since the war.  We didn’t visit; I felt I would feel a little like Mr Putin does at the moment.  Relieved at the overall victory but not so happy with some of the methods.

And so to Berlin and the rudest people we have met so far.  We are aware that most cities can me anonymous, but we have spent the best part of a month in cities now and Berliners win hands down.  When does edgy, hip and cool become happy; people. Cheer up.  I have got money I need and in some cases want to spend; if you smile I might give some to you.  Cat has got to the point of thanking people when they smile! 

A big city, small in its embrace.  Great Zoo though. We found Nemo.  And a lovely spring evening by the Brandenburg Gate.