Well, what have I been doing?Since the last time I wrote, I left Milan and caught the train to Tirano. Tirano is in the north of Italy, just before the Swiss border. From there,caught a special panoramic train through the Swiss Alps, known as the bernina express. It’s called panoramic, because it’s mainly glass from half way up including the roof. This trip is recognised as one of the most scenic and spectacular rail trips in the world. I was not disappointed. It was awsome. At about 6.30 that evening, the bernina express arrived at Chur in Switzerland, and from there I caught a train to Zurich. The trip to Zurich was also brilliant. Lots of rivers, mountains and glaciers. Arriving in Zurich and see how clean everything is. The water in the rivers and canals was crystal clear. I have never seen water so clean in such great volumes,and there were huge amounts of ferries and boats on the huge lakes I went to. The local trains and buses were plentiful and incredibly clean I enjoyed my time there very much. After three days, we caught a bus to Luxembourg. Also an enjoyable clean place. The local buses there were free. Apparently, the big corporate companies have their headquarters here to legally evade paying tax. In return they spend big money to pay for the privilege. From Luxembourg caught a train to Cologne. It was ok there, and then caught the train to Amsterdam. That was exciting for me,even though I have been there before, as always exciting to go back to where you were born. Looked in the window, but mum wasn’t there lol. Amsterdam is a free fun living city, and I love it there. After a few days, we hired a car and explored the rest of Holland 🇳🇱. Saw the new dyke system and lots of small villages that still have the old working wind mills. I couldn’t believe the amount of freeways that run through Holland. More than California I reckon. The car we hired was an electric one. A brand new car called AYWAYS. A new brand of motor car from ,you guessed it, China. It was an SUV. Lovely car, plenty of pickup, quiet as a church mouse, but needs recharging after less than four hundred kilometres. So after you check in to a hotel, you then drive around and find a public charging station. You find one, park the car, pull out the charging lead and plug one end to your car, and the other end into the post. Lock your car, walk back to the hotel, and hope that it is still there in the morning. It takes ten hours to put in a full charge. It’s not real cheap either. As the price of fuel rises, electric car power does too. Diesel here in Europe, for 350ks,would cost about eighty euro. The electricity from a public service cost about half,and there is a fair amount of inconvenience. Any way, it was a good experience. The amount of building for new infrastructure was also incredible. No mucking around there. The famously huge environmental festival that Holland holds every ten years, was on just outside Amsterdam this year. It goes for six months, a lot like expo. Not only showing off their own development for saving the planet, there are also many exhibits from 40 other countries. The festival was held on land, like hundred and fifty plus acres reclaimed from the sea less than ten years ago. Imagine walking around forests parks and buildings that was three plus metres under water. There was also a cable car that ran across the whole place. We left Holland and headed back into Germany to the also free city of Hamburg. Walked a lot and also spent a couple of hours exploring on a ferry. By four thirty in the afternoon we found ourselves in one of the many bars at reafbahn. This is the area that the Beatles cut their teeth. Thousands of people in bars drinking, smoking and listening to loud music and just enjoying life. From Hamburg, caught the bus again to Copenhagen in Denmark. When the bus stopped at the border, I went to the toilet. I didn’t know till I came out, that the police had been on board to check every one for passports. So when the police man asked me where I was, I told him I was hiding in the toilet. He gave me a funny look and I grinning, quickly pulled out my passport. As he went through it, he commented on how long I had been in Europe and how jealous he was.I told him, one day when you are old like me you can do it too. By now his frown had turned to a smile,and with that,handed me back my passport. So now I am back on the bus headed for Copenhagen.
caminohank2016 