Matthew Consterdine's

Taking a break from city visits we spend a day in Plön. After a short train ride we check in, and walk around the many lakes. Plön is a beautiful town in the middle of the German countryside. It is quite, and normally rather serene if not for the Harley Davidson festival. So many bikes. After a good walk we head down to a local Indian restaurant and have our last meal as the three of us. Ending the day we return to the hostel. Football is on and it’s coming home.

Leaving Generator Hamburg Onwards To Plön. Inside Hamburg Hbf.

The last day, lets make it count. We walk to the Botanical gardens and split. Me and Andy decide to visit Autoworld.

Swag. A Statue. An Interesting Facade On An Empty Building.

After visiting the Atomium yesterday, we journeyed south-east towards the European Parliament. There, we saw the fantastic House of European History, the disappointing Parliamentarium, and the interesting Hemicycle. We walked back to the hostel, cooked, and rested for the dinner.

A Wall Mosaic. Suspended Street Lighting.

Day two and we were off to an early start. We ate a buffet breakfast, talked to our hostel-mates, and ventured north. We visited the Basilica and peeked inside. Finished in 1911, this modern cathedral is a marvel. Then we caught a train.

Then, off to the Atomium we went. It is huge and has fantastic views of the surrounding city. Then, we visited the ADAM museum and wandered around the Expo grounds. Most of the buildings have been long since destroyed or replaced, but the Chinese and Japanese pavilions are still intact. Or so we thought. Upon arriving in the gardens we find the Chinese pavilion boarded up and the Japanese pavilion inaccessible. Light research reveals that they were both closed five years ago as they were starting to fall apart. A shame. In the evening we cook a fry up, and play a few games of pool.

Zeppelin. The Streets and a Lamp and Trees.

Today is the first day of our adventure. After an early breakfast I set out and caught the express train to Waterloo. Then I walked across central London to St. Pancras International taking in the view on the way. At the station I meet up with my friends, chat, and catch the Eurostar headed for Brussels. We are on out our way.

We arrived mid afternoon, so after we checked into our hostel we ventured into the city, exploring the Grand Place. As places go it is pretty grand with many old and fancy guild halls from when this square was more than just a tourist attraction. Nearby is the infamous and underwhelming Manneken Pis along with several large murals.

For dinner we buy ingredients and retire to the hostel. We cook a simple pasta dish. As we now have a rough idea of the cities layout we discus plans for the next few days. Tomorrow we decide to head north towards the Atomium and see the remnants of Expo 58.

Catching the Train. Entering Waterloo.