Bilious Blog…Around Europe in 80 days#80

So this is it…the final blog.It’s somehow fitting I find myself in the hotel bar whilst it’s absolutely pissing it down.I’m directly opposite Lille Flanders railway station,my room is two floors up and the beer’s good,if a bit pricey…no point in going out exploring so might as well stay here and write this…

I’m not really sure what to say now.A bit tongue tied and all that.I mean it’s been both fun and very eye opening at the same time and not as tiring as you’d imagine.I think that might have something to do with not having to go back to work when I get back.If I were I would probably be crawling in like a cartoon fella lost in the desert…it’s all psychological.

Oh there’s a Scottish family staying here.How do I know they’re Scottish? Cos’s they’re dressed head to toe in Scottish football gear…

Storm Bastard seems to have hit…is it called something else in France? Anyway if I did have a thought of leaving the hotel that’s gone with the wind and rain…it’s a window rattller that’s for sure…plus I have just had onion soup so the windows will be rattling from both sides…

The soup was good but nowhere near as good as the tomato soup I had in Leipzig.It’s the best I’ve ever tasted and quite possibly the best of any food I have had.The cafe is called Spizz in Leipzig Markt and if you’re there go try it…the worst food I had was sadly in Lyon.I know,France right? To explain it was 40c and I was walking past a fast food joint by a museum felt their air conditioning as I strolled past and just had to have some relief.Of course I had to buy something so had a burger.The half eaten burgers dotting the tables should have been the red flag and mine soon joined them…how the hell do you get a burger so wrong?

But in general all the food has been fine.Some more than others with Italy coming out on top.Sorry France but it’s true,Italian food beats yours hands down…as for beer I can’t remember a bad drink but of course the Czechs win that particular race…

There hasn’t been any place I have been to I have  hated.Some have not quite lived up to expectations like Ceske Budejovice,which inexplicably closed at 10pm but others have exceeded expectations by miles.Graz for one and Genoa too.Both tip top places…I have also met and got drunk with some fascinating people. 

Of course the old favourites were still great like Berlin,Hamburg & Düsseldorf…but new favourites have been added including Copenhagen and a little placed called Paris,which I personally think is a great place despite its reputation and as that was my first port of call it got the trip off to a great start…

The trains for the vast majority of the time have been superb,on time ,clean & comfortable.The one exception was in the south of France between Nice & Lyon.But maybe that was just down to the mad weather.I had to change my t- Shirt in the bogs as the other one was sticking to me.Horrendous…there have always been little hiccups but nothing mental…

That’s just a quick summary of how it went.Nothing outrageously bad happened to me either with other people or with my health.Was I lucky? Probably but maybe most of us don’t live on a knife edge constantly…it was just a great experience.I may do it again but possibly for a month shorter.We will see…

Next is probably a little crew of us Wolves fans will head off to Berlin in May for a punk festival called Punk & Disorderly…this festival was really the catalyst for my Interrail trips…early 2016 we’d been to a Wolves game and were talking about David Bowie dying and I mentioned I’d always wanted to go to Berlin and the punk festival came up.Clearly one of our group hadn’t read up on the etiquette of having eight pints,making plans then spending weeks hoping everyone else had forgotten cos’ a few days later tickets,flights & accommodation were sorted and I fell in love with Berlin on sight and also with the idea of seeing more of Europe…also there’s Euro Championships in Germany in June too…

Anyway I am hunkered down here tonight whilst Storm Bastard does It’s bit…It’s been great doing this blog and also that many of you seem to appreciate it.Thanks one and all…Caio!