In about a months time i retire...i am looking forward to a life of idleness.Basically i am a lazy sod who has spent the last fifty years working, so going squarely against my natural inclinations...
However i won't be idle for long because from August 1st to October 19th i'll be hauling my saggy arse around Europe.Hence the title of the blog...i got the taste of going solo when i did three trips to Germany and Czechia of a month apiece in the summers leading up to 2020,after that of course most people's travel plans were on hold(apart from gov't officials it seems).My passport ran out and i could'nt be bothered to renew until just before my retirement and also most travel was back to relative normality...
After many,many,many rewrites of my destinations i finally settled on a definative tour schedule mostly because i knew i needed to get my arse in gear pretty damn quick...Once again i am on the train using an Interrail ticket,it's the three month one and whilst the initial outlay was expensive it allows the punter to have unlimited train travel to,from and in, thirty three countries.not only inter city but regional trains too.Rest assured i'll be getting my money's worth...i did a dry run to Berlin at Easter with interrail on my phone to see if i was down with the tech and it was fine.Imagine what state a paper one would be in after three months!
A third of the places i'm going to i have been before and want to go back because i either like them or did'nt have a great time previously and want to give them another chance...the other cities are new to me.This is the list;
Paris---I'm sure the Eurostar to Paris on August 1st will be nice & quiet and roomy...
Strasbourg---No reason.It looks a decent place and it breaks up the joirney
Munich---Been before.Did'nt have the best of times but pretty sure that was more down to me rather than Munich.Deserves another chance...
Linz---Not,and i can't stress this enough,to pay some twisted homage to the birthplace of a failed painter with a silly mustache.Was going to stay in Salzburg but for some reason the hotels are all too expensive...
Graz---Like Strasbourg a filler for a couple of days before forwarding to...
Trieste---I'm already fascinated by this place.An Italian enclave surrounded by Croatia & Slovenia & The Adriatic Sea and has been the subject of countless invasions over the centuries.Like Poland but with better food.Also the 20's (that's 1920's not 2020's) saw the great,good,diabolical and all inbetween of artists,writers & political agitators set up camp there...Prosecco is also just up the road...
Verona---Wanted to stay in Italy in a city beginning with V and Venice looks like a touristy hell hole.Also with the beard i can pretend to be the ghost of Billy Shakespere...
Genoa---I have always been drawn to ports and Genoa fits the bill perfectly...
Lyon---Back to France.been told Lyon is a cool place so that's it really...
Freiburg---Despite travelling extensively around Germany i've never seen the Black Forest or even stayed anywhere that looks like the cliched chocolate box Germany we all know ao well...
Stuttgart---Never been.Looks big and brash so probably a perfect antidote to the Freiburg cuteness...
Nuremberg---Been before,liked it.Going to catch up on some WW11 history that i missed last time...
Ceske Budejovice---South Bohemia,the one and only and original Budweiss is brewed there.Need i say more?
Prague---Had to go back to Prague.A Czech girl i work with is going to give me a list of places to go away from the tourist traps so that's cool and i have to see the Flying Lions statue celebrating the Free Czech air force who helped defeat the Nazis that has my dad's name etched on it...pretty dammed proud of that!
Leipzig---return here too.Cool place.Had a great crack with many locals last time.A return was long overdue...
Berlin---Bet those that know me are shocked i'm going here! Been about half a dozen times already'Love the whole vibe of the city.This time i am staying on a boat next to the Esat Side Gallery which might be the coolest place i have ever stayed.Also have some friends coming over from UK whilst there...
Hamburg---Another old staple on the German trail.been a few times.Cool place and also get to meet up with Rikky,a big Wolves,Terry Hall & memes fan who lives close by...
Copenhagen---The start of the short Scandi part of the trip.Lovely Lovely Copenhagen as the song goes.We will see...
Oslo---Probably the longest section of the trip.As i'm up that part of the world might aswell dip my toe into Norway(ditto Sweden) Heard it's stupidly expensve even by London standards...
Gothenburg---The swedish leg.Another Port city...
Odense---Back to Denmark.A bit of a filler for two days really...
Breman---Been before.Love the city.Always gets ignored when Brits travel to the German cities but it's worh the effort.Some good bars...
Rotterdam---Was last there forty years ago and obviously it's changed a lot since then.Looks like the city have really put the effort in to make the place as interesting as possible.Did'nt fancy Amsterdam as i have enough of Stag & Hen parties where i live...
Dusseldorf----Another favourite just behind Berlin.Cool city.End of...
Mainz---Never been but that train journey along the Rhine goind south from Cologne/Bonn is totally worth it.Get a seat on the left left hand side if you can...
Cologne---A stop off to be close to Eurostar but still a top place to visit.Been a few times...
Lille---Last stop for a couple of days before heading back to Blighty...
So that's it...by necessity will have to travel light,got three months of prescription drugs to pack for one thing! (Us old un's need the drugs).So it will have to be a case of buying some clothes on the hoof.I am also going to try to write this blog daily where no doubt i will moan about tourists while being a complete and utter tourist...when i wrote a daily blog traipsing around Germany in 2019 people seemed to like it,so...until then.
