Flat plains drifter…Netherlands #1

As per usual Eurostar was rammed at 5am.Infact it’s the most rammed I’ve ever seen it,people were literally queuing round the block and of course some people jumped the queue cos‘ they’re clearly special people and deserve to slime their way in front of us lesser mortals to gain access to a more adventurous standing spot in the waiting room…pricks.

I‘m sure it’s not just me that get‘s a frisson of angst when the passport control holds your gaze a little too long,it’s a fine line between boldly holding the guys stare or looking anywhere but directly at him.They let me through so I obviously passed the test.I‘d crumble like a badly made soufflé trying to get into the USA…

The trip was fine albeit we were an hour late arriving in Amsterdam.This wasn’t our doing this time as we had to hang around at Brussels for the connection from Paris.However there were some very pissed off people when they were told the train wasn’t stopping at Amsterdam airport.They were clearly not having a good trip…one guy tried to claim a seat taken by a fella who‘d been on since London and got the guard involved,the guard then patiently explained that this wasn’t his scheduled connection but that we‘d just hung around to lighten the load.Again lots of harummping and storming off…

So I’m not staying in Amsterdam or even Utrecht but a small town/village about 10 mins away by train called Bilthoven.It’s very twee and the place I’m staying in upped that twee factor by several percentage points.Imagine if Jermina Puddleduck opened a B&B/cafe and you’d have an idea what it’s like.But they seem nice and the waitress has already taught me Please & Thank You in Dutch.I asked her what time she finished and her horrified expression suggest she thought I was coming on to her whereas I was merely wondering about paying for my coffees…nearly an Oppps moment there.

I am saying it’s all very twee but just noticed over the road a shop called Loft 88 and really hope that’s not anything Nazi inspired.I have seen both Hot Fuzz and Village of the Dammed so know these places can have very sinister undertones…

Found a bar so a small Heineken is in order.Totally forgot about table service so did the Brit thing of paying at the bar thus putting at least two servers on the dole but at least I resisted the temptation of asking for a pint…seems a decent place.Already had good interaction with the barstaff and they’re playing some old school 60‘s soul too…

That’ll do for today Boys & Girls I’m pooped.Incidentally this is the first hotel I have stayed in that has a dressing gown to use. It’s a nice thick towly thing.A bit coat of many colours an‘ all that.I was hoping for silk so as to cosplay as Noel Coward in The Italian Job but that’s probably asking too much…

See you tomorrow sometime…