Denmark, Holland and Belgium

Well, after a long time I am back on the net and back on my blog! It has been ages, but I've got lots of pics to make up for it, although this computer is a bit strange - I can't rotate any of my pics, so I've just left out any that were running horizontal, although there were some really good ones there. Also, I have a French keyboard and all the letters are in a funny spot so it's lucky that I can touch type, although it is still disconcerting.

Anyway, after Berlin we went on a sleeper train to Denmark, which is not all it's cracked up to be. We were in a compartment with 4 other people, C and I were both on the top bunks and it felt like we were going to be flung out of our beds most of the night whenever the train would go around a corner. In the middle of the night someone screaming and woke us all up (I later found out it was Chris having a dream) so that didn't make things any better.

Denmark was really nice though, it is like being a fairy tale with perfect castles and cobblestones everywhere. There are bikes everywhere and bike lanes with traffic lights, it's great. We went to Freidricksborg Castle and saw the Crown Jewels and saw Amaliensborg Castle too, both were really cute.

Here is the little mermaid, the one pic I put in that I couldn't rotate. We met Heidi next to her and went for a nice dinner in Copenhagen.
This dog, Gustavson, lived in the B&B that we stayed in, an everytime we came home she would get really excited and pick up one of the owners shoes and carry it around for hours. This time she has a water bottle. She was really nice.
The centre of Copenhagen, and lots of bikes parked.
On the 2nd and last day we were in Denmark the Danish soccer team was playing Sweden and so the whole city was filled with Swedes, here is Chris with the Swedish Chicken. They decorated everything with flags as you can see in the background. This match was pretty contraversial too, but if you are interested Google it.
The train from Denmark to Dusseldorf was great, and here is me having dinner in the dining car. I loved it. We could spend 2 days in Denmark since it is sooooo expensive! Apparently it is the cheaper scandenavien country too.
On this train we upgraded to first class so we had our own room with 2 bunks. Still tiny, but much nicer. I highly recommend this.
Chris's Aunty and cousins in Dusseldorf. We spent 1 night with them.
From Dusseldorf we went to Koblenz and travelled down the Rhein. Here is a town that we:thought was really funny.... although nobody else seems to share our humour. :(
Me on the Rhein.
From the Rhein we caught another train to Amsterdam. This is train, C took this pic as he loved it. The trains have been great, so easy, no waiting, and we are right in the centre of town when we get off.
Amsterdam was great too, here is me on a bike we rented riding down our street next to a canal. Bike riding here is terrific, with all the bike lanes and special traffic lights, and no Aussie motorists trying to run you down and kill you. Better yet, it the lovely flat land, that hill behind me is as big as they get!
Chris on the same canal.
From Amsterdam we went to Antwerp in Belgium to stay with some friends. We didn't get to see anyone in Holland, I think they were on holidays! I was ringing and ringing at all hours, but nobody was ever home. We'll just have to go back again.

Below are our friends that we used to work with at Europcar that the Airport many years ago, Anthony and Andy on the back wall. Eva is Andy's girlfriend who he met at Uluru and now lives in Belgium with. Chris is Ant's friend and they have caught the train up from England to see us. We spent a lot of time at pubs. I made the mistake of taking a hayfever tablet in the morning and then having quite a few drinks. I was very drunk and the next day didn't feel too well at all. I fainted in the morning and cut my lip and bruised my arm. I'm fine now, but be aware that if the chemist tells you not to drink, you'd better listen!
Belgium has LOTS of beers and quite a few have cute lables like this one. I collected some to take home with me. Every beer has it's own special glass too, which are all completely differenet. We went out for dinner for my 26th birthday on Sunday and the waiter let Chris keep on to the glasses. It is very elaborate with a special wooden stand. We are posting it home.
On Monday we made a day trip to Brugge from Antwerp. At the train station there is the BIKE parking lot. It is not as good as the MULTI LEVEL PARKING STATION at Amsterdam though. Apparently that one can hold 3000 bikes or something and it was chock-a-block when we saw it. Sadly I missed that photo-op.
Brugge is another fairy tale town. The was a park filled with swans, and they're thousands of feathers right in the town center. A little fence about 60 cms high kept people out. I haven't used zoom for this picture so you can see how close they are.
A cute little castle in Brugge.
We are now in Paris, but I will write about that in a few days.
My foot is fine now, I can just feel it sometimes when I can carrying my backpack when we move, but I'm back in my thongs as you can see and there are no problems.