It’s a sunny breezy invigorating 25 minute walk to Central station this morning. We are off to Utrecht for the day which is one hour away.

Once we arrive we head straight for the old town through a massive shopping centre. Dom Tower a famous landmark is covered in scaffolding. We wander around St Martin’s cathedral and find out that the tower was once connected to the cathedral until a storm in 1674 tore down the central nave and it’s been that way ever since.

The Oudegracht ‘old canal’ is picturesque with the cellars of the buildings now functioning as riverside restaurants, bars, businesses and private dwellings.

We find somewhere for a cuppa and cake. The black tea ‘zwart’ is very strange and herbal but drinkable.

You can’t visit the Netherlands without getting on the water so we take an hour’s canal cruise. The old canal is very interesting but the rebuilt bit not so much. In the 60’s part of it was filled in to make a motorway through the city but it was restored after a referendum in 2002 and the canal once again circles the city centre at one point travelling under a shopping mall.

Our original plan to eat a curry in Utrecht was abandoned when we discovered Sessie’s hoped for Indian restaurant closed on Tuesdays. Emergency late afternoon pizza is welcome and very filling and then we take the train back to Rotterdam.

After a stop in one of the two local bars near our apartment that we like and a few pints, we eat kebab locally in a Syrian restaurant….that doesn’t serve alcohol which at this point is probably a good thing.  A final stop in our second local before heading back to flat and getting organised for the trip home.

Tram for me to Rotterdam station the next morning, walk for the rest and the train to Schiphol airport. On the way we pass acres of greenhouses.

We all fly to Gatwick and then disperse to different trains. We take the train to Kings Cross and then walk to the Everyman theatre and have an enjoyable three hours to watch Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and eat some food sitting on comfy sofas in an almost empty cinema. We walk the mile to Euston station and hang around for 45 minutes before taking our train to Wigan. Our chauffeur is Paul this time and we are home by 11:30 pm. It’s good to be home and in our own bed.