Eating Europe Part 2

After you disembark from the ferry at the Hoek van Holland, make your way through customs and head for the Hoekse Vishandel, a little shack that sells the day's freshest catch.

Go up to the nice men behind the counter, and ask for their special dish - raw, skinned herring, served with diced raw onions. 

If raw herring served on a paper plate doesn't sound too enticing, you can also ask for you raw herring to be served in a soft bun, hotdog-style. 

Simply can't abide raw fish? You can always ask for a bowl of kibling, deepfried to order and served with a tart, garlicky mayonnaise on the side.

Some other treats in Amsterdam include - a feta cheese-filled Turkish pancake for breakfast...

a naughty bacon-enriched hotdog for 'lunch'...

with an assortment of sauces...

and a selection cheeses and meats in a traditional Dutch brown cafe. 

For breakfast on our last day, in a Mexican-themed cafe, we started with coffee and a huge cup of hot chocolate (with plenty of whipped cream, of course)...

and moved on to a pancake overloaded with tinned fruit...

as well as huge mushroom omelette with plenty of chips on the side, to see us off on our way to Germany. 

It's essential to fill up your tummy before a long train journey, it makes crossing borders much easier. 

Whistle Stop Tour

Where have I been? Well, the last couple of weeks have been spent whirling through 4 cities in 3 countries, on planes, trains, automobiles and even a ship! Here are some highlights (in no particular order):

- a visit to a salt mine,

- lots of food,

- impressive buildings,

- and a wedding cake with bells on.

More to come!