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Europe Summary

I’m sitting at Gatwick Airport in London, sipping a Stella, with a belly full of a sturdy lunch and, more recently, oysters and mussels. Finally, a chance to reflect on the past week.

This has been my busiest trip to Europe ever in terms of travel. I arrived in Amsterdam a week ago, sick as a dog. Fortunately, the worst of it hit me on Sunday and I was OK to go on Monday, even though my nose acted as live faucet. The frequent travel did little to help.

Sunday morning started with a long train ride to Hannover from Schiphol Airport. After the Domotex it was time for Cologne, riding in style on Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) ICE train. The two days in Cologne were very busy and I didn’t have a chance to explore the city the way I normally do.

From there it was onward to London, via Brussels, which turned out to be a long ride. This was only my second time in the UK, but hopefully not my last. I stayed with my old friend Niclas for three nights, saving big money on hotels but, more importantly, enjoyed the company of a quality guy. Also, using Commercial Street as a base from which to explore London is never a bad thing!

Friday started with a breakfast appointment not far from Niclas’s apartment, followed by a ride on Stansted Express and a noon flight to Glasgow. After a good customer visit in Scotland, the customer lent me his car to drive around the area before taking me back to the airport. I was hesitant at first as I have never driven a car with the stick shift on the left. It turned out that the left-side driving was more of a challenge, even though I’ve done it once before (with an automatic). But it all ended well. Now I can say that I’ve been to Scotland, although six hours doesn’t do it justice. I hope to return.

After a late dinner, a movie and conversation into the wee hours with Niclas last night, it was time for a solid brunch at noon today. I took a cab from his place to London Bridge, where I met up with an old college friend, her husband and six-month old son.

By my calculations, it’s been seventeen years since I last saw Diane. They showed me around Borough Market for a couple of hours. We shared good conversations, English cider, raw oysters and mussels. All-in-all, a great way to finish the UK experience!

Now I’m off to Amsterdam, another night’s stay at citizenM hotel and then home to Portland, via Seattle. I’m