Cruising around Holland and Belgium

We set sail from the "beautiful port of Harwich" on a Friday afternoon on our Weekend Affair cruise, and quickly settled into the cocktails and endless supply of food! It was our first cruise and we were easily impressed by all the entertainment, food and drink on board. Oh and did I mention the food? It's probably a good thing that we were only on a short cruise, because I would seriously put on so much weight if I had buffet breakfasts, lunches, and dinners every day for more than a few days!

First stop Amsterdam, and what an interesting place it was. People tell you about the sex and drugs, but I didn't expect it to be quite so public! Just one turn off the main street and you are walking through a maze of sex shops and women in windows. As you walk through the streets you can't help but notice the clouds of "smoke" wafting out of the cafes. Bizarre stuff. On the other hand we did see a more cultural side of Amsterdam at the Anne Frank museum. The museum is quite small and has been built into the house where Anne Frank and her family once lived and hid.




Brugge was our second and final stop, and it was a fantastic way to finish off the weekend. The city has a real charm about it, with all its colourful flowers, narrow streets, canals, and beautiful old buildings. We spent the day following a self-guided tour through the streets and canals, stopping only for lunch and then at the end of the day for some Belgian beer and chocolate. Hmm.. chocolate...




What was meant to be our last night on the ship ended up being our second last! Whilst having dinner an announcement came over the loudspeakers saying that there was some problem with the engines and that we wouldn't be sailing back to the UK that night. Later on whilst we were in the nightclub, another announcement was made saying that we wouldn't be setting sail until the following evening! A huge cheer erupted on the dancefloor for those wanting to party on just a little longer, but others looked quite distraught. Ah well, the next day was a public holiday anyway so who cares? We danced the night away and spent the next day just chilling out on the boat.

The wonderful world of Disneyland Paris

You would think that Disneyland is full of rides just for kids, but Shane and I found out that there's plenty for big kids to do! There were definitely heaps of kids-only rides, but there were enough rollercoasters to keep us entertained for the day.

Space Mountain was by far the best one. So much so that we went on it twice. We tried to go on it a third time but as we lined up again, the ride was shut down due to some technical hitch. Ah well, I guess twice was probably enough anyway.

The park itself is smaller than the US versions, but we still had a great time there. Our mission now is to visit all Disney parks around the world :)

Hungarian Grand Prix

It's been a long wait, but Phoebe's dream of going to the Formula 1 finally came true this weekend! Arriving in Budapest on Saturday morning, we welcomed the hot weather after having been deprived of a real summer in London. Strangely enough, our bodies decided that it was almost too hot, and we quickly sought refuge in one of the many bars along the main cafe strip. It was nice to just sit down and watch people the world go by. Pity about intermittent sewage smell coming from the gutters along the street mall!

Race day was even hotter than the day we arrived! Our seats were at the start of the main straight, just after the last turn, and we were fairly close to the front too. Armed with earplugs, hats, and sunscreen, we sat back and enjoyed the show. About halfway through the race, Kimi Raikkonen came through to first place and from there it was all over for everyone else. We had just about fallen asleep in the heat by the end, but ever-faithful Phoebe sat bolt upright with her eyes glued to the track for the whole race. Talk about dedication!

One of the best parts of the weekend was stumbling upon a bar called Buddha Bar. Right beside the Danube River, the bar has a HUGE dancefloor and the music worked a treat on us, pumping out all the old 90's tracks that we could all sing along to!