Amsterdam, Holland / Stuttgart, Germany. Wednesday/Thursday 08/09-July-2026.
Table of Contents:
- All posts
- Amsterdam, Holland / Stuttgart, Germany, 08/09-July-2026
- Graz, Austria, 10/11-July-2026
- Budapest, Hungary, 11/14-July-2026
- Pardubice, Czech, 15-July
- Gdansk, Poland, 16/20-July-2026
- Warsaw, Poland, 21-July-2026
- Vilnius, Lithuania, 22/25-July-2026
- Riga, Latvia, 26/27-July-2026
- Tallinn, Estonia, 28/30-July-2026
- Helsinki, Finland, 31-July/01-August-2026.
Plan A was to spend the whole month of July on an interrail trip from southern Italy, across Europe, through the Baltics, across to Helsinki and fly home from there.
We had popped back to the UK for six days in June where I found the biennial poo sticks waiting for me. I did the deed posted them off and we returned to Italy.
Two weeks later I got a call. The results indicated that further tests were required. Since detection and early prevention is the way to go we immediately booked a flight back to the UK for the following week so that I could have a colonoscopy on the Monday after.
All done. The team seemed relaxed about the findings. Found three polyps. As per standard protocol: small one in the bin, the two larger ones sent away to be tested. Fair amount of diverticulosis.
They said I can’t fly for 2 weeks, but trains and ferries are Ok. After weighing up various options, including the postponing the whole trip, we ended up with a major replan to get us to an early point in the original route by using ferry and consecutive days train travel, picking up the route in Graz.
Wednesday 08-July-2026.
Day one was a train over to Newcastle and an overnight ferry to Amsterdam. We did this trip in reverse at the end of our first Interrail journey. It is a relaxing way to start the journey. Our ferry: Princess Seaways.
View of Newcastle as we departed.
We ignored the buffet option and booked ourselves into the on-board restaurant for an excellent meal. First course marinated beef.
Followed by a generous portion of salmon.
All washed down with some New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. My iPhone was confused as to exactly where we were.
A final view of the sunset then a nightcap in the bar before retiring to our cabin.
Thursday 09-July-2026.
Arriving at Amsterdam harbour after a hearty breakfast on board. Not very picturesque but hardly surprising as it is a hard-working industrial port.
As Graz is too far to reach in a single day we planned to break our journey in Stuttgart. Disembarking the ferry we got the DFDS shuttle bus direct to Amsterdam central station but no time for touristing as we had our first train to catch.
This is the view across from the main station.
On arrival in Stuttgart, on the recommendation of our friend Marcus, we dined in Carls Brauhaus with traditional Swabian dishes (crispy ravioli and turkey ragout with Swabian noodles) washed down with some excellent beer. I do like Dunkel style beer; these are a weisse and a dunkel weisse respectively.
On the way to the restaurant I was amused by these pedestrian lights.
Green hippo?
Our Premier Inn was set in the CBD, mostly an urban desert of office blocks, but we were able to find a bar for a night cap before returning to our hotel.
Next Stop: Graz.
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