Day 204 – Friday 28th September 2018
Overcast start to the day and it was cold on Zippy as we headed into Amsterdam. Good job we are starting the journey down to sunny Portugal next week 🙂
To Micropia.
Micropia is part of Amsterdam’s zoo and is a science exhibition given over to the things we don’t normally see, microorganisms. They claim the founding father of microbiology was Antoni van Leeuwenhoek a Dutchman who had a microscope and a curious mind.
It’s fascinating stuff how microbes, bacteria and fungi work away to keep us alive and sometimes work away to kill us but there a few too many latin words and it’s too fact heavy a subject for a my blog. This is a diary not a degree course. A few highlights…
Of course microbes play an important role in breaking down food in any digestive system so they had a poo display
They had a lot of rotten food on display, some of which you could smell if you were that way inclined. I prefered to watch fungi destroy this hamburger via a TV screen.
Now, wondering if I should carry on eating Roquefort, we hit the gift shop.
To the Albert Cuyp market
Day 205 – Saturday 29th September 2018
To the Brouwerij ‘t IJ brewery for a tour
There are only 3 public tours in English a week. One on a Friday, a Saturday & a Sunday and then there are only 20 places per tour. You have to get there before the place opens at 2pm to secure a place.
We were given a most entertaining talk about the history bier brewing in Amsterdam by the barman/guide Daniel who’s English wasn’t perfect but who made up for that with his enthusiasm for Amsterdam, love of bier and his liberal swearing.
The bier was very drinkable.
Day 206 – Sunday 30th September 2018
A sunny morning and as it’s our last day in Amsterdam we thought we’d go for a walk in the Western Canal area.
On our way there we came across a chippy whose fries were voted No.1 in Holland.
As it’s our last day in Amsterdam I wanted to buy some cannabis. As neither of us smoke I though a brownie would be the best bet but I was suspicious of all the tubes of Space Cake on sale in the tourist shops. So I went to a proper Head shop. They only sold magic truffles (mushrooms are banned in the Netherlands) but they kindly directed me to the Green Place where I was told they don’t charge tourist prices.
Day 207 – Monday 1st October 2018
Rainy morning in Amsterdam, so a good day to be travelling.
It took us about 4 hours to get to the Snail farm just outside Comines which is a pretty little French town right on the border with Belgium.
The farm has all next year’s snails as eggs in a cold room and they will be hatching in January and May. They only go out into the field in June, July & August when it’s too hot for them in polytunnels.
I have to say looking at the big new farmhouse there seems to be some brass in the snail business.
Back at the van and at a loose end I remembered Zippy was nearly empty. Google Maps said there was a gas station about 5 miles away back in Belgium.
Eventually I found an open station but I must have made it there on fumes.
It being super rural round here we let Cfor out for an explore
Day 208 – Tuesday 2nd October 2018
Awful day. Had a gruelling 7½ to just north of Renne
Day 209 – Wednesday 3rd October 2018
Nice dry weather this morning. Set out in the direction of Bordeaux. Wasn’t sure how far we’d get after yesterday’s experience but weather stayed good and the roads were okay so made it all the way to Vignobles Pestoury in Yvrac just outside Bordeaux.
We’ve covered a lot of miles since Amsterdam on Monday morning so if the weather stays good I think we will stay here a couple of days here.
Day 210 – Thursday 4th October 2018
A beautiful day in Yvrac. We motored Bordeaux on Zippy.
Later in the evening, back at the site, we had a wine tasting. The owners have 38 hectors of grapes and they make 200,000 bottles of wine a year. Some years though they lose a lot due to wet weather or hail stones.
Vignobles Pestoury has been a cracking stop. Tomorrow it’s on to the coast and a stroll down to Spain.