Whenever I think of the Netherlands I think of windmills so today's visit was rather special. This morning we sailed to Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a tour of this ingenious network of windmills and other flood management devices. You learn why the windmills were built and see how they work, plus you enter a working windmill for a tour of its mechanisms and living quarters. We had a fabulous guide who had lived here for her whole life and was ...

Today we left The Hague and took a short drive into Amsterdam ready to meet our Viking ship for the Grand European Cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. Before embarking on the ship we did an Amsterdam Canal Tour. Amsterdam's canal ring is protected by UNESCO as in 2010 the canal belt, with Singel, Herengracht (Gentlemen's Canal), Keizersgracht (Emperor's Canal) and Prinsengracht (Prince's Canal) as the main canals, was declared a World Heritage site. The first can...

Before embarking on my river cruise I spent a few days in The Hague. What an interesting place with a rather relaxing vibe which was perfect. The Hague is the largest city by the sea in the Netherlands and the greenest city in Europe. It has a population of about 546,000 (2020) and an area of around 98 km². This place has been the seat of the Dutch parliament since 1588. The Hague is known as the justice capital of the world and is home to more than 150 in...

It has been on my bucket list to undertake one of the world's most renowned rail journeys on the legendary Ghan, the world's longest north-south train journey, and I have now fulfilled this dream. This was the Ghan Expedition from Darwin in the Northern Territory to Inverleigh in Victoria. A 5-day/4-night all-inclusive trip of a lifetime. A bit of history; Construction of the Ghan rail line began in 1878 - and the train's inaugural journey from Adelaide to Al...

Our final day and we are going to make the most of it. Our bags are packed and ready to head to the airport tonight. A visit to a central Asian city would not be complete without a visit to the bazaar. Chorsu Bazaar will let you experience the everyday life of Uzbekistan with all your senses. In the middle of Chorsu Bazaar is the central dome, with a diameter of nearly 300-350 meters, the most recognizable symbol of the market. The outside, decorated with blue t...