Christmas in Europe – London to Amsterdam

The coach ride from London to Dover took about 2 hours.  It was pitch dark and those who could, rolled back to sleep again.  At Dover, we boarded the P&O ferry and the trip to Calais took about 90 minutes.  As we set off, it had lightened up and we were fortunate to be able to see the beautiful White Cliffs of Dover.  It was a great morning to do the crossing, the air was fresh but standing on the sunny side of the ferry, we were able to keep warm.  If this is any indication of what a winter’s morning is like, then I should survive the trip.

There were plenty of restaurants and cafes on the ferry, but our greatest delight was finding that we could get ‘real’ coffee on board.  There was a Costas Coffee bar with pain au chocolat, so we we right for breakfast. 

At Calais, the drive to Amsterdam took about 2 hrs 45.  Before going to the hotel, we stopped at the Gasson Diamond factory for a presentation on diamond cutting and the different grades of diamonds….and of course the opportunity to pick up a Christmas present or two in the gift shop.

Our abode tonight was the NH Amsterdam, which was a little distance from the old city centre.  This time round, we managed to make our way to the Cafe Americain for dinner.  Although the food wasn’t the best that we’ve had, it was a great experience being in this historical art deco restaurant.

Helen