Cologne/Hamburg, Germany

The road from Vianden to Cologne is full of steep hills, narrow roads, tight corners and spectacular views. I am sure I would have enjoyed it much more in a sports car than my poor heavily-loaded long-suffering van which took a bit of abuse (sorry about that Vanny). After reaching the campsite in Cologne around 1.00pm, I found that the reception was shut between midday and 4.30. Their loss, I just wild-camped a few hundred yards down the road and used their showers.

The obvious reason to visit Cologne is for the gothic cathedral which is both huge and spectacular and dominates the skyline day and night. As expected, the site was also filled with various "street artists" - Charlie Chaplin, Xylophone player, magician, mime, man painted gold for no reason, 3D pavement artist (although he was actually pretty good - see below), a couple of buskers, and about eight living-statues.

The town centre is pretty average, although lots of shops (I counted 5 different H&Ms), it has its own Lego store which was pretty cool - why aren't there any like that in England?

In the evening I took a couple of beers and sat by the Elbe River watching the moon rise and the boats come sailing past. It was a lovely evening but I think it needed somebody to share it with. A local guy had told me the water level was very low (about 2.2m) which meant the boats and barges could only be loaded to half capacity and were all making double trips. In the morning I set off for Hamburg after failing to meet up with my former university housemate Alex. It is a long straight 4 hour drive on the Autobahn.

Believe it or not, there are no campsites within 15km of the centre of Hamburg. I therefore pitched up at the closest, a big campsite on the edge of one of the tributaries of the Elbe River which was about €12 per night. It was Friday night but already dark so it was unfortunately a quick beer in the campsite bar then off to bed.

The next day, Saturday, I drove the van into Hamburg and parked for the day in the city centre. The centre is obviously an upmarket area with canals, listed buildings, old towers, and streets lined with only top designer stores. Many of the other areas of the city seem run-down with litter and grafiti but having only spent one full day there I might be doing the place a dis-service.

I have since met a nice guy in Copenhagen who has promised to show me a good night out in Hamburg if I return.

Luckily, the area I most wanted to visit was near the port of St Pauli in the south-west, where one of my favourite football teams play. FC St Pauli are unlike any other team, they play in brown, have the skull and crossbones as their unofficial logo, come on the the pitch to ACDC's Hells Bells, their fans dress as pirates, trade tickets in a big shipping container outside the tiny stadium, and they have been pivotal in halting racism in the game and bringing it to a wider audience normally segregated and unwelcome at other stadiums. Their fans are a real representation of the local community, full of punks, rockers, bikers, bums, and outcasts.

Today they were playing Bayern Munich and tickets were like gold-dust (as I expected). The fans have an unwritten policy that they never sell tickets on for a profit, but having sold-out months ago, I was never going to be one of the lucky few on this occasion. The guy behind the bar at the campsite was also a fan and (unknown to me) he had tried to arrange a ticket for me in the morning but unfortunately I had already left for the city. St Pauli were on the receiving end of an 8-1 thrashing, entertaining and gutting in equal measure I'm sure. They will be relegated from the Budesliga at the end of the year.

Back in Hamburg, the port was packed with fairground rides and Navy parades, with stalls selling food from all over Europe, I went for a German Currywurst and French Crepe. Unfortunately, I never got to experience the Hamburg nightlife (which is meant to be good) and drove back to the campsite ready to depart for Denmark the next day.

Luxembourg City/Vianden, Luxembourg

The four hour drive from Amsterdam to Luxembourg City was the furthest I have driven on the continent in one go. For a change, I tried to get a room at the Luxembourg Youth Hostel but when I got there, the rooms were fully booked (and cost around €22 per night anyway). I then headed for a back-up campsite and I am glad I did, paying just €10 per night with free showers included. I met a travelling Scottish couple from just outside Perth and an English couple from Manchester who were both very friendly and helpful. As it was late, I made camp and headed to town for a quiet beer and to watch Norwich gain automatic promotion to the Premier League.

I spent the next full day visiting the sights in Luxembourg. The place is famous as a tax haven for banks and large corporations so the city is littered with huge glass buildings, men in fitted suits, and the roads are full of big Audis and Porsches. As a tiny country, Luxembourg has been fought over a lot during its history and the city is built over two steep hills with vertical rock faces making it easier to defend.

The two sides are linked with two or three large viaducts and the valley below is filled with green grass and trees. The period buildings in the capital are stunning and even the library (below) looks like a palace. Most of the shops in the city centre are designer stores and jewellers though, so not many tax-free savings for the average traveller! The A.M. Tunnel is well worth a visit, for free, as the large passage under one of the old buildings now houses the photographs of Luxembourg-born Edward Steichen.

In the evening I went to The Tube, a bar I was recommended to go to the night before, which was full to watch the Barcelona Vs Real Madrid game. After the final whistle, the bar emptied quickly though and everywhere in the centre was pretty dead by 11.00pm.

The next morning I headed to Vianden on the Luxembourg-Germany border. I decided to try wild camping for the first time on the trip, as it was only for a night, and cycled down the hill from the layby I parked in into Vianden. The immediate view as you enter the town is of the Castle which dominates the town and is obviously a big tourist attraction in Luxembourg - and the whole reason for my visit too.

I took the ski-lift up to the top of the hill which has a great view of the town and the river in the valley below. A local guy also told me they have a huge hydro-electric system in place which pumps water to and from a large reservoir. You can view all the inner workings too which sounded interesting but I ran out of time as it shuts at 4pm. I watched the Man United Vs Shalke game in the evening with the locals (notice a theme here), and in the morning I filled up with tax-free fuel and headed for Germany.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Where do I start with Amsterdam? The last few days have been so much fun after I was adopted by a ladies football team and their friends for the Dutch celebrations of Queens Day. I hope I have made some life-long friends and I am so thankful to them for showing me how the people of Amsterdam like to party in style.

I arrived at my campsite in the southern region of Amsterdamse Bos which is a beautiful area of rivers, green parks and forests. It is also within biking distance of the centre of the city. I spent the first day visiting a couple of the museums and attractions and getting lost in the maze of streets and canals.

My second day in Amsterdam was Queens Night, the warm up for Queens Day the following day (April 30), and celebrates the Queen of The Netherlands birthday (even though hers is actually in January). The bars serve drinks out on the pavements and the people drink in the street. It is a great atmosphere with bands, singers and entertainment. Boats fill the canal and if you are lucky enough to have one, you can fill the boat with friends and some beer and have a great time. I met the girls outside at one of these gatherings and (as former backpackers themselves) I think they must have taken pity on me being on my own in Amsterdam. I was offered a beer and the next thing I knew, I was planning to spend Queens Day with them the following day.

Queens Day is the biggest social day in the Dutch calander, and people flock from all over the country to be at the centre in Amsterdam. Museum Square hosts a huge outdoor concert but most of the locals prefer to enjoy the day outside of the very centre of the city where it gets very crowded. I met with the others (around 30 of us in total) at Cafe Oranje - the football team sponsors - and the party begins. On Queens Day there is a "Free Market" where people can sell things on the street for free and there are car-boot-sale style stalls across town. We were joined by Sesame Street Burt and Ernie stuffed toys from last years Free Market. In the local park the children have their stalls to sell things or they have their own made-up games that you can play them at. The other rule of Quens Day is wear Orange! After a long day of sun, fun, and Heineken, we returned to Cafe Oranje to drink some more and dance the night away.

The following day was much more chilled out but I had to return to Cafe Oranje first to collect my camera which I had lost (twice) the previous night. The Ajax game was on TV so the bar was crammed full of people and smoke. I then met the others in the park for a barbecue and to enjoy the weather. It is certainly sad to be leaving Amsterdam, one of the most magical cities I have ever been to and made all the more special by the people I have met here. I have added a dutch sticker to the van as a reminder of my time in Holland, I don't think I will ever forget it though!

Now I am off to Luxembourg.