Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Amsterdam - To Do 22Feb26 Day Trip to Utrecht(Westerkerk Granchtengordel, Post Utrecht, Utrecht Lumen, Oudegracht & Neuwagratch Canal,Dom Tower and St Martin's Cathedral, Pandhof van de Dom)

Amsterdam - To Do
Amsterdam - To Eat
Amsterdam - To Buy

Westerkerk  Granchtengordel
(Resting place of Rembrandt)
Not only the largest church in Amsterdam but also the final resting place of legendary painter, Rembrandt. 
The world-famous painter Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) lived near Westerkerk. He was buried at Westerkerk on 8 October 1669. It is not known exactly where he was laid to rest. He is commemorated by a plaque in the north aisle.
You maybe interested in a cycle along Amstel River where you can spot a statue of Rembrant. 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Day Trip to Utrecht>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Trip €10-8.50/way depending which sotp you get on or off at.
The travel time is only at 20-25mins on the train.
Fast and easy
Utrecht is known for lively and unique canals which are at walking level.

In short, a vibier mini-Amsterdam, a largely university city with an excellend cafe culture with a blend of medieval charm. What's so unique to the place is the two level canal system, shops above and cafe's by the waterside with a more chill small city vibe. Less tourist-heavy and more Dutch-local, relaxed and slightly cheaper.
ABBATip:
- Try to arrive about 10am-11am where most of the shops and eateries would be open. 
- Try to avoid Mondays. Monday seems to be later opening hours for some shops and some choice diners are closed on those days.



*You can also take the train from Amsterdam Central. Depends whichever service gets you to where you want to go.*

*Take the quick inter-city train. Fast and easy. Not much to see enroute though.*
*Utrecht Central Station. A very nice integrated shopping mall and eats. All transportation service are really nicely integrated.*

Post Utrecht
(Neude Library)
FREE to enter.



Originally the main post office building opened in 1924. Now the place is a cultural and public space. 


*Views of Dom tower and Domkerk*

Oudegracht & Neuwagratch Canal
(Walking along side the canals)



Utrecht Lumen

A light art experience. Its more of graffiti really and not really art, but the changing colors are nice. 

If looking for amazing Graffiti art, one's got to check out the Straat Museum located in Amsterdam. Take a fee boat cruise across the river to checkout the museum, highly recommended.
Dom Tower
(The icon of Utrecht, able to be seen from all angles.)


A Gothic 95m high church tower. 465 steps to the panoramic views, the Icon of Utrecht.
Click here for ABBA location of Dom Tower.

Domkerk/St Martin's Cathedral (Cathedral)
(Free to enter)


Domkerk (St. Martin’s Cathedral) is Utrecht’s largest Gothic church, famous for its 112 m Dom Tower. Its nave (main hall) was destroyed by a 1674 storm, leaving the tower separate, and the interior still houses historic tombs and stained glass, a key city landmark.
Click here for ABBA location of Domkerk

Pandhof van de Dom
(Free to enter)
Located right beside Domkerk. A hidden gem and absolutely not to be missed.


A beautiful, not to be missed medieval courtyard where monks once walked, prayed and reflected.

Some of the other vibey spots located in and around Utrecht. A pintrest board of what Utrecht is all about. 

*Vibey riverside cafes. One of the many. This was at Tijm which opens early at 8am*
*Pandhof Sinte Marie. A peaceful courtyard, medieval cloister garden.*

*Interesting architectural buildings in Utrecht.*

*pictured right and bottom left, beloved character Miffy, who's creator and illustrator, Dick Bruna lived and worked in Utrecht. Utrecht, the Home of Miffy.


*Huis Zondenblach, 15th Centry Gothic City mansion in Utrecht*
A nice shift of gears for a less touristy, more local feel of Dutch culture. There's tons of shopping options and their cafe and canal culture are a little different from that of the big city. A 
Click here for many of the other things to do in and or around Amsterdam.

You maybe interested in these other day trips out of Amsterdam worth checking out!
- Amsterdam (Volendam & Maken Watertown.)
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Monday, February 23, 2026

Amsterdam - To Eat 22Feb26 (Maijard Smashburgers)

Amsterdam - To Do
Amsterdam - To Eat
Amsterdam - To Buy

Maijard Smashburgers


Looking for smashed burgers, this chain establishment delivers. Quality ingredients, fantastic caramelization on the patties and great creativity with their seasonal order. 
Ordered On:
22Feb26
Alla Vodka Smashburger 17Euros

Double Patty local dry aged dairy feed, local buffalo mozzarella, potato bun, homemade basil mayonnaise, fresh rucola, homemade vodka sauce, local stracciatella, tomato flakes. 
Food 4/5
*Flavor were nice, bold and evidently present. A good light meal. The Vodka sauce though interesting didn't really deliver. It gave an accent bitter flavor which probably highlighted the lovely mozzarella and fresh rucola in the burger.*
Service na
Ambience 3.5/5
Value 3.5/5
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Sunday, February 15, 2026

Gatwick - To Do 14Feb26 (Brooklands Museum, Mercedez Benz World)

Gatwick - To Eat
Gatwick - To Do

Gatwick - To Do
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Brooklands Museum
£27.10/A

*Staff coming in for work.*
Getting here:
Its cheaper for a round trip ticket £7.50. 3stops from Woking Train to Weybridge. There's a short cut which is a shared walking/bicycle path which hugs the train tack. Along Lonsdale Road. The trains run more frequently than if getting there via bus.
Brooklands Museum is a major motoring and aviation museum in Weybridge, Surrey, England,  located on the site of the original Brooklands Motor Course, the world’s first purpose‑built racing circuit.
The place is aviation and racing enthusiast haven. All-in-one-stop! Largely aviation, with planes that you can jump into, with about 30% on locomotive racing history, and a dash of public bus. Very well worth the 
Outdoor Aviation Section

The stands out here to me were the Concorde and the Vickers VC10. 
Concorde



*First flight 1969 • Cruise Mach 2.04 (2,180 km/h)
London–New York ~3.5 hours, 92–128 passengers. To access the Concorde is an additional charge.*
Vickers VC10

*Chatting with Joe, an ex-Boeing pilot who flew the 747-200s*
*The VC10, first flown in 1962. It held the fastest subsonic Atlantic crossing till 2020 and later served as an RAF refueling plane. Cruised at about 0.86mach on normal operations.*

*Aircarft presented to his Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Sultan of Oman.*
Some of the other aircraft on the site.
Indoor Aviation Displays
Vickers Wellington Bomber N2980
*The Bomber crashed into Loch Ness in 1940 during a training flight and remained hidden underwater for decades. It was rediscovered in 1976 when researchers were looking for Loch Ness and was raised in 1985.*
Hawker Siddeley Harrier

*The Harrier, first flown in 1967, is famous for its vertical/short takeoff and landing, serving more as a support to troop in warfare. It became a pop-culture icon after being featured in the movie True Lies.*
Some of the other amazing Aviation specific places you may want to check out!
- LON - RAF museum located north of London city.
If you love the experience of chatting with many experienced volunteers you can visit these other amazing museums.
- NYC - USS Intrepid Sea also has a Concorde (Additional charge).
- SEA - Museum of Flight with experienced volunteers to bring history to life and also ticket entry allow access to go onboard the Concorde.
Stratosphere Chamber
*The view of the insdie.*
The Stratosphere Chamber simulates extreme high-altitude conditions on the ground, reaching up to ~100,000 ft and temperatures from –70 °C to +150 °C. It lets engineers test aircraft and equipment in thin, cold, low-pressure air before real flights. This thing is hugely impressive and amazing. Not to be missed!

*And thats the door.*

Automobile Section
The historic Brooklands Track
*The bridge which was the lookout point overlooking the sloped track. The slopes used to open until too many people were getting injured sliding down from it.*
Napier-Railton



*Built in 1933, the Napier-Railton was powered by a Napier Lion aero engine reaching speeds of over 140 mph/225km/h. It set over 70 records at Brooklands, including the all-time lap record of 143.44 mph*

London Bus Museum


*Cool mobile staff canteen*
*From old to new racing legends. They're all here.*
More into automobile? Check out these other must visit locations:
The Brooklands museum is an absolute must for racing motor heads and aviation enthusiast alike! Well worth the visit for its history and one-stop-shop to get all your speed fixes. Finally a reason to travel here or especially coming from Gatwick! NOT TO BE MISSED and highly recommended!
Click here for ABBA location of Brooklands Museum

Mercedes-Benz World
(Free to enter!)


Opened in 1907, Brooklands was the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit and a landmark of early British motorsport, where Mercedes cars competed in the early 1900s, which is why Mercedes-Benz opened Mercedes-Benz World next door. It connect its modern performance experience with this iconic heritage site.
You maybe interested in another iconic site, MAN - The Midland hotel where Rolls, met Royce.
Driving Experiences


Maybe you're a beamer fan, you may also be interested in BMW world in Munich. (Click here for full write up) BMW Motor world also offers up driving experiences. 

The place is primarily focused on the driving experiences which has a beautiful stand to watch from. Fun explorative sections and off course viewing their latest products. Well worth to check out this historic site either before or after the Brooklands Museum. 

*View of the beautiful track behind.*

Concept Car as featured in Justice League 
Mercedes-AMG Vision Gran Turismo


*Perks of wearing a Superman shirt. Staff shared that it was featured in the film and allowed for the shot with the car. Epic!*
Great to check-out! There's food on the premises and great to just watch the cars hit the track. A great compliment to the Brooklands Museum.
ABBATip:
Ask the staff the short cut way back to the train stations. The signs are clearly marked and its pretty much hugs the railway track. 
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