With only the Spanish language we made ourselves understood

By: Alma Leal

4 years ago we set out on a journey. Our arrival/departure has always been London, Heathrow; From there we left for several cities in the European Union. And our Route became easy for us: Mexico – London – Dover – Ferry to Calais, France to reach the city of Amsterdam.

I am the one who was in charge of making the route/visits/etc. We arrive in London, we take the train on the correct lane or line (it is difficult to take the correct platform hahaha). From there to Dover. We arrived at night and we were dying of hunger, the good thing was that, since it is a small city, as we walked we found a KFC type.

The next day we took the ferry, but being there with only speaking Spanish became complicated hahaha (I write and it makes me laugh to remember). So we better walked to avoid complications. Taking the ferry was easy, but arriving in Calais, France, was the good part.

When I scheduled the trip like this it said that the train was close but ooohh surprise it wasn’t, and there was only one option: renting a car.

With just a Hi, Thanks, and TDC it was how we rented a car (Peugeot really was a good car and even more so because it had Google Maps on the screen and in Spanish hahaha). And so easily and simply we drive through the European Union from Calais to Amsterdam.

From there it was an adventure, since the minimum speed, I think, is 110 km (super fast), the incorporation of cars with zero caution and/or we also had no idea how to circulate. Of course, some first world roads. Just like the cars, I never saw a Dart 86 without headlights, dropped fenders, etc., that really surprised me a lot.

Drinking gas was like you see in the movies, although it was also a topic because you go and pay at the counter and explaining it was a show.

We arrived in Brussels (fortunately our hotel has parking). Bruges round trip, Ghent (for me much better than Bruges), until we reach Amsterdam.

Our first mistake was getting to the center by car, don’t do it, it is very expensive, for 2 hours it was like 40 euros (Fuck). From there the bus left outside our hotel and returned to us right there.

Back in Calais to leave the car and return to London, they don’t check your car or anything; You leave the keys in a mailbox and that’s it. (obviously the TDC that is left as a voucher). Another surprise.

And I have done it like this again, planning my trips, without schedules or calendars. Yes we have an idea but we let ourselves be surprised. It should be noted that it was my first trip to Europe, I was 41 years old (I am currently 47).

So, I invite you to let life and yourselves be surprised by what you can do even without knowing the language or anything.