Episode 1: Planning, Beginning, Winging it.

Hello and welcome.

You're about to join me on a journey around mainland Europe, taking in 22 cities in 6 countries in 22 days. It's going to be a bit mad.

I'm sat here, on a settee in the English Midlands, looking over the edge of the cliff I'm about to dive off of and wondering just how the Hell this came about. Honestly, when I said I was going to be doing this, what I meant was I was going to plan to do it, realise it was too expensive and then not actually do it. Fortunately/unfortunately, other people got involved and now I'm three days from the beginning of an epic trek that neither me nor my travelling companion are fully prepared for.

Life, so they say, is what happens when you're making other plans. Well, I've been making plans for 27 years now and not a lot of life seems to have occurred so perhaps it's good that my designs have actually manifested into reality. I'm already flat broke and this is going to be a mentally, physically and financially exhausting three week period; there have already been numerous cock-ups before we've even set off and God knows what will happen on the road but travel broadens the mind and mine could certainly do with a stretch.

Of all the things I've ever wanted to write, a travel blog was not one, so this journal may be somewhat unconventional in the world of travel writing. Those familiar with my previous forays into the blogosphere may also reasonably conclude that it will last no longer than three or four posts. Well, maybe, but I have been charged by family members with keeping a journal so by God, that's what I'm going to do.

So, why's this trip happening? One reason is Brexit. Until about three years ago I never saw myself as a European, but as the campaign to leave Europe began to pick up steam and the referendum became inevitable, I actually began to look into what it means to be a part of this great continent and it's political alliance, the EU. As it turns out, I loved Europe once I got to know it, and the EU possibly even moreso. Sadly for me, my country has chosen to cut itself off from my brothers and sisters across the channel so I'm taking a farewell tour. At one point it looked like this sort of endeavour would be a lot harder after Brexit, thus the need to cram in as many destinations as possible while we still could.

Another reason is the Women's European Football Championships. I've been a women's football fan for ages, and kicked myself when I failed to see a game live when the World Cup was in England back in 2007, so as the Euros are so close by - in the Netherlands - this year I thought I'd rectify that.

The desire to see as many places in Europe as possible but also a good number of games in the tournament has resulted in an odd route around the continent, criss-crossing Germany and the BeNeLux countries as we make for places such as Berlin, Paris and Copenhagen and have to shoot back to Utrecht and Enschede on a tight schedule. Unfortunately, I can't share the driving duties with my companion but fortunately, his reason for wanting to go is that he loves a road trip. Our route meanders even more than necessary due to the need to take in some famous roads, as well as the sites of more traditional cultural interest.

At this point I suppose I should introduce my partner in crime. My brother, without whom all this would have remained an idle fancy, will be driving us around the many bends of our crazy journey and is responsible for stops in Aachen and Billund, due to his interest in World War-based history and Lego, respectively.

Also in there are trips to Luxembourg City, Brussels and Bremen - a place which surprised us with the potential for sight-seeing when we looked it up as a stopping-point on the way from Doetinchem to Denmark.

Mostly though, we're doing it for the sake of doing it. Brothers can be a pain in the arse, travelling so far so quickly will be draining and we've both used up all our holiday entitlement for the year - which is unfortunate as we'll probably need a week or two to recover - but with any luck it'll be worth it.

All aboard. Next stop; Calais.