La Grande Place

Day three begins with a tour of Brussels, its fabulous central square, scattered art nouveau architecture and much newer EU institutions. Then, lunch with a second-cousin-once-removed, and a visit to her newly purchased and beautiful but in-need-of-work townhouse, with many of the original 1900 fixtures, wallpaper and dado rails intact - including the original out-house, now enclosed (ceiling, doors and all) inside a cellar extension.

Later, we head to Cologne, then board our first sleeper train. I am impressed by the sink in the cabin, the shower in the carriage and the air conditioning. But the beds are hard. I peer out through the night at passing German fields, cities and stations; East Berlin arrives at five to five. Warsaw is half an hour late, but turns up at 11am.