For me, there’s usually only one 5 o clock in a day, but there’s nothing easier than an early rise for a big trip. After packing the Skoda Fabia estate with only the essentials, we were off – speeding towards the South East with the prospect of one of our favourite bands in our midst – the one and only (and newly fully reformed) Fleetwood Mac.

Opting for the slightly longer ferry to Dunkirk instead of Calais, we positioned ourselves for a brief one hour drive to the beautiful town of Ypres. Situated on the infamous Flanders Fields battlefields, Ypres is teeming with history and has a picturesque setting to compliment it. After pitching our tent at the Camping Jeugdstadion campsite (for a meagre €5 a night), we precariously traversed the river (see picture) and were headed for a tasty Belgian beer and a walk around the excellently equipped (and great value) war museum. After the first BBQ of the trip, a few games of petanque, and several more very strong dark beers, we settled for a well-earned night’s kip.

The next morning we arose early to drive further up through Belgium to the larger town of Ghent, where we would meet up with some of our pals and stay for two nights. We selected a campsite on a whim after a quick Google search and couldn’t have been happier with it – the lovely resort of Blarmeersen, situated on a large activity-rich lake. After catching up with our buddies we took the long (but attractive) walk into town (about four miles), sunk a few more strong beers and planned our movements for the upcoming few days. The next day brought with it the opportunity to explore Ghent, including its large castle, classic architecture and canal network.

The following day we packed up and headed for Holland, specifically Vliegenbos campsite, just a 30 minute cycle north of Amsterdam. Once again were we blown away by the calibre of camping facilities on offer and after a quick pitch, some more gawping at our surroundings and a rather stressful bike hire process, (I challenge you to find a bike from this poorly-maintained list and heap of bikes in varying conditions) we headed into city. The next few days consisted of sampling the local delicacies and exploring this vast city with a very liberal outlook to everything. Notable favourites here were the famous Vondelpark, where locals love nothing more than to jog, cycle and rollerblade on mass, as well as attend exercise classes or just chill out on the grass or by the fabulous water feature. Also noteworthy was a walk from the maritime museum up to the roof of the science museum, which provided great views of the city and the harbour.

After cutting our original Amsterdam plans short, (for us two days was enough for the ‘liberal’ novelty to wear off) we headed south east to the city of Cologne. Our most picturesque campsite selection yet, campsite Campingplatz der Stadt Köln was situated spitting distance from the river Rhine. Whilst in the perfect position for a BBQ, swimming in the manmade sections of the river and admiring the impressive bridges to our north and south, the campsite was roughly an hour’s walk into the city centre. After a late night in a student bar (50c drinks), we arose early to make the pilgrimage into town in 34 degree heat, with the gargantuan cathedral in our cross-hairs. A challenge to say the least. The cathedral presented some impressive architecture, and more importantly, a cool safe haven for six sweaty young gentlemen.

And so onwards to what we had come for. A two hour drive West across Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium later and we had arrived in Antwerp. Nipping into town briefly to see some sights, soak up both the sun and atmosphere on the square, and of course have a glass or two of that lovely strong rich Belgian beer, we were soon on our way to the big event, and I was awfully excited.

Stepping into the Antwerps Sportpaleis, the atmosphere was electric and we were ready to watch the show we had come so far to see. The concert delivered on all levels and brought an incredible level of skill and showmanship. Truly an evening that we will all remember – the day we got to see one of the biggest bands in the world, that we had been following from our late teens, perform amongst 12,000 excitable Belgians.

Waking next day with sore heads and ringing ears we headed for home, stopping only for a stroll through and to pick up goodies in the delightful, yet tourist-ridden, Bruges.

As we headed home to ‘Go Our Own Way’, we had a chance to reflect on the trip and realised – the adventure was not only to watch a once-in-a-lifetime performance, but also to experience another awesome part of the world in the lead up to it. Big Love to the ‘Mac.