Stateside Departure and Belgium Cities

Departed Norfolk on our trip.  We both received the random gift of TSA pre-screened status, making for an exceptionally easy entry!  All flights were on time.  Had burgers in Newark before boarding.  All flights were smooth and uneventful, just as we like them.

Arrived Brussels on schedule.  It was hard at first to figure out how to buy a train ticket to get to hotel.  Got some help from the travel info desk girl, but not much.  The Metro does not go from the airport to the city, so we were buying an regular inter-city train ticket.  Once we figured out the naming convention (pick a language, French or Flemish), we managed to get a ticket.  Turns out the train station we wanted to go to was called Gare du Midi in French, the name we were expecting, or Zuidstation or Brussels Zuid in Flemish, which was the name on the train schedules.  After almost an hour fiddling around getting off the plane, shlepping through customs, exchanging a small amount of cash for Euros and figuring out the trains, we finally boarded a train and got to our hotel (literally, right over the train station).  It was too early to check in, so we left our bags with the front desk and went out to start checking out the town.  We went back down to the train station and found the Metro station that was also down there.  We finally saw something familiar: a metro map.  Discovered that we could buy a multi-day pass called a Mobib Card and got one for three days.  Boarded the right train and took it to the central city station and walked around.  Had something to eat (tasty beef filet and frites) and some nice beer.  We were literally one block from the Grand Place (the central city square) and did not find our into it as we wandered around – we were wiped.  We did spot the Brussels City Tours office and booked tours for the next two days (Brussels 1/2 day tour for Sunday and Ghent & Bruges full day for Monday). By then we were really tired and went back to the hotel and checked in.  We went up to our room and went right to bed around 1530.  We woke up at about 2100 local and did some research for the next couple of days of touring, watched some TV and went back to sleep.

Woke around 7 and showered.  Had to meet our tour at another hotel nearby (8 minute walk).  Walked that direction early in hopes of finding something nice to eat.  It was not the best area to try to find breakfast, consisting mostly of closed bars and second story hotels, but we did find a little cafe and had ham and cheese crepes.  The lady did not speak much English so we ended up ordering 2 crepes each instead of 2 crepes; one each.  After breakfast, we walked over to our rendezvous point and met our tour.  Jasmine was our guide and she would be giving the tour in English and Spanish.  We were taken to the main tour office after a couple of additional hotel pickups and had about 30 minutes to walk around.  We had a hot chocolate, which turned out to be a wooden spoon with little block of (Belgian, of course) chocolate on the end of it in a cup of hot milk.  It was delicious.  Then we and walked around the area a little bit until the tour was to start.  The tour started (right on time) and we walked literally one block from where we had been the day before right into the Grand Place.  Very nice!  After visiting the plaza and learning about the various buildings and some Brussels history, we walked out to the street where our van was waiting and boarded for the rest of the tour.  We were driven around to the various sites and sights in the city and stopped at the Atomium for photos.  It is a large “sculpture” said to be modeled on an iron crystal magnified many times.  It was constructed for the 1958 Exposition and is still there.  We also stopped at the Parc du Cinquantenaire (or Jubelpark) for a photo opportunity, which many elected to forsake due to the steady drizzle falling.  It had a large, ornate gate that appeared to be patterned somewhat after the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, which was very handsome indeed.  Then back through the city for a few more sights before ending the tour in mid afternoon.

After the tour we walked around for a bit more, checking out the Grand Place again and having some more frites and bratwurst for lunch.  Took the metro back to the Gare du Midi/Zuid station and bought tickets to Braine l’Alleude, the stop nearest the Waterloo battlefield, and boarded our train.  After debarking, walked a few kilometers to the Lion’s Mound at Waterloo and visited the museum and memorial there.  The 110 meter long memorial painting is impressive!  Walked back into town and found a little pub for a beer and then returned to Brussels Central (Gare Central) for dinner.  Walked down to the area near the Grand Place and found an Italian-ish place and had chateaubriand and shrimp for dinner (also with famous Brussles frites).  Very tasty with some nice beer.  By then it was getting late so we went back to the hotel for some shuteye before our trip to Ghent and Bruges.  It stays light for a long time in Belgium.  Sunset is after 2200!

Got up and decided to have a quick breakfast at a cafe in the train station below our hotel instead of wandering around looking for love in all the wrong places.  Then walked to the tour pick-up point (same hotel as previous day), arriving 20 minutes early.  Sat on park benches outside the hotel there and waited in the beautiful morning sun.  The bus came and Johannes, our tour guide met us.  We boarded and went about picking up other travelers on the way to the starting point.  The tour departed at 0900 and we were again treated to some of the sights in Brussels as we left the city on the way to Ghent.  The countryside was beautiful, with little villages and farms dotting the landscape along the way.  We arrived in Ghent without difficulty and parked the bus outside the old part of the city and walked in to the cathedral, which was our rally point before departure after the tour.  We walked along from the cathedral past the belfort (town belfry) to St. Nicholas Church.  Then down the street to the river, which looked more like a canal than a river.  Followed the river to the old fish market and meat markets.  We were immersed in Gothic architecture, and it was almost overwhelmingly beautiful.  It was very fascinating.  Then back up past Town Hall to the cathedral, which we entered and viewed the The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb paintings by Van Eyck.  there was an audio program to listen to in order to hear the story and significance of each panel.  Then back to the bus after being joined by the rest of the group in front of the cathedral.

There was a traffic issue, so we abandoned the motorway in favor of the former National Road between Ghent and Bruges, arriving in plenty of time to keep on schedule.  The tour guide was masterful at keeping track of everyone and at keeping the tour on schedule.  Departed the bus at the Miniwaterpark area in Bruges and walked in.  By this time it was definitely edging toward lunchtime, as it was about 1430 or so.  We joined our guide in his recommended restaurant and had tomato soup, cheese croquettes and pork tenderloin.  All delicious, and the chocolate mousse afterwards was simply divine.  Then we all met for the rest of the tour, walking along the canal and to various very interesting and significant buildings.  We ended up in the former covered market in the Cloth Hall under the town belfort (Belfry of Bruges or Belfort van Brugge).  This market had previously been covered, but a fire centuries ago had destroyed the roof over the little market square, so they re-opened it after cleaning it up after the fire, this time with no roof.  Poof!  Open air market!  We were then given the option of taking 30 minutes free time, or visiting the Basilica of the Holy Blood.  We chose the latter, which had a relic – a remaining bit of Christ’s blood in a vial guarded by a priest.  We did not pay the fee to inspect the relic closely, but we saw it from a respectable (and free) distance.  Then we were also dismissed to enjoy some free time before the whole group reconvened for the rest of the tour.  Having only about 15 minutes left, we wandered around the market square and down one street to check out the shops.  Lots of people here, and many on bicycles – quite aggressive!  We again met in the Cloth Hall market and went out to the much larger main market square and heard the history of many of the beautiful buildings.  Then walked around a bit more before going on a canal boat tour.  That was very nice, seeing many of the same places from the angle of the canal.  Then we grouped up and departed for the bus, boarding after a brief “comfort” stop.  The driver got us back to Brussels without incident and in great time.  We debarked and looked for dinner, again heading back to the Grand Place area.  Decided on noodles, and found a nice Asian restaurant where we had some curry noodles.  Then it was after 2200, so we went back to the hotel for bed.  London tomorrow!