If its Tuesday, it must be Belgium.....

So I go to blog right now...and the text is all in Dutch. Yes, I'm still here in Brussels, but I figure I'd better scribe some of this down before I forget all.
The trip across, or should I say under, was fun. I used to think it would be scary to travel in the Chunnel, but actually it was over so quickly it's not an issue. I've also seem to have gotten over my unrealistic fear of different travel. I used to be very skid dish in tunnels, especially underwater ones... Eurostar was great.

The waiting lounge was nice and the train is luxurious and fast. Hubby and the other students were traveling in "business" class, while the spouses were traveling coach. But it was still great. While free wine flowed in the students car, we had to pay for ours. Cie la vie.
We arrived after dark and taxied our way to the NH Atlanta hotel. Very nice and in the city center, close to everything. Dinner was emass that night, with 13 of us trying to find a place to take us in. Had a lovely bucket of mussels.

mussels in Brussels...

Sophie and I decided to take a hop on hop off tour bus the next day, in order to learn the city. I've ridden these before, but this was an adventure. We got off at an early stop, wandered around a square, found a lovely chocolate shop and then wandered back for a pick up. An hour later, I finally called the company gos find out when the next bus was. Well, they had somehow changed the drop off route during that day, but didn't bother to tell us. We did get on another and headed out to the Atomium and mini Europe.
After all, we get €1.5 off the admission. Uh....it's another €12 to get in and takes an hour and a half...this being after the tour buses stop running. So not good on that one.,once back onto bus number three - oh yes and by the way, each bus seems to be different and we have to figure out which station to switch our plug in head sets to in order to get the English commentary. So we get into the city center and near our hotel, when then bus, which has been slugging along in traffic stops mid intersection. Then the driver yells "everyone off. I can go no further". ???? Turns out there was some accident way ahead and he'd had enough and was making a turn to head back, ignoring the remaining two stops. But hey, we were a block from our hotel so it was good. Sophie and I stopped at Hotel Metropolie (the oldest hotel in Brussles) and had some Kriek. Mmmm, nothing like cherry beer! Good stuff.

The next day, today, the students head back. But hubby and I had decided to stay an extra day. So while he's at the EC, I get to move hotels. Normally this is no biggie. But turns out today the bus, tram and metro operators are demonstrating and on a One day strike. Great. Only gets better when they are demonstrating in from of our hotel, with whistles, flags, music, fireworks. And the street is blocked off. So no taxis can come. I get to hoof it to the taxi stand a few blocks away. But it is also blocked off. The police said to head to central station for a cab. Bat, it's up hill....but on the way I spot a makeshift taxi stand. €15 flat rate to go anywhere today. Great! But do I have a choice? And let me mention, this demonstration is mobile. They will be marching across the city, toward out new hotel.......
I did have a fun morning today though. Let night, we say the Grand Place with it's lights to music. Just gorgeous! So I wanted to go this morning and take pictures in the day.

I had seen this 30 years ago (ahem) when I was here last. It looks smaller now.:)  I did wander down to see the mannekin pis. While I had no intention of taking a photo of this famous little guy, I did end up doing so, cause he was dressed in the demonstrators uniforms. Too cute.

On the way back I stumbled across the Brussels costume museum. Wow. It's tiny,but very good. They had lovely examples of Regency and Victorian clothes and fine samples of Belgian lace. It's truly amazing how fine bobbin lace is. It's one craft I'd love to learn. Of cours I would never be able to use the talent once learned. Who buys hand made lace? No one!

Ah, today was a lovely rainy morning. We had a leasurely start and headed off to the Autoworld museum. It was a nice collection of cars from the late 1890s to 1970s. Bugatti, Rolls, Mercedes, Minerva all abounded. It is a nice collection of early automotive engineering. We then hoofed it across the European district  to my museum of choice- the Horta Mueum.

It was Victor Horta's (one of the foremost leaders in the Arte Nuveau movement) home. Built around 1895, it is a stunning example of Arte Nuveau architecture. I'm so glad we took the time to cross the city for this wonder.
We stopped on the way to Eurostar at the Fat Boy sports bar on the place du Luxenbourg. There we we're treated to a free round of shots before being treated wonderfully by our French, yet English speaking, bartender. After 3 or 4 shots we staggered to the metro staion and boarded the train to the Midi station to catch the Eurostar back to London.
And guess what?.....we made it home