Europe - Trip 6

Day 1 - February 13, 2002

Not as cool as Todd and Sue's peeing man sprinkler but it'll do.

So this morning we left Groningen with trepidation - trepidation that the easy life at the Wierenga's was gone and couldn't be got back. We said our last goodbyes and Ite drove us to the train. The luggage was not getting any lighter. We did find get a train that meant we only had to change once. Ite wished us well, brought us a newspaper and we were on our way.

The museum of brewing in the Grote Markt

We got to Brussels and immediately got worried. The central station looked a bit too much like a train station in post-wall-falling East Berlin. A bit suprising given that Brussels is the capital of the EU (not actually a subversive method by which the French can try to take over Europe again without having to fight a war) and would be expected to have fancy overly ornate capital city type train stations. Once we got out of the underground part and made our way to the street we saw more of the bits that makes Brussels a lovely place.

Sue at the Grote Markt leaning on the Church after the long hoof of the day

We found a little place to stay 50 ft from the Mannekin Pis and proceeded to wander around the city. We hit the Grote Markt, shuffled along narrow streets and saw some lovely architecture and sites. The stuff that Leopold built using his newly found riches is pretty darn impressive. We stopped at a bar called "Halloween" with all sorts of gargoylish things in it and a decent beer menu. Have to say that the Hoogarden is much better and more fragrant less than 30 klicks from the brewery.

The average Brussel's street

Wandered a bit more, stopping at the occasional comic shop, Todd wishing that he could read French or Dutch better without a dictionary. A quick dinner of Vietnamese where the restauranter was very pleased that we knew something about the dishes we ordered and we headed to back to the hotel.

Very nice weather all round, making the demarcation of French and Flemish shops less glaring.