FUN-travel: Belgium – Namur & Brussels
October 31, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Belgium – Namur & Brussels
Day 31 – Friday, October 14 – Drive to Namur, Belgium – dawn is crisp 40’s – ground fog with same full bright moon shining in the sky – crisp, cool, full on SUN – high 50 +- YEAH!
Citadel
- depart 12:30 – arrive 1:30 (30 miles)
- 1st stop – TI for map & ask for best pizza restaurant
- FUN-food Lunch – La Piadineria Guisseppe – style from Northern Italy – Piadina Campagnola – spicy salami, mozzarella, olives & lettuce (thought I ordered pizza, turns out to be tortilla like bread folded in half) – Assiette Ete – salad w/anchovies, capers/mozzarella, prosciutto, balsamic dressing – Stella Artois – 16 euro & just OK
- 2nd stop – walk to Citadel – must more impressive than Dinant – closed today but huge area to walk – go to top of hill for majestic views of city
Namur from Citadel
- FUN-food Dinner – w/brother Wayne & sister-in-law Lurene – Bliss was our pick but all booked up – go to Le Messages – cheese burger/fries & goat cheese salad – 2 bottles of wine – 114 euro – don’t have credit card swipe capability (they use chip cards) we say “it’s not our problem. Your sign says you take Visa.” they say, “it’s not our problem.” – owner gives us his bank account # for us to deposit
Day 32 – Saturday, October 15 – Train to Brussels – dawn crisp 30’s – same full bright moon shining in the sky – high 50’s & SUNNY – YEAH!
Brussels
- Depart 9:15 – ice on windshield & no scraper
- Get to Mary’s 9:30 – get to train station 10:15 for 10:23 train
- Arrive 11:00
- 1st stop – TI for map
- 2nd stop – central plaza – square of beautiful buildings, all different architectural styles including city hall – 16 weddings today
- FUN-food Lunch – Luna di Venezia – real Italian restaurant (Ernesto is from Sicily) only one on street w/wood burning oven – order marguerita & pepperoni (spicy salami) YUMMY! the best pizza of the whole trip! – Duval beers & 3 pizzas – 74 euro
- 3rd stop – Cathedral – see high mass wedding taking place
- 4th stop – Catherine Church – under renovation
- 5th stop – famous statue “Boy Peeing”
- 6th stop – Delirium Monasteriummona (I’m not making this up) Bar – beer tasting – 9 different ones
Famous Boy Peeing Statue
- Return 5:06 – babysit for Mary so she can go out w/girl friends (Laurent is working on oil rig in the North Sea)
FUN-food Dinner – Mary’s fridge & cheese/crackers
Day 33 – Sunday, October 16 – Brussels to London
Chocopolis
- Depart 11:15 – stop @ Mary’s to say good-bye
- Arrive airport 1:00 (only takes 30 minutes)
- Another Hertz hassle – takes 20 minutes for them to fix computer glitch
- FUN-food Lunch – Starbucks cap/latte – chicken salad & leftovers from week – chips, peanuts, grapes, smoked gouda & salami
- 3:25 flight – delayed to 4:20
WRTC2BSL – 4 consecutive days of full sun!
FUN-travel: Belgium – Gent & Bruges
October 27, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Belgium – Gent & Bruges
Day 29 – Wednesday, October 12 – Drive to Gent, Belgium – weather same as yesterday, overcast w/afternoon rain – high 60’s
Gent
- Depart 11:00 for Gent – arrive 1:00 – have no good map & no clear street signs (imagine that)
- cap/latte break for directions to TI
- get map of walking tour – pretty impressive cathedral, belfry & castle
- need to get back to car – only paid for two hrs pkg – get totally turned around (lost) because there’s two rivers – go back to TI & retrace steps
FUN-food Dinner – Auberge de la Roseraie – (Belgium food) – cream soup in shot glass & toasted baguette w/2 different olive tapenades for starters included in meal – salmon tartar – mushroom casserole appetizers – gambas (scampi on steroids) w/creamy risotto (since it’s all French to me this is best guess what we ate) – food just so-so & expensive again – no more Belgium food!
FF (FUN-facts) – having an IPod for music in the car is the best!
Day 30 – Thursday, October 13 – Drive to Bruges, Belgium – clouds turn to full sun – YEAH! – low 40’s – high 50’s
- depart 9:30 to meet @ Mary’s (10 minute drive)
- depart Mary’s 10:45 – arrive Bruges 12:15
- drive around for 45 minutes attempting to find free parking
- park on street for 30 minutes to feed baby Elizabeth
- meeting Laurent & having trouble getting out of city center (too many one ways) give up and park in garage
- 2:00 – meet up w/everyone in the main square
Bruges Boat Ride
FUN-food Lunch – Central – we order fish & chips, tomato soup, Duval beer – food mediocre and over priced at best – Laurent ordered pizza & it was good – 200 euro
- Celebrate Alexander’s 6th birthday! – Belgium waffle w/ice cream, chocolate sauce, strawberries & whipped cream
- stroll through city & shops
Celebrating Alexander's Birthday
- take 30 minute canal boat ride
- find ‘t Brugs Beertje – over 300 beers
- 7:00 Chocolate store stop
- depart 7:45 – dusk arrives with a full bright moon!
- arrive Lasne 9:15
FUN-food Dinner – Mary has left over tofu chili – yummy!
FF – parking in garage = more freedom! (eliminates worry of feeding meter )
FUN-travel: Belgium – Lasne & Dinant
October 26, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Belgium – Lasne & Dinant
Day 26 – Sunday, October 9 – Brussels Airport to Lasne – cloudy, low 60’s
- arrive 8:30 pm (1 hr time change) only 1 hr flight
Lasne Cottage
- takes 45 minutes @ Hertz to correct charges that don’t match reservation – get to lot & car has dings & dents – no one there to verify – have to go back in terminal – total waste of time!
- take off w/Google directions (after other car renter shows us how to get in reverse)
- like Scotland, roads don’t have clear signs, make wrong turn, go back & figure out they paint the lanes to follow
- get off freeway & feel lost – McDonald’s on corner – OMG! they speak French! – one person speaks a little English & point us in same direction we were going
- finally arrive @11 pm after driving on narrow, rural roads
FF (FUN-facts) – new car challenge – now driving on same side as US, but got 6 speed manual shift to save money
Day 27 – Monday, October 10 – Lasne, Belgium – cloudy, cool, sprinkles – high 50’s
Dinant Bridge
We’re here because my niece Mary’s husband has taken a 3 yr job transfer from San Diego – have cute cottage w/kitchen (500 sq ft) in country – 400 euros for week – B&B is $20 more per day & for that I can make breakfast!
Dinant Church
- Take morning walk along path w/stream & cows grazing
- Rest
- Relax
- Recharge
- FUN-food Lunch – Lasne Deli – Caprese Salad – roasted & fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, shaved parmesan & prosciutto – Italian Sandwich – really good bread w/prosciutto, tomatoes, olive paste, greens 18 euro
- drive to Carrefour – huge grocery store & stock up
- FUN-food Dinner – Le Barbavin (Belgium food) – menu in French (imagine that) Lotte (fish) sauteed on mashed potatoes – salad of haricot verte (green beans) w/shrimp in balsamic dressing – fabulous French wine Marasal? (should have written that down) – Gran Marnier & cap for dessert – food just so-so
FF (FUN-facts) – local beer is cheaper than water or coke @ grocery store (& it’s good!)
Day 28 – Tuesday, October 11 – Drive to Dinant, Belgium – weather same as yesterday
- Depart 10:30 – drive to Dinant – try back roads but too much construction – get on freeway –
- massive backup there too due to roadside maintenance – have never seen so many semi trucks ever!
- Arrive 1:00 (60 miles)
- FUN-food Lunch – Le Cafe des Arts – cap/latte & Mediterranean Salad – tuna, anchovies, tomatoes, eggs, cucumber, red onion, green beans on mixed greens – huge! as usual we share – 18 euro
Dinant River
- short walk through lovely old town – take tram to Citadel 15 euro- feels like a rip off as you can’t take the walk that shows on the TI map
FF – Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone was born in Dinant in 1814.