From Scotland to Belgium - WHOOSH!!!!

---

Travelling on a train going 120 mph plus does not take us long to travel from Edinburgh to London, where we change trains, and go on to Brussels, BELGIUM. Once again, a lovely young lady sits next to me, and the three of us talk non-stop all the way to Brussels. This train is travelling at 300kph. Feels like I am on a bullet. Once at the station, you have to pay to use the washroom.

Brussels once spoke Dutch until the late 19th century, and then shifted to French to become officially bilingual with 90% of the population speaking French. In 2005, 25% of the population is of Muslim backgrounds, mostly from Morocco and Turkey.

Brussels is also hailed as the comic strip capital. The home of the Smurf’s, and Tin Tin. Tops for cuisine is waffles, French fries, chocolate, beer, and of course Brussels sprouts.

Our studio apartment comes with a fridge stocked with food, and fresh buns are delivered the next morning. Chris and I have been lost several times in the city as the GPS does not accept that the train tracks run down the center of the roads.

We only have a couple of hours before leaving Brussels so visit Grand Place right in the center of the city. This square was voted the most beautiful in Europe. The opulent towering structures have incredible details, and many are guilded in gold.

There are many immigrant families living on the periphery of the Grand Place square. This now is truly a crisis and it appears it is likely to get worse. Hard to see...hard to accept!

---

Comments

[Malin]

So nice to meet you!!
Thanks for sharing your stories and experiences, live reading about it all!