Wrapping it up

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Geo: 41.975, -88.0072

Monday morning I got up early, hauled my luggage uphill to the train station and got on the train to the Brussels Airport. Signage at the airport was great and it was easy to get to the right area to check in for my flight. There is a lot of security happening at this airport! I was asked questions about my bags before I could check in for my flight, had to go through security and then was asked about my bags and if I bought anything in the airport before boarding. These Europeans are on top of things! There was a delay in backing out of the gate because of some computer issues in the tower. Once that was sorted out, we took off, had an uneventful flight and landed at O'Hare.

My two weeks in Europe went by so fast. I saw every single item that was on my must see list in each city, which I am very excited about. I also saw places and things that I never knew about prior to arriving in a city. I learned a lot about the history and culture of these cities and experienced a friendly welcoming atmosphere everywhere I went. Here are some final thoughts about each place I went.

Krakow, Poland - Krakow was on my list as it is the most convenient city to visit Auschwitz. As I read more in my guide book, I realized there would probably be a lot to do in the city itself, as well as the surrounding area, and I was not wrong. I saw a beautiful square, a castle, one of the many branches of the city's museum and lots of neat churches and buildings. If you can't find something good to eat, you probably aren't looking hard enough. The people are very friendly and helpful. Language was not an issue, and if the person did not fully understand English, we made it work with gestures and maps. My hotel was great and in a good location for accessing all Old Town has to offer. I wasn't able to make it out to the famous Salt Mine or spend time in the Jewish neighborhood. I will just have to go back!

Amsterdam, Netherlands - This was on my list for the Anne Frank Museum. I saw that as well as a few other museums, a zoo and a folk museum outside of the city. The free walking tour went to some places I would not have found on my own and was a good way to spend the afternoon. I did the canal boat cruise and found that it did not keep me cool on an unusually hot day! People in Amsterdam are friendly, but I found some do not know about places outside of the city. I stayed away from the things Amsterdam is well known for and that was perfectly ok with me. My hotel was small, but clean, quiet and in a good location. The city has a lot to offer, but I would not need a return trip other than using it as an airport or train hub.

Brugge, Belgium - I saw the movie In Bruges several years ago and have wanted to visit ever since. I did not know what would be there other than impressive architecture that I saw in the movie. There were lots of possibilities for day trips and I knew there would be chocolate. I was impressed from the moment I walked onto the square. The buildings were beautiful, it wasn't overly crowded and the smell of chocolate was in the air. I walked through the same areas many times during my visit and I was never bored. There were museums and churches to visit, self-guided walking tours to do and really great views to sit and enjoy. This city has a lot to offer and also makes a great base for day trips to other towns in Belgium. My hotel was clean and had a nice breakfast. Being across the street from the bus station meant it was noisy in the morning, but for an early riser that was not usually a problem. It was an easy walk to either the train station or the main square. I ate a lot of waffles and fries, sampled the chocolate and did a lot of walking!

Brussels, Belgium - This was my last stop as the airport had direct flights back to Chicago, but I wasn't sure what there was to do. Luckily, I took a free walking tour and had a good introduction to the city and found a museum to spend some time in. I don't recommend Brussels as a vacation destination unless you are using it as a base for day trips or a flight or train on to somewhere else. One day was more than enough for me and I was glad to do a trip to Gent on my other day. I would recommend spending more time in Gent and not Brussels. My hotel, however, was large, with a large shower and a great buffet breakfast. The location turned out to be pretty good. It was a short walk to the square and a slightly longer, uphill walk to the train station. But, again, the people were friendly and the food was good.

I took this trip because I decided to change jobs and states and I wasn't sure when I would be able to travel to Europe again. It also happened that the exchange rate for the Euro was really great and made it not as expensive as it would have been a year ago. I visited two countries I had never been to before and explored eight new cities/towns. I never got lost and I never felt unsafe. And now it feels like I was never gone! However I have lots of pictures and lots of memories to keep the experiences I had alive.

If you want to see all the pictures, here's the link:
https://europebucketlist2015.shutterfly.com/pictures

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