Blogs from Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium, Europe

My phone packed in a few days ago so I haven't been able to update for a while. I've got a new phone now so I'm gonna try and do a catch-up over the weekend. Apart from the phone, the trip is going well. I'm learning a lot as I travel. Cycle touring is a great way to get an education. More on that in later posts. I'm in Brussels now. Old school navigation. Paper map, pay attention to road signs and ask directions. I found my way to the Gare Midi. I hoped to find an info office inside. Next best was a car rental place still open. I stupidly went in and left the bike against the glass window fully visible but unlocked. A minute later a man shouted in the door "Monsieur, votre ... read more

This morning was a crisp, early start, and after a few free coffees from the hotel we slept in, Natalia drove us to Kinderdyjk, a cluster of 19 traditional windmills that has been preserved for tourist and cultural reasons. The complex offers a boat ride/ mill inspection guided tour for a small ransom, so we opted to walk along the tarred tracks that line the banks of the canal. Once again we have been blessed with unseasonal sunshine, as we dodged speeding cyclists, broke through large groups of old, and I mean old old, tourists travelling on the super long Viking Cruises Barge docked nearby. It was like stepping back in time, and some of the windmills dated back to the early 15th century. Modern windmills are electric powered and while they don’t have the smooth ... read more

We headed 15 km south of Brussels on Wednesday to the Waterloo Battlefield. June and I had listened to Bernard Cornwall's excellent audiobook on the battle so had some background before we got there. As you can see, the battlefield is working farmland today but keep in mind that on June 18th 1815, there were about 185,000 soldiers in the frame (or nearby). Of those, over 50,000 were wounded or killed. This was truly a fight to the death with consequences that influenced the next century of European history. The chateau Hougoumont which never fell that day played an important role in events. In the middle of the main British position, the King of Belgium built a monument to his wounded son (whose irresponsible behavior almost cost Wellington his victory). The edifice is called the Lion's ... read more

WED, 20 JUL 2022 TRAIN TO BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: My only experience with the rail system in Europe thus far has been with the high-speed trains (save that last-minute hop aboard before it departs fiasco) and not with the local trains. All of those trains have been staged at the platform awaiting its passengers well before the departure time – in a couple of cases, over thirty minutes early. Retrospectively, all of those trains also have been staged because that particular station was the origin of the train’s journey. Even though the high-speed trains made stops along the way for from two to five minutes, that scenario never even entered my mind for the train that pulled in at my platform over ten minutes before my scheduled departure. I got aboard, found a seat and heard the ... read more

Belgians I’ve met have said Brussels is surprisingly sketchy and that’s certainly the impression I had venturing out from Midi Station. It didn’t seem fitting for the capital of the EU, though I suppose some would claim it is fitting. But once in the city center the scene shifts to a high concentration of waffle stands, chocolate shops and Delirium umbrellas. And architecture that rivals the other great capitals of Europe, in particular the incredible Grand Place: https://youtu.be/ZtXNropBqUM It’s been awhile since I’ve seen such ostentatious spoils of colonialism. I wonder what the second generation of recent immigrants will think of some of the statues around the city. In contrast, the EU diplomatic buildings are uninspiring. But it’s fun to walk around the area under the gaze of security and picture what big decisions the suits ... read more