Day 7 - Brussels

March 20 -

I conquered a lot of Brussels in one day. I was all museum'd out from Paris and so wanted to be as leisurely as possible during the rest of this stay.

Grand Place & Agora Square
I explored Grand Place a bit more, stopped in Agora Square to check out the vendors selling jewelry, bought a few inexpensive pairs of earrings, and paid another visit to Mannekin Piss and the surrounding area for daytime photos. I did not want to leave Grand Place; the beauty was incredibly surreal. If I ever get back, I'd like to hang out in a chair in the middle of the square for the day and people watch.

Marolles District
My guidebook mentioned a flea market in the Marolles district on Place du Jeu de Balle and I found it after a metro ride and walking past the Palace of Justice, whose gorgeous dome was pretty much covered over for renovation. I arrived at the market at tail end, but managed to rummage through some of the quirky junk on sale, finding nothing of real interest. I meandered along the twisting streets to a different metro to carry on to the Uccle district to one of my must sees for this trip. The Brussels metro turns into a tram once it emerges from the underground. I learned this the difficult way trying to reach the Russian Orthodox church.


St. Job Russian Orthodox Church
I couldn't go overseas and not see something Romanov! The church of St. Job in Brussels was built specifically to honor the last Tsar and his family. I'm assuming that it was named as such because Nicholas II was born on the day of Job. It was something he always lamented and resigned his fate to, especially when death looked him in the eye at Yekaterinburg. What you cannot see are the supposed relics of the last Imperial family, donated by Nicholas' surviving family. Built in the wall of the church is the box containing various items and some pieces of human remains found at the first dumping site, Four Brothers Mine, after the family and their retainers were murdered. The investigators collected all that was left behind, including one of the deceased fingers.

Also inside was the bible the family used while in captivity. What was unfortunate, was that the church was closed and wouldn't be open for service until Saturday night or Sunday morning, both inconvenient times to visit. Sadly, I resigned myself to the fact that I would probably not get to see the inside.

Grand Palace
Belgium has a royal family, though not as illustrious as some of Europe's other dynasties. Like other Benelux royals, they stay low key. The palace too is low key, with a park across the street that once was reserved only for the King, until it was open to the public. Next to the palace is the BELvue museum, which honors all things Belgium. There, I stumbled upon a Brussels art nouveau book and remembered reading somewhere about how Brussels was the capital of art nouveau. Gleaning some information from the book, I decided to find Ambiorix Square where tons of these nouveau homes are located.

Ambiorix & Gutenberg Square
Using a bad map which only highlighted the city centre, how I managed to make it over to Ambiorix square, I don't know. I walked up and down several streets in the immediate area, hoping to stumble upon what I was looking for. Once I reached Gutenberg Square, which rivals Ambiorix, I knew I was in the right place. Gorgeous! However, cars obstructed the homes and so many of my snapshots look like surveillance photos instead. Everything about the area was pretty, including the pond at Square Marie-Louise. Unfortunately, number 11, Villa Saint-Cyr, the most famous home on Ambiorix, was under construction, so I couldn't get a good look.

Hema
No visit to Belgium was complete without a visit to Hema. I had first discovered this cool department store on my trip to Bruges a few years before. Brussels closes shop early, so I arrived at Hema as it was closing and didn't have much time to dilly-dally. I did walk away with some goodies though. Nieuwstraat (New Street), a pedestrian street, was like a scaled down version of Herald Square, but Hema was the only store that interested me.

For dinner, I ate at Pizza Hut for a sit down meal of salad and a personal pan pizza. Yes, I bowed down to the Big P. At this stage of the vacation, I was craving carbs and familiarity, two things I love. This happens on every trip I take. I've learned not to beat myself up over it considering I do sample the local cuisine, keeping my mind as open as possible, despite the fact that I'm not food adventurous. That said, it was delicious and I ordered a Belgian beer on tap. I'm not a beer drinker but this was absolutely lovely and I'm finding the blond beers more agreeable to my palate.

This was such a long day. I packed so much and got back to the hostel in a tired mood. I wanted to explore a bit more, but Antwerp was scheduled for the next day. Still, I saw a lot and loved Brussels, despite losing my bearings so much.

Day 6 - Paris & Brussels

March 19 -

Off to Gare du Nord to catch the 12:25 Thalys train to Brussels. I spent the morning lounging, lazing at breakfast which was quite the different pace than days before where I utilized time stuffing myself silly in order to stave off the need to eat too much throughout the day. I was purposeful in my attempts relax at breakfast this day, taking in the canal view a bit more than days past.

I spent the rest of the morning packing up, heading out to the shops nearby to buy food and wine. I had stopped into the Monoprix a few days before, but remembered there was a Franprix that was cheaper and closer to the hostel. Plus, it was across the street from the little Bodega I was using for my fruit and other cheap treats. There, I bought a bottle of super cheap Cote de Rhone, upset that I didn't have the strength nor storage to bring more wine home with me. At the Franprix I purchased Amora mustard (cheaper than Maille), Creme de Marrons (I have to give this stuff a try), and a box of cookies for my Nan. Previous trips always have me buying more than necessary, but I really calmed down on the purchases. Besides, there was still Belgium.

Paris was striking that day, but thankfully, I wouldn't be effected. Thankfully. That was all I needed, no?

Getting into Brussels was quick but I had a bad map and needed help from the information booth. I managed the metro just fine, followed the directions, and made it to the hostel with no problems. It was a HI Hostel and those tend to be iffy because they are the bog standard. A lot of the private ones go for broke, but HI Hostels tend to be as basic as possible. After having so many amenities at St. Christopher's, such as a sauna, and free wifi in my room, this place was like a detention center, but it would treat me well my entire stay.

Laundry. I have become better at packing light. I've come a long way in this respect, and I'm still amazed at how light my luggage is lately when I leave home for vacations. Still, laundry in Europe is expensive and what's worse is you can feel like a dolt trying to figure out how to work the most basic machine in a foreign country. Thankfully, someone happened to be in there, spoke great English, and showed me the protocol. In the US this would all make sense in English, you either pay all with coins or you buy a special non-currency bearing coin to operate the machines. But trying to figure out the protocol in both French and Dutch, it doesn't make sense.

Brussels is quite international, as well it should be. It's the capital of the EU. Being on the smallish side, it should be easy to get around. Looking at a map it would appear so. Then tell me why I got lost almost every single minute of my time there!! Finding Grand Place was easy, you just followed the spire that dominates the skyline. Breaking away from it was difficult and I walked in circle many times. Still, Grand Place is hands down, one of the most beautiful squares I've ever seen. No photo I took did it the justice it deserved.

What disappointed me most was Mannekin Piss. For some reason, due to his popularity, I assumed he'd be the center of some grand square in Brussels. He's not. Instead, he's hidden away on some side street, kitty corner against some building. Not that he was the highlight of my stay, just not as grandiose as I expected.

Street food made up a considerable amount of my diet here the first night. I consumed waffles, frites, and Belgian style hot dogs. Divine!

Day 5 - Paris

March 18 -

The Louvre
I had planned on being all smug and getting away with doing the 6 minute Louvre tour. After all, don't we all just want to see the Mona Lisa and leave? Trust me, I'm no bumpkin and I love museums, but I wasn't feeling the crowds and so wanted that intimate feeling when you can be alone with art, to appreciate it fully. Apparently, my mind changed once inside. Yes, my first stop was to scramble to see Da Vinci's masterpiece. On the way, I stopped at the Winged Victory and something started to come over me. After fighting the crowds to get up front for a photo op, I realized how much more impressive the Mona Lisa would be if she weren't such an attention getter.

Then, something stunned me more - The Apollo Gallery. I think I just about had to pick myself off the floor after entering this room. The beauty before me made that Italian chick a few rooms away seem like a paint by numbers project. This room was my love, my treasure, and a new way of looking at the Louvre.

The statue of Venus de Milo was next and she didn't disappoint either. Not as popular as the Mona Lisa, Venus holds her own and garners a lot of attention as well. She's beautiful, but somehow has that sad look on her face indicating she'd rather be back home in Greece. After viewing the Canova, the Michelangelo's, and the Dutch Masters (always a fave), I was done with the Louvre.

Musee D'Orsay
D'Orsay is the modern art museum and where you're going to see the Monet's and such. Built in an old train station, it's large and airy creating a comfortable atmosphere to take your time to enjoy what's on display. My visit corresponded with lunch time and so I ate at the cafe here. I ordered the Mr. Henri tartine of goat's cheese on country bread spread with honey, and it was simply divine! Next to me sat a French woman who struck up a conversation with me. She ordered the same meal and was intent on communicating despite her limited grasp of English and my complete lack of French. Still, we both figured things out and could have a basic understanding of one another.

I stopped along the Seine to check out the boutiquistas selling books, prints, and post cards. Paris is popular for this. I bought a few art prints. One print was a water color of a Paris street scene from a woman on the bridge as I was walking over to the D'Orsay. The other was a humorous print of various cats in poses from one of the boutiquistas. Notre Dame as a backdrop combined with a sunny day made it all so perfect.

The last island to semi-explore, Ile St Louis, and I joined the line for Berthillon, a can't miss ice cream shop. The line was long, but slow. I ordered a single ("simple") cone of the pistachio, which is a popular flavor here, but seriously regretted not ordering the chocolate. I stopped to watch street musicians on the bridge before heading back to the right bank.


Arc de Triomphe
I saved the Arc for the end of the day for a reason. Timing. I wanted both day and night views. Walking up the Champs Elysees was electric but the scene was not my cup of tea. Here I experienced the rudest interaction with a French person. Up until then, I had nothing but excellent interactions and conversations with the locals. I'm certain it's the area and the reason people come away with bad experiences - a combination of tourists and locals sharing a small space, I guess.

I climbed the steps to the top of the Arc for the loveliest views of the city so far. Taking some time rest to take in the fresh air and reflect on my hectic day, I waited for nightfall. Once it arrived, I marveled at the view up the Champ Elysees and at the Eiffel Tower. Coming back down, I was witness to a military drill honoring the war dead. It was a gentle reminder to what the Arc represented to the people of France.

Famished, I'm ashamed to admit where I ate dinner that night, but it was fast, satisfying, and on the Champs Elysees - with a view too!

I got back to the hostel and had a leisurely time packing for the next day's trip to Brussels. I had such a good time so far and didn't want it to end. However, I was looking forward to Brussels and Antwerp. I don't think at any point during this trip was I yearning for it to end. There was a complete lack of holiday fatigue that usually manages to set in right about now.

Day 4 - Paris

March 17 -

Versailles
I was so looking forward to visiting Versailles. I'm a palace kind of girl, and this was certainly a palace! Although it's outside of Paris, Versailles is very easy to get to. Once you get off the train, just follow the many signs, and people, who will be your fellow tourists for the day. Most of the palace is empty. The revolutionaries took care of that hundreds of years ago. What remains are the ornate rooms, the beds of the King and Queen, and several busts and chairs. That's pretty much it, really. The Hall of Mirrors was beautiful and I managed to cajole a kind stranger to snap a (decent) photo of me posing here.

I'm not naive about history, but I have always felt that Marie Antoinette took the fall for something she had no control over personally. It was kind of sad being in her bedroom, looking at the place where she slept and birthed her children, and I was glad to see various portraits and busts of her around the palace. Sadly, only in death has she been semi-rehabilitated. The gardens were gorgeous, especially the Apollo fountain, which I loved, but I tired easily. Versailles is a huge place and I must've walked several miles the entire day. I saw both the Grand and Petit Trianons. Marie Antoinette's village, Hameau de la Reine, was picturesque but odd against the rest of the palace backdrop.

Saint Chapelle and Notre Dame
Back in Paris, and I had heard about Saint Chapelle, tucked away in the Palais Justice complex. All you see from outside is the ornate spire peaking out of a fortress of a building. I made it just in time for closing, my museum pass allowing a later entry. I was much more surprised with St Chapelle than the guide books give credit for. It's beautiful and so hard to believe that it's squirreled away like that.

With enough time at the end of the day, I walked to Notre Dame and took some amazing shots of the cathedral as the sun was setting. The glow cast over the facade was amazing.

Dinner was at a place in the Latin Quarter whose name escapes me. They knew immediately I was American. So much so that they asked if I'd like a cafe creme. Not being shy, I obliged. Those things are delicious. The rest of the meal was just okay. I wasn't having luck with much of the food here. In my defense, all the exercise made me crave meals high in carbs, so that might explain things. I decided to end my night at the Trocadaro with some night shots of the Eiffel Tower. This was a great, clear spot for photo ops.

Although I had done too much, by the end of the day, I was left with the feeling there was more to do. I turned in or else I would've collapsed.

Day 3 - Paris

March 16 -

Montmartre
Montmartre was the neighborhood I wanted desperately to see. It took up pretty much the whole day and didn't disappoint. Ascending the steep hill to the Sacre Coeur, there were several street performers trying to get money off the tourists. I wasn't having any of that and so told one of them trying to tie string around my wrist, "Don't touch me!". He stepped back and barked "Fuck You!" Being the New Yorker that I am, I turned back, calmly repeated his words back to him, and went about my business.

I continued to walk the steep hills and climbed the Sacre Coeur to the top dome. It was so fun afterwards to walk the small and winding streets, though understandably, it was a very touristy scene judging from the millions of souvenir stores around. Not to mention the plethora of professional street artists who chase you through the streets asking to draw you, for a fee of course. Still, the neighborhood had character, and I did see several locals going about their daily business. I did purchase a really cool necklace at a shop called Diwali on Rue Norvins. It only set me back about 15 euros, which was a great deal.

I ate lunch at a total tourist trap called La Vaissellerie. The thing is, I knew it going in, but was hungry at that point and didn't care. I ordered one of the Plats du Jour, this lasagna bolognese that was too gloppy with cheese, and a vegetable soup that looked as if I were spooning V8 into my mouth. However, the square the restaurant was on, Place du Terte, was crammed with artists painting and selling their art under the warm sun. The scene couldn't have been any better.

Exploring Montmartre was great, a real "Amelie" kind of day. Speaking of which, the guide book had the cafe featured in the movie but walking by, I noticed they were either closed for good or revamping the place. Stopped into Petit Bateu and bought a plum colored cotton tee on sale. It was a bit less than buying in the US, but it was the most expensive single item I purchased for the trip. Walked past the infamous Moulin Rouge, but it would be cooler to see it at night. Stopped into the Monoprix for a looksie and came away with a few items. A bigger shop would happen closer to leaving.

Pere Lachaise Cemetery
Using the Rick Steves cemetery tour, I only wanted to see a few graves - Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Jim Morrison. Wilde's grave is covered in lipstick kisses left by adoring fans. I wanted to partake, but felt deep down, it was disrespectful to graffiti a grave. Something I wasn't expecting were the many memorials dedicated to those who lost their lives in Nazi concentration camps. It was a sunny and beautiful day and so the peaceful sounds of nature also enjoying the day made for a great walk. Morrison's grave was shrined out and a friendly orange cat was nearby to bask in the attention of visitors.

Afterwards, I hopped the #69 bus into the center and stopped off at BHV department store. Nothing peaked my interest and so I crossed over to snap some photos of Hotel De Ville and to take night photos. First, I would need dinner. After the crap cheesy meal in Montmartre I was happy to settle down and have the most lovely warm goat cheese salad at Le Gribouille on Ru de Rivoli. It was delish. I also ordered a cafe creme. It's so American to order this anytime except at breakfast. But if you go to Paris, make sure you experience a cup. It's divine!

I headed over to Ile de la Cite to see the Notre Dame at night. On a night shots kick, I decided to walk to the Louvre, stopping along the way to snap various other scenes. On my way, I had only one safety concern the entire trip. A man approached me and asked where I was from. He proceeded to follow me down the street along the quay. I kept my pace to almost a gallop. There was no one to be found and I contemplated running, until I saw a group of people ahead. The man disappeared and I was glad to be rid of this experience.

I packed so much into my day and had no regrets doing so. My trip to Versailles was the next day so I went back to the hostel to wind down and rest up.

Day 2 - Paris

March 15 -

It's always difficult planning a vacation, even if you do it way in advance. With Paris, I found that there was such a wonky schedule for what is open and closed on certain days that I would have to plan accordingly. Today, would be a visit to the Eiffel Tower and the Catacombs.

First off, gorgeous day. The down coat didn't last too long on my body. A cashmere sweater and dressy scarf would suffice throughout my entire stay. I left Europe sunburned in March.

The Eiffel Tower
Seeing the Eiffel Tower, like any world landmark, is at first an "Oh wow, that's finally it!" experience. All your life you see something on television and in other various forms of media. So, to finally see it up close and in real time always produces minor shock and awe. I took what ended up being some great shots from the park. I don't really think it takes a bad picture. There were several lines to get up, and the one for taking the stairs was shorter, and cheaper. I chose this option. I'm used to stairs! All 650 steps of them.

I walked up to the first level, took a break, bought some water, and contemplated whether it would be worth it to walk to the second level. Not because of fatigue, but because I wasn't really impressed with the views. I ended up convincing myself this was Paris and so needed to experience as much as possible. I ascended the stairs to the second level. The weather was beautiful, but I still wasn't really impressed with the views. It was a lovely experience but I don't see myself ever visiting the Eiffel Tower again, unless I were with someone going their first time.

Place de la Concorde
After walking the gorgeous Pont Alexander III, taken with the beautiful statues on the bridge, and both the Petit and Grand Palais, I walked towards Place de la Concorde to see the Egyptian obelisk and the spot where Marie Antoinette lost her head - literally. Place de la Concorde is interesting because it's in direct line with both the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe. You could argue that it's a direct line showing the history of France - the Louvre with Kings, Place de la Concorde with the Revolution, and finally, the Arc de Triomphe with Nationalism. The fountains were on and were beautiful.

The Catacombs
I headed next and lastly, to the Catacombs. The line was wrapped around the block. Since I arrived an hour before closing to visitors, I fretted a bit. Surprisingly, I got in much quicker than the long line suggested. The Catacombs were an amazing experience and one I shall not forget. I really thought I would be creeped out by all the bones, as I had never seen human remains in such a way. Walking down the labyrinth of a maze into the actual Catacombs, I kept bracing myself for what would be around each corridor. When the time came, surprisingly, I kept my composure and wasn't frightened at all. It was sort of peaceful as well. The formality of death right there in front of you, with skulls arranged in heart shapes or geometrical patterns. I'm not going to lie, having other tourists walking along side of me also helped keep the spookiness to a minimum!

That night, I ate for the first time a croque monsieur, washing everything down with a glass of wine at the hostel's restaurant/bar. During my entire stay in Paris, I noticed a lot of meal items included ham, which I'm not a huge fan of. The hostel had a private sauna and I was looking forward to relaxing. It wasn't the same intense heat as my sauna in Estonia, but it was still relaxing. Little did I know that I evaded a serious accident.

A person at the front desk brought me down into the room, which is away from the action, and showed me how to use everything. Inside, there is the sauna room and another room for the shower. I went upstairs to get my towel and came back down to find an employee in there pulling inventory from the closet that is next to the shower room. He explained that he closed the shower room door because the lock was broken and it anyone who closed it would be trapped inside. My stomach dropped. I got the chills thinking about this and was glad this employee showed up at the last minute to pull stock from the closet. If he hadn't been there to tell me this, I most certainly would've closed that door behind me and would be stuck until someone showed up to rescue me, and who knows when that would've been.

Avoiding tragedy, I still managed to have a relaxing sauna experience and went back to my room all de-stressed from my travels.

Day 1 - Madrid Layover and on to Paris

I have to admit, I'm starting to like all this posting my vacation stories after the fact business. Besides, it takes the pressure off.

March 14 -

The Iberia flight was uneventful, the food terrible. I slept really well on the plane and didn't have to bother much with jet lag later. I think another reason for this, besides the sleep, was that the US had just set the clocks ahead the week prior to me leaving, so now the countries I would be visiting were only five hours ahead, until a few weeks when they catch back up again. I also completed my treatment for bronchitis and was feeling 100% at this point. Who knew my first decent night's sleep after recovery would be on a stuffy plane?

I only had a few hours in Madrid, but they were lovely. It was sunny and hot. Given the short time, Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol were the areas I mainly focused on. It was nice to see Plaza Mayor busy as opposed to my last visit when it was mostly empty and under construction. I stopped into El Cortes Ingles and bought some saffron and Valor chocolate. I was coveting the aisle of cheap and plentiful olive oil, lamenting that I couldn't bring any back on the plane. Spanish olive oil rocks!

Overall, despite the fact that I was afraid to remove my coat due to having my valuables hidden away there, it was much more pleasant visit than the last time. Then again, a few hours is much different than a few days!

No problems with Iberia this time, thankfully! I enjoyed a Fanta limon at the airport. I was so looking forward to that. The flight to Paris Orly was on time and smooth going. I slept some more. This helped tremendously with jet lag.

The metro into Paris was dead easy and I made it to the hostel with not too many problems. Makes sense to follow the directions, for once. I settled in easily, headed out to a boulangerie for a quick nosh on a root vegetable quiche, and actually woke up at a decent time the next morning.

And She's Off...Again

This time to Paris and Brussels. I leave Friday night and return next Sunday afternoon. I booked the flight last summer when oil prices were through the roof, so it looked like an amazing deal. Who knew things would be different and airlines would be begging us to fly. So, the price actually turned out to be competitive with what's currently out there today.

Oh well, I don't have a crystal ball, or else I'd have hit Powerball years ago, so I'm rolling with the punches. That said, I lucked out on a great deal on a hostel. Paris isn't known for doing hostels properly, and this place just opened; apparently, they know their stuff. It's got a sauna too. How cool is that?!

I added Brussels because of my love for Belgium. It's a sort of superficial love, so we'll see if it's held up after all these years. I may take a day trip to Antwerp to get my Dutch on. Belgium is split bilingually between Dutch (Flanders) and French (Wallonia). There are many political scrabbles and it's believed that at some point, the country will completely split. Again, I'll be hosteling it. I hope I can fit in the bed after eating all those pommes frites and waffles!!

I'm a little anxious about visiting Paris, which is why I was always hesitant about going there after all these years. One thing I'm not looking forward to is the day long layover in Madrid, Spain. Because of past experience, I hate Madrid (or "MaDread" as I call it), but I believe that everything happens for a reason and maybe I'll actually enjoy my super short time there. I will definitely watch myself on the Metro, which is loaded with thieves.

Thankfully, my street smarts thwarted a pickpocket attempt the last time, hopefully, I won't get bothered again. I'll have my belongings all on the inside of my coat, which will help. That's another let down with this flight. Had I waited, I could be in London for my day long layover. Again, it's all beyond my control. Lesson learned.

So, wish me luck...

My Sick Bed Calleth

Today, after a week long marathon session of coughing attacks, I admitted defeat and turned myself over to modern medicine. To be brutally honest, I only did so because I woke up this morning with that ailment we all know and love as 'pink eye'. That would definitely merit a doctor's visit. So, with barely much of a voice left, I made an appointment for both afflictions. Pink eye was confirmed on the spot, along with an edict as I was leaving afterwards that all rooms I had entered on the floor be detoxed due to "a patient with conjunctivitis". That would be little old me who ruined an nurse's day.

The bronchitis diagnosis was a shocker because I think the last time I had it was when I was a baby. I was also informed of having blood pressure just a tad on the low end and told to drink more fluids. I'm assuming that'll go back to normal after this passes and I can actually drink without coughing everything up! I was prescribed what is known as a Z-Pack to help both the bronchitis and the pink eye.

What pains me more is that my good friend D and his now fiancee, K, have come stateside to visit. I showed them around the city this past weekend with a voice that was barely audible and which cracked and gurgled at inopportune moments. Not fun for all.

By the end of the day, it hurts so much to cough that I do so with an open mouth, shots of saliva dotting the computer screen as I type. To have a coughing session with a closed mouth only forces my abdominal muscles to do double duty, and this pains me more.

I've been sick for quite some time now. Alarmingly so. It's been a shock to be in such a condition as this. I've canceled tons of plans and spent many weekends relaxing in hopes of recovering faster only to feel good for awhile then progress to horrible in a matter of days. I just want it all over and done with.