Express By Holiday Inn Mechelen

... the Chocolate Museum, which made me ridiculously excited. We timed it so we arrived right before lunch, and so we were able to get a bunch of samples during the chocolate-making presentation. Then we were able to sample different types of chocolate chips, from milk to super dark chocolate. I had to practice ridiculous self-control here, because I figured that grabbing the entire bowl of chocolate chips and dumping it into my mouth would not be socially ...

Well the chocolate, waffles, and beer in Belgium have not disappointed us! Neither has Belgium for that matter. We stayed in a beautiful city called Mechelen (between Brussels and Antwerp). We exchanged with a younger (sorry guys) couple for their 2 bedroom apartment in the heart of the city. It was a nice change for us after years of suburban life and showed us the draw of living downtown. Mechelen has so ...

On New Year's Day I flew from Portland, OR, to Frankfurt, Germany.  I think its at least possible that the low cost of this plane ticket (<$500) was related to the 8 hour layover in the Frankfurt Airport.  Saw plenty of folks who appeared to be in the same situation, lying lengthwise across three chairs at their respective gates, sleeping more comfortably than is possible in an economy class plane seat.  Thus I put in my earplugs and followed their example (using my locked ...

... but my socks and shoes were drenched as the rain just ran into them. After riding a quick 53km we arrived in Mechelen at 1:30. We rode really fast and beat the boat, it got in at 4:15. We walked around the lovely town, saw the church and went to a pub for Belgiam beer before a nice hot shower on the boat. 6th June - Mechelen - Bike Tour Today we had a free day in Brussels. After breakfast we all took the 25 min train to Brussels where we had 5 hours to explore. We ...

... in Geertruidenberg at 10:00. The barge had to go through a loch to get there. We then started on the 55km ride to Willemstad. There are 20 people on the tour but due to the length and cloudy weather only 14 rode today. This meant that our speed was much faster and we arrived at the arge in Willemstad at 4:00. We had another city walk after tea to see the sights of the pictoresque town including the very large windmill. Day 5- Antwerp We left ...

... little stroll in the square that was full of kiosks as there was a big open market with clothes, food, fruits etc. We then changed clothes at the hotel and hopped on the boat that the happy couple had booked for their guests, that took us on an one hour boat ride down the river. It's funny because the river had numerous bridges to connect the two banks, but they are all so short that I never expected the boat to actually go under them. I saw them coming towards us and thought ...

... double checked to make sure that everything was packed and ready to go, and I rushed downstairs ( I actually took the elevator, but you get the idea.) After finishing the payment on my bill and completing my checkout, I requested for a taxi and waited in the lobby. After a 10 minute wait my taxi driver arrived. Not much long after I arrived, on time, at the Gare de Nord bus station (the bus station is also on the same ...

... the spot. It was a rather elegant establishment with many little tables and booths done in pink damask - a very 19th century feel to it all. I treated myself to a glass of champagne which was followed by a near perfect onion soupe. They don't call it "French" onion soup over there, just like in China they don't call it "Chinese" food. There it's just food. The mussels were good but, they did not live up to the memory of that perfect bowlful I'd been ruminating on - the ones for ...

... the staircase that concealed the hidden entry to the rooms that they lived in. Back home for some rest before another big day tomorrow. Day 92 - Monday 15th May 2006 Into the city for another day of sightseeing around Amsterdam. We had to get Wayne to a doctor this morning to get his eye checked and then we just kept walking around some streets. We accidentally stumbled upon the seediest part of town that is next to the "Red Light District" and is basically full of drug and sex shops ...

... movie and a panorama of the battle. We didn't see either. I'm not sure what the battle was for or the significance of the fight other than it was Napoleon's last one before he died in exile. While I found the site fairly unimpressive, I think it is rather amazing that we were able to visit the site of a historic battle just because it was on the way to where we happened to be going. This continent has so much history, it seems like everywhere you turn, there is something of ...