Hotel South Charleroi

... head home as we had planned an early-ish morning the next day, we were going to rent a car (booked online) and drive out to Bruges. So we got up and went off to the Europcar place...and...it was not open...now, cutting a LONG, frustrating story short, we didn't end up getting a car, because it was Sunday, and nothing was open! So after a miserable and annoying morning, we went back to the hotel, had a little nap and then went back ...

... killed or wounded. As the Marines began firing and advancing, the Germans were surprised that men were being hit at a distance of 500 yards. The Marine Corps puts much emphasis on marksmanship, and it showed in this battle. One German officer complained that his men were facing an entire regiment of snipers. A few famous quotes have come from the battles. Upon arriving and digging in and then being told to withdraw, Marine Captain ...

This morning morning we arrived in Paris around 06:30. Bernard and I lost Daniel and Cindy in the crowds moving to immigration control, so we weren't able to say goodbye in person. The formalities went quickly and easily. Bernard and I picked up our luggage, our rental car, and started north on the A1 autoroute toward Belgium. We drove straight to Charleroi where we had a room reserved at yet ...

... June 1918 during WW I, taking heavy casualties but pushing the Germans soldiers back out of this sector. There is a beautiful American military cemetery located in Belleau Wood now. Shortly afterward I drove through Reims. The Cathedral there was the traditional site for the coronation of French kings including most famously Charles VII in the presence of Joan of Arc. This is the Champagne region and Reims is the center of production for the famous bubbly. Not long ...

... in cafes and bakeries in the town of Charleroi, (outside of Brussels) as the next flight to Dublin wasn't until 9PM. Here, most of the Belgians spoke french; but just when I had the courage to speak a nicety in French, I found that I was talking to someone who spoke Dutch.

... a grand corridor cluttered with Tintin's rocket, a smiling Asterix and a very blue Smurf. Here one is treated to not only a testament to the many characters and creators of this literary culture, but also to an interesting insight into the art of the comic. Being a comic book museum, the displays tend to show instead of tell. Thus, the process of creating a comic book, from drafting text to filling in the ink to creative mass ...

... is wrong then. But often the girls I see sat on their own in the Watershed, are not from the UK. There is a general sense at home, that society considers a woman on her own as someone that a man should go out of his way for, in the old chivalrous way. And a lot of women expect that. You don't open a door for a girl - you're not a "gentleman". The problem with that is that it says that the sexes are not ...

... where they, I guess, make their own chocolate. This is fairly normal, until you see how these shops are identified. A typical one would be something like.. "John Smith - Chocalateer". Chocolateer. Of all words. It makes me wonder if, in his chocolateer training days, he had to master horse riding and swordsmanship. Oh, and one of the nights I went to a pub that had 2500 different beers. Only in Belgium, I would guess.

... to a bar called teasers, which is basically a 'hooters' on steroids. it was actually like coyote ugly with the chicks dancing on the bar and stuff. me and lou went around collecting money to buy mac, the old single guy on our trip, a body shot. hehe. he had to lick this girls cleavage for like...30 seconds, then take the shot out of there, then get the lemon out of her mouth. it was priceless too see him! hehe. we took a crazy ass cab home, i was ...

The next morning (23 October) we caught the train to Brussels for the night. We spent the day looking around and saw the Grand Place (there were some really amazing buildings there), the Law Courts (absolutely huge!) and Manneken Pis (the famous peeing statue - he was a lot smaller than we had expected though!!). We ...