Sandton Antwerp Hotel & Residence

... wind dies down, honestly! We have six hours to wait in Heathrow, where we will buy stuff that's either cheaper or more familiar than stuff in Brussels, we will eat something (farewell weight watchers, knew my trousers wouldn't be baggy for long..), probably take the mickey out of English travellers in their football shirts and sit in the lounge and write on the blog.<br><br>Very excited about going to Thailand!!

... to the restaurant was a small petting zoo. We were able to see and pet donkeys, peacocks, goats and pigs. After lunch we proceeded to The Hague. The Hague is the political capital of The Netherlands. We got out of the bus for another walking tour. We walked from the Dutch government building to the Peace Palace. In front of the Peace Palace, there was a monument to all of the victims of World War II. We then drove from The Hague to our hotel in Amsterdam ...

... walk away is the Belfry. The bell tower played Christmas songs and chimed, the gabled buildings on the market square were lit with many strands of lights and an ice rink had been placed in the center of the market, surrounded by little huts full of local wares and yummy foods and deserts. This is my first Christmas Market- wahoo! I got a cup of hot wine and took in the scene. A little snow would have made it complete. There is a ...

In 11 days our trip will start. So it is time to collect adresses and phonenumbers etc. This wil be more or less our trip for the first 10 days : http://maps.google.be/maps?f=d&hl=nl&ge ocode=&saddr=Las+Vega s,+NV,+USA&daddr=Chloride,+AZ+to:Willia ms,+AZ,+USA+to:Tusaya n,+az+to:Williams,+AZ,+USA+to:Sunset+Cr ater+National+Monumen t,+USA+to:Apache+Junction,+AZ+to:Marico pa,+AZ+to:Sierra+Vist a,+AZ,+USA&mrcr=7&mra=pi&sll=34 ...

Brussels in the summer is really boring. Most of the local people are out of town, most likely in the south where it is sunny and hot. Brussels in July felt like San Francisco in the winter, cold and rainy. We were stuck there for three days since every hotel in Amsterdam was sold out.

... had been craving since we left home) and some Pad Thai for the main course. So good and worth the hour wait for the restaurant to open. In Brussels there is also the famous Godiva chocolate maker... as well as one called Pierre Marcolini that looked more like a fancy jewelry store than a chocolate store. Needless to say we had our fill of chocolate and hopped on a train to Amsterdam early the next morning.

... A highlight is Jean Fouquet's Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels, the mid-15thC dating of which defies credulity, distorting the chronology of artistic style. (museum.antwerpen.be/kmska) The Mayer Van Den Bergh Museum, in a purpose-built 16th C-style building, houses a private collection of 14th through 16th C painting, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, stained glass, and decorative arts. Not to be missed is Pieter Bruegel the Elder's masterpiece, "Dulle Griet" or ...

... stopping at completely full hotels. One lady told us "Bruges-full." We panicked, but after a little more wandering with our bags we found a place to stay. I've learned in my short week of travels that you always enjoy the sights of a place much better once you find a home. We spent the next couple days relaxing in Bruges, walking down the waffle-scented cobblestone roads, dodging in and out of chocolate shops- to ...

... at Waterloo) and had the feel of a tourist trap, so we decided to skip it. However, it was right next to another U.S. war memorial that was very nice. The memorial was in the shape of a star and we could climb the stairs to have a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. In Bastogne, there was a tank that had received damage during the Battle of the Bulge and a statue of General McAuliffe (see gallery above). General McAuliffe told the ...

... 3rd day) A Kiwi mate of ours, lives in Brussels, so we met him on the motorway as he was riding to the beach. We had to meet a mate of his who had a Ducati. I have a Ducati in Australia, so the owner offered me a ride. Maybe it was the glint in my eye, but Lucy asked me if I wanted one. Could I say no. Well I did, but the thought remained in my head. We hung out and had dinner in Brussels, followed by some beers 4th day) We left Antwerp and drove ...