Victoria's Island

Paris

Paris. My top city. I really enjoy visiting Paris. There is so much to see. So many cool little streets to explore. Each neighbourhood is different. Food. Fashion. Books. Wine. Art. This city has the best of it all. I really wanted to visit Paris again after my first visit last January (at the end of our two months in Belgium), but wasn't sure when it would be possible again. When I heard how easy and fast it is to travel to Paris on the train and TGV, a seed was planted. But, I dithered. The trip would be expensive - should we do it?

Luckily, Marc reminded me that we only live once. Who knows where we'll be next year? So we should simply go for it. It didn't take much convincing. Booked the train and TGV and decided to get a nice hotel room for Thursday night. Marc made an excellent hotel choice and we stayed directly across from Gare du Nord - very convenient for our arrival and departure. If you find yourself planning a trip to Paris via the train/TGV, I recommend the Mercure hotel - decent price, good room, very friendly staff, prime location.

We hopped on a train in Aarschott at 11:30 and we were in Paris Gare du Nord at 1:35. Pretty fast. We took a couple trains to the Brussels-Midi train station and then transferred to the TGV. Can't believe how fast the TGV is. It took a little over an hour to travel from Brussels to Paris! Super comfy chairs and WiFi as well. Here are a couple pics of the TGV train in Gare du Nord.

Luckily for us, Marc has been to Paris quite a few times (he lived in Compiegne, France for a year) so he is an excellent travel guide and can easily navigate the metro. So arrived in Paris. First stop was the hotel which was directly across the street. Checked in, chilled out a bit to get our bearings and set out for the day with a "loose" agenda. The Gare du Nord station (exterior and one interior shot).

We decided to hop the metro to check out Centre Pompidou. This is a modern art gallery that sounds really intriguing. Our metro stop was at Les Halles (this is a shopping center) - a pretty impressive shopping center but also a very confusing shopping center. We wandered for quite a while until we could figure out how to get out of it! First thing we saw was a Flunch - this is the best place to eat in France - good food, cheap, with unlimited side dishes. We are big Flunch fans! Wandered around the Beaubourg neighbourhood and found Centre Pompidou - what a building. Modern it is. One frustrating aspect of the building is finding the entrance. We walked around the entire building until we found the entrance... And then we discovered the museum was closed - there was a one day civil servant strike on Thursday... Oh well, we still got some decent photos.

Hmm, what should we do now?

Marc suggested we walk over to the Samaritaine department store. This is a massive department store that is one of the oldest in Paris. You may have seen this store if you watched The Bourne Supremacy - Jason Bourne stood on the top of it and overlooked Pont Neuf. So this is what we wanted to do. But, the store is closed for renovation. Here is a pic of the store, a view of the Seine, and a couple of statues.

The last time we visited Paris, we visited the Notre Dame Cathedral. I just found this church to be stunningly beautiful and an oasis of calm. I really wanted to visit the church again. Partly to experience the power of the building and to go up the tower. So we walked across Pont Neuf and along the Seine River to get to the church. Because of the civil servant strike, we couldn't go up the tower. No worries - we sat down and simply soaked in the church. Due to the strike, museums were closed - so the church was rather busy. But it was still a most excellent experience.

By now we were feeling our feet and needed a nice place to rest our bodies. We walked to the Latin Quarter and found a smooth cafe that gave us nice views of the foot traffic. Settled in for a rather expensive tea, coke, and apple tart tatin (for Marc). Although it was a bit overpriced it was worth it for the experience and our patience. We really had nothing else planned for the day. So we flipped through our trusty guide book (thanks Jos!) and decided to go on a night boat cruise of the Seine River. First we stopped at Shakespeare and Company - perhaps one of the most famous English language book stores in Paris. You can buy new and secondhand books in this jam-packed bookstore. I love this store. I could spend hours in it browsing. Had a quick wander around and then walked over to the Seine to hop a boat cruise.

Wow - this was the highlight of the day. We loved it. The cruise was one hour long and we saw everything. It was amazing. Our cruise started at 6:30 - just in the early darkness. The monuments looked amazing and the commentary was excellent. For the first part of the cruise we sat on the top of the open boat and it was just awesome to see the monuments and feel the air. My trusty little camera isn't the best for night photography, but Marc managed to still get some good shots. If you are in Paris - definitely take a night boat cruise - you will not be disappointed.

Now we were hungry! One of the things I wanted to do in Paris was good out for a really good meal. Thanks to nytimes.com I found a review for a Moroccan restaurant called Le Souk. The review sounded quite impressive and the menu looked pretty good. The only thing was it wasn't easy to get to. But we knew there would be other restaurants nearby if Le Souk turned out not to be great. Well, this restaurant was fantastic. Definitely the best meal we've ever had. And that is saying something since we've eaten in a lot of restaurants! The service was outstanding. The food was incredible. Subtle flavors that just fit perfectly. We started with a pastilla with duck and a feta and pepper salad - perfect. For the main course we ordered a coucous with vegetables, chicken, beef, lamb, and mergues and we ordered a tagine of lamb, almonds, onion, and caramelized pear. Yes - it was as good as it sounds. The couscous was perfect - so fine that it literally melted on our tongues! So much food. So much good food. Oh and the bread was delicious - it had black olives in it. Anyway, this meal was fantastic. The desserts looked delicious but we were too full. I did have a mint tea - this is not like the mint tea we have at home - this was made with real mint leaves, pine nut, and a touch of sugar. Okay - I'm feeling hungry now - here are few pics.

Le Souk is the Marais neighbourhood. This is an eclectic neighbourhood. Great for wandering around. So many different types of restaurants, shops, clubs, etc. We stumbled upon this art gallery that is a full-on Obama supporter. So of course I had to take a picture!

It was pretty late for us (11ish) since we took our time at the restaurant and had a nice wander around, so we decided to get back to the hotel. We did stop in at Monoprix - this is a great grocery/all-purpose store - I love checking out grocery stores in whatever place we are in - bought some chestnut spread and a cool little re-usable bag (last of the big time spenders!). We had a great first day in Paris. The highlights of the day definitely were the boat cruise and the meal at Le Souk. We didn't really have a plan for Friday. Decided to see what time we got going and what the weather was like.

As per usual, I was awake at the crack of dawn. I left Marc sleeping and set out to discover the surrounding neighbourhoods. It was pretty early 7ish when I set out so not much was open. I wanted to visit a couple of markets but other than that, I just let my feet guide me. I wandered around for 2.5 hours. It was great. I got to see the city wake up and explored some cool little side streets, visited a couple of markets, made a stop at a bakery to pick up some breakfast treats. I found myself in La Republique so I took a picture of the famous statue.

We made another loose plan for the day. I really wanted to visit the famous food halls at Galleries Lafayette. Gallerie Lafayette is a very famous department store. It is actually three buildings. I'd read that the food halls were something else. So off we went. We came out from the metro and this is what we saw:

The Opera. What an amazing building. Can't really describe it. We walked to the Galleries Lafeyette and found our way to the food hall. Pretty impressive. But we weren't tempted to buy anything - we found it to be a bit overpriced. Marc did find something he likes:

Perhaps the first highlight of the day for me was the coffee shop at Galleries Lafayette. Super comfy leather couches. The best chai latte I've ever had and free WiFi for Marc. We chilled out here for a bit. I walked over to Printemps (another massive department store) for a quick wander around - I didn't stay long since it was darn hot in that building! So what to do next? We decided to wander around the neighbourhood and look for a Flunch. We really wanted to eat at Flunch! We had a hard time finding one - typically Flunch restaurants are not in touristy areas - they are in more "working class" or sections. Finally after much walking I decide to ask some people standing on the street - they directed us to the Flunch we saw on Friday at Les Halles. Perfect. Settled - hopped on the metro and got to Flunch for a much needed sit down and some food. Along the way we took a couple photos (if you look closely you can see Sacre Coeur):

We still had about 6 or 7 hours before our train so we decided since we were closeby to visit Centre Pompidou. We were in luck - the building was open. We went in for a wander around but we decided not to check out the exhibits. Since the museum was open we thought we'd go back to the Notre Dame Cathedral for a trip up the tower. Unfortunately, the tower was still closed. Darn!

I really wanted to visit the Luxembourg Garden. I'd read that this was a pretty amazing garden. Well, it is absolutely incredible. Definitely my most favorite outdoor space in Paris. In fact could be my most favorite outdoor space ever. The park is massive. There are chairs everywhere for people to sit out and relax. Even in the cooler weather there were people everywhere. Marc was a bit tired so he found a chair and I started walking and took many photos. Here are my impressions of the Luxembourg Garden. There was a lady selling roasted chestnuts - I had to try them - my new favorite treat - going to have to figure how to roast chestnuts at home on the stove.

Statues and more statues. The small park is only for children - the hedges are the perfect height for little kiddies. Came across a bunch of men playing chess. People were also playing tennis (nothing like outdoor tennis in January) - no pics of this.

As you can tell from the volume of photos, I really really like the Luxembourg Garden. Love it. Forgot to tell you about our crepes. Before we went to the Notre Dame Cathedral we stopped for some crepes on the street. Marc has simply a nutella crepe. I had nutella, banana, and coconut. Very tasty and well worth it. Sorry no photos - we were too busy eating!

The Luxembourg Garden is right on the edge of the St. Germain des Pres neighbourhood, so off we went to see what we could see. We stumbled upon an indoor covered market that is one of the oldest indoor markets in Paris. Pretty cool to walk around and take in the flavours. We found the St. Sulpice church. This church is famous for its appearance in the Da Vinci Code. I really like this church. It is so peaceful and it was much less busy than Notre Dame Cathedral. I didn't take any photos since it was quite dark inside. This was a super peaceful place to sit down and rest our bones.

St. Germain des Pres is a very posh neighbourhood. We wanted to stop at one of the famous cafes - but we decided 9 euros for a hot chocolate was a bit much. So Pierre Herme - the famous chocolate shop - thought about going in but the line-up convinced us otherwise!

So we had a few hours left in our great little trip. Marc suggested the Arc de Triomphe. We had been last year but we did not go up the inside of it. Since it was just getting dark, the views would be amazing. Made our way to the Champs-Elysees and walked up and under the Arc de Triomphe. Paid our euros and started up the long and twisty staircase - so twisty I started to feel a bit dizzy! The sort of half-way point is very cool - there are exhibits that detail the construction of the monument and its history. Here are a couple shots - exterior and interior.

We walked the rest of the way up to the top and were rewarded with the fantastic views of the city. Magical to see the city lit up. The number of cars rushing along was pretty impressive as well. Marc took a shot of the Eiffel Tower - it is hard to do the view justice.

Our time in Paris was coming to an end. Plan was to make our way back to the hotel, pick up our bag, grab some food and rest our bodies on the train. Well, I was a bit cold and needed a warm drink. Yes, I caved and stopped in at Starbucks. We had to walk farther than we remembered to get to Starbucks on the Champs-Elysee and then once inside I had to stand in line for over 20 minutes before ordering.... Sigh - but it was worth it. Our final meal in Paris was pretty simple but good - we stopped in at a Lebanese sandwich type shop across from Gare du Nord and had a couple of tasty sandwiches. We both got one last treat in the train station - I had a super hot chocolate from the Haagen-Dazs cafe and Marc had a pain au chocolat.

I must admit we were both pretty beat by the time we sat down on the TGV. We did a lot in our day and half in Paris. Lots of walking. But the fatigue was worth it. I have some great memories now of discovering new favorite places with Marc. My top highlights are the boat cruise on the Seine, supper at Le Souk, the perfect chai at Galleries Lafayette, Luxembourg Garden, St. Sulpice, and the top of the Arc de Triomphe. A wonderful trip and a great way to round out our time here in Belgium. As you may have noticed we did not shop at all. The only souvenir I bought was a Paris tea towel and the chestnut spread.

We made it back to Aarschott at 11:30 with no travel issues. The trusty super van was still where we left it. I was so tired I slept for most of the train ride and the 15 minute drive to Westmeerbeek.

A great trip. I'm super glad Marc convinced me to go. Hope this post gives you a taste of Paris. The city has so much to offer and there are so many ways to visit it that I think each person takes away something different. You'll notice we didn't go to the Louvre. We decided not to since we had been last time and we didn't have anything specific we wanted to see again.

We are flying home on Tuesday. Today we really just chilled out, did the group ride and went for dinner at the cafe here in town. Marc is racing tomorrow and then we'll come back to the house to watch the World Cyclo-Cross Champs on television. Monday will most likely be spent packing bikes and cramming all our stuff into our luggage!

See some of you next week. Thanks for reading.

Paris

Dudes, we are going to Paris! How stoked am I? I love Paris. Last year we finished our trip with thee days in Paris. Glorious.

I really wanted to return. But I was reluctant. It is not cheap to travel to Paris. But Marc convinced me that we only live once. We don't know if we'll be able to go next year. So we decided to go for it. We are traveling by train to Paris and are staying over night.

I'm excited. I've got a short list of a few places I'd like to visit. Top of the list is a return to The Louvre and the Notre Dame Cathedral. We visited both places last year but we didn't spend much time in them. The Louvre - well it is amazing. Notre Dame Cathedral - has to be one of the most calming and peaceful spots - this time I want to go to the top of the Cathedral and visit the balconies.

I'm also interested to visit Musee d'Orsay, The Centre Pompidou and the Luxembourg Garden.

We'll be doing lots of walking. But also some cycling. Yes - we are going to rent the Velib bikes. These are essentially bikes available to the "public". Pay with a credit card. Get a bike. Get a bike lock. And ride. Return the bike to a Velib bike station (located through out the city). Marc wanted to do this last year but I didn't want to. Velib bikes are also available in Brussels - again I didn't feel like it. But this time we're doing it.

Other plans for Paris include a nice meal somewhere that is not "touristy". Some sitting in cafes. Probably a crepes. Just generally enjoy ourselves and the last part of our trip. Maybe a visit to Printemps and Galleries Lafayetes.

Shopping is not high on the agenda. More important is soaking up the city and possibly getting off the beatn path. It would be cool to stumble upon a market.

But really, I could sit in one spot all day in Paris and be pretty happy!

Check back on Saturday for pictures and a report.

In Bruges

Today Marc and I hopped in the super van and made our way to Bruges. Neither of us had been to Bruges before but we had heard and read that it is a beautiful city. Well, I can tell you that this charming city did not disappoint. A definite treat. The amazing canals. The history. The wide streets. The chocolate. A great city to wander around and spend an afternoon or whole day.

We had no real "fixed" plans for the day. I'd scoped out a few places based on our trusty guide book but other than that the plan was to let our feet do the guiding. Once again our feet did not disappoint.

Here is the entrance we drove through to enter the Centrum.

After finding a place to park the super van - this was a bit a challenging since the van is too tall for the underground parking... So we had to park on the street - but only for two hours at a time. So every two hours we had to return to the car and pay more money and move the van. Ah well, small headache to pay. One thing we did is took a different route back to the van each time - so we got to explore some cool side streets. I think this is one of the best aspects of being guided by your feet - you never know what is around the corner.

Made our way to the Grot Markt and to our delight we discovered the morning market. This was primarily a food market. We arrived just as it was closing. But we managed to get some tasty treats to start the day.

Our first tourist sight was the Belfort. This is a Unesco heritage site dating to the 13th century. The tower is 85 m high and we walked to the top of the tower. Very narrow twisty stairs (366). When we were in the tower the bell chimed - very loudly. These pics aren't the greatest but they give you a bit of an idea. There is a treasure room in the tower. As well at the very top of the tower you can see the distances to other cities.

Here are some exterior pics of the Belfort. Including the fabulous courtyard and a replica of the tower - the cool thing about this is that the description of the Belfort are in braille and in six different languages.

A statue. You had to know it was coming...

After the Belfort we started walking. Ended up on the busy shopping street. But we did find a true delight to our senses. Chocolate Line. A very tasty chocolate shop. This place is worth a visit. We both chose three chocolates each - cost 3 euros. These chocolates were flavorful and did not leave a lingering sweet/sugar taste in our mouths. Shot of the interior of the shop and an early evening exterior shot.

On our way back to the super van to fill the meter and move the van we came across this beautiful church and then a bit further down the street we came to a massive square with a cool fountain.

Just like Mike said, Bruges is known for its chocolate. Lucky us! Turns out there are many chocolate shops in Bruges but only five where the chocolates are made on the premises. We didn't plan to stop in a second chocolate shop, but we really had no choice. We were drawn in by what turned out to be milk chocolate rice krispy squares. Oh yah - can't pass this up. These things were massive. No marshmallows involved - just milk chocolate and rice krispy cereal. The display in the store window is made completely out of chocolate.

Chocolate fix done we made it to the car and on the way I took a few more random shots. Funky statues. A lace map of the centrum. The canal. Cool features on buildings. Basically anything that caught my eye, I took a photo of it!

Little doorway.

Next tourist stop was the Begijnhof. This is simply serene and peaceful. Another Unesco World Heritage site, the Begijnhof was established as Catholic homes for single and widowed women in the early 20th century. Originally there were close to 1500 such establishments, today only 22 remain. This particular location dates to the 13th century and is now home to Benedictine nuns. We enjoyed a walk amongst the white washed walls, a visit to the museum and we watched the swans float along the canal.

We had just enough time to check out the basement of the Crowne Plaza hotel, before moving the van again. This was a great discovery. In the 1990s during excavation for the Crowne Plaza, the 10th centure St-Donaas church was discovered. The hotel construction was permitted to continue so long as the church was preserved and the public is allowed to visit for free. Very cool spot to wander around and escape the damp chilly air. The photos don't really do it justice. You will see the walls, a tomb, some artwork, and the original oak posts.

Made it to the van in the nick of time. We decided to find a better location where we would not have to keep moving it. No such luck - all the parking lots are underground. But the coolest thing happened. We met a sweet little old lady who heard us talking and then proceeded to tell us about her favorite spots in Bruges. She said we really had to see the canals at night - apparently they are lit up and just amazing. We didn't stay long enough for this but, there is always next year.

So the van is in a new spot. It is getting later in the afternoon. Earlier we had spied the FNAC and my attention was grabbed by a tea store. So we decided to do a little browsing. On the way we found some enormous meringues. And I promised you yarn... Well, I didn't get to the yarn store (bit out of the way) but I did find a crafty store for you...

We decided to eat supper in Bruges. We got a recommendation from a woman working at FNAC. Le Republik. This is a cool bar/pub restaurant. The menu looked good. But we did not stay - very smoky inside. So we decided to get a light snack (waffle with ice cream) and get some supper on the road. We gobbled the waffles before we could take a picture. I was not ecstatic with my waffle. This were light and airy waffles - I think I prefer the heavier more dense version. But hey, a waffle is a waffle - so I ate it!

Here is a shot of us in front of one the buildings in the square.

And one last picture. A very solid door. But note the doorbell on the right.

That was our day. A great day of wandering in Bruges. We didn't do much sitting in cafes - due to the two hour time restriction on parking. Next time we plan to park at the station and rent town bikes. This way we can roll along more easily and take our time. All in all, a great day. Bruges is definitely a city worth visiting.

Now I have to see the movie!

Sitting Here

Sitting here on the big comfy burgundy chesterfield in Tim and Jos' living room. This is one of those chesterfields that you can really loose yourself in. Super wide. Nice cooshy pillows. Perfect arm height to rest your head while reading or watching a movie. I'm going to miss this chesterfield. Might have to get ourselves something similar...

So it is early. 7 a.m. I know that is not really that early. But it is early in a house full of bike racers. Most bike racers like to sleep in. Until 8 at least. Me - well I like to sleep in as well. But for some reason I can't. Doesn't seem to matter how late I stay up the night before or how fatigued I am. I'm awake at 6 a.m. Without fail. Ah well, gives me a relaxing start to the day. I'm not harried or rushed. I get some quiet time to myself - I make my oatmeal the slow way on the stove, eat it very slowly, catch up with the world through the WWW and various podcasts. Pretty good way to start the day.

Today we are off to Bruges and potentially Ghent. We're going to Bruges first and then we'll play it by ear and decided if we want to stop in Ghent. Looking forward to checking out Bruges. I've wanted to visit this city for some time now.

I'm especially curious about The Beguinage. Bruges is not a big city but has its share of monuments, statues, churches and intriguing little streets. Should be a good day of wandering and discovering. Extra bonus is that I've found a yarn shop in Bruges - Stikkestek. There is no web site for the store but I'll take some pictures and let you know more about it. There are also some famous chocolatiers in Bruges so we might get some sweet to eat as well. Ah, even if we sit on a park bench all day and watch people go by, it will simply be great to experiencing another place with my favorite guy.

Started reading my latest book last night. Picked up this weighty book in Waterstones: In Europe by Geert Mak. This is a fabulous book. Basically, in 1999, Mak spent the year criss crossing Europe getting to know the people and communities that made up Europe on the verge of the new century. Fascinating.

Okay, time to go. Have some other stuff to get to before we set off. Have a good one. Looking forward to seeing you next week. Lets send some positive vibes so that the OC Transpo strike is resolved by the time we get home.

Brussels Trip

On Monday morning, Marc and I decided to take a day trip. Brussels was the choice for the day. I'd been to Brussels two summers ago when I was here in Belgium to race on the road. I spent a day wandering around and taking it all in. I was looking forward to experiencing the city with Marc.

We hopped the train from Aarschott and made it to Brussels at around 11:30. Totally loving this train travel - super easy and stress-free way to get around. We didn't really have any plans for Brussels. No chosen sites to see. Didn't even have a map or guide book. So first stop was the tourist information bureau in the Grot Place. Picked up a handy free map and started wandering. Quick visit in the TinTin shop to see if there were any goodies for Marc.

Along the way we stopped at a Lebanese tea room for the first sweet of the day. Baklava for Marc. And some unknown treats for me. Not bad. Good way to start the day.

We wandered through the Galeries Royales St. Hubert. This is a beautiful old building with stores along the interior. Rather posh stores that really only lent themselves to window shopping for us.

At the end of the Galeries we found this funny rabbit. (Lucky for us Marc took most of the pictures - he is a much better photographer than me!) I'm holding my handy bag from Paragraph books in Montreal. (Love that book store.)

We wandered around and found the little streets around the Grot Markt with lots of restaurants. Gave us a chance to scope out food options for supper. Lots of choice for seafood!

And then imagine our delight when we stumbled upon a Leonidas chocolate shop. This is not that hard to do in Brussels. There are chocolate shops everywhere - high quality shops and some very low quality ones. Well, we couldn't pass up this treat - banana and strawberry dipped in melted milk chocolate. Before and after pictures:

The Grot Markt is a fabulous square. Massive and surrounded with some beautiful buildings. Unfortunately it is hard to take high quality pictures - the building are so big and tall.

Now that we had a handy little map we made some plans. We decided to walk up to the Grand Palace and check it out. Along the way we took some random shots of the various Brussels sights. One thing about Brussels is that it is easy to walk around since the tourist sights are pretty much sign posted at every corner. The Old England building is amazing - the photo does not do it justice.

Along the way to the Palace we made a detour to the Cathedral. What an amazing building. I'm really starting to appreciate big churches. The history is amazing and the tranquility is just what the soul needs. I took some interior pictures but the lighting was a challenge. There is a picture of the pulpit - this is amazing. Can't remember all the details but according to the description it basically is the essence of the Bible.

In 1989 during renovations, the original church foundation was discovered. Luckily it was well preserved and visitors are able to descend down below the Cathedral to take a look. Pretty amazing.

These two shot give you an idea of the front of the Cathedral. (Marc says I'm not allowed to look at the camera because I always make funny faces!)

So now we're starving. Made our way back to the Grot Markt and ate at Exki. This is a fabulous organic/natural food chain with locations in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Italy. Very fresh and tasty food. We sat for a bit and chilled out. Oh and there is free WiFi at this food stop. Had a super hot chocolate - the real deal.

After lunch we decided to check out the Maneken Pis. We wandered around and explored a bunch of side streets and found the crowds in front of the little boy. Can't believe the crazy crowd. Even more surprising was the way the crowds were going crazy for the cheap chocolate shops that surround this statue.

We managed to find the only piece of remaining wall of Brussels dating back to the 12th century.

We decided to go find the FNAC - this is a pretty good electronics shop here in Belgium. The store also sells English language books, so we wanted to get a guide book and some leisure reading books. Picked up The Second Plane by Martin Amis, a Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, and Bruges guidebook, and a DVD called le velo. A good stop at the FNAC indeed. We rested for a bit in the coffee shop where once again I sampled the hot chocolate - not the best but not the worst. By now it was 5:30 so we decided to make our way back to the Grot Markt in search of supper. Along the way we stopped at Waterstones and I picked up a book (title escapes me) and a Christmas gift for one of the cooks at home.

The crowds in the "major" shopping area were incredibly overwhelming. One minute we were on a peaceful calm street and then we saw a huge mass of people. The picture does not do it justice...

This wouldn't be one of my travelogues without some statue pictures:

After much wandering around the Grot Markt we found a street that we had passed earlier in the day that featured Greek restaurants. I have to say it is a challenge to get through these restaurant streets without being pressured into another restaurant. The hosts literally stand on the street and give you a hard sell to get you to eat in their restaurant. Found the Greek street. Chose a place. Had a decent meal: tatziki, bread, mergues sausage, beef brochettes, salad, and of course fries. Good meal to round out the day. Then it was back to the train station to make our way back to Westmeerbeek. Imagine my delight to find a small little drinks seller in the train station that sold amongst the standard espressos and cappucinos, a Chai Steamer! Yes - chai steamer aka chai latte. Of course I had to try it. Pretty good. I'd say as good as I've had at home.

Made it back here at around 9:30. Tired but happy. A great day of wandering around and chilling out.

Next up this week is a definite trip to Paris (we are going to stay over night) and potentially depending on the weather a trip to Bruges and Ghent. Busy week.

Managed to get out on the group ride today. But I got a flat. Luckily Marc was there to rescue me. Ended up stopping at the Blauberg house for some extra assistance and made our back to Westmeerbeek. Chilled out watching Top Chef and now Marc is asleep on the couch! Good day in Belgium.

Brussels

Went to Brussels today with Marc. Long day. Most excellent day. Check back tomorrow for photos and the words.

Happy Monday!

Off to bed.

Masters World 'Cross Champs

Check out ottawa.cx for a recap of the day at the races. Saturday was all about this big race.

A solid day at the races. I'm proud of Marc and how well he rode. He has come along way this season and I think he can go even further next year.

Congrats to Kathy Savary for winning her second World Masters Cycl0-Cross Championship title. Congrats Kathy on overcoming all the hurdles you faced this season. A well deserved win.

Not much else going on. More racing action today. So we're leaving soon for some muddy racing.

Going to Bruges next week so if you have any suggestions - send them my way.

Okay, I'm out. Sorry for the slim post. Thanks for the fast and positive vibes you sent this way.

Wet and Windy

This sums up the situation here right now. Very wet. Very windy. Luckily when I rode to Mol this morning I had a very friendly tailwind and not much rain. Only downfall to the ride was the flat tire - I was only 10 minutes from my ultimate destination. I'm embarrassed to say how long it took me to change the flat - I'm blaming it on the tight tire, greasy rim, and wet hands.

Anyway, made it to the course. Found the super van. Switched out my wheels and did a couple of laps. A very nice race course. Very similar to last year. Lots of sand. Very flowing. New this year is one less run-up and a set of barriers. Only section I don't like is the entrance to the first pit - it is a mess.

So a good day on the bike. Got a road ride and a 'cross ride in. Now we're all just sitting around. The guys are fiddling with bikes and getting packed up. I'm about to do some yoga and pack my bag as well. I'm not racing tomorrow (I can't due to rules and regulations) but I'm going to ride to the race and then I'll be busy in the pits.

Looking forward to a fun day of racing and cheering. So that's it. I hope to take some pictures but it will be challenging since I'll be in the pits...

Haven't got much else. See the Oscar nominations are out. Haven't seen any of the movies. I'm curious about Rachel Getting Married - I like Anne Hathaway so I could be convinced to watch this one. I'd like to see Milk as well - heard it is very good.

Loving my new book - the latest Kate Atkinson novel. It was my Aunt Janet who turned me on to this author. She is one of my favorite novelists. Excellent books. The Jackson Brodie series is a must read.

Okay, I"m out. Have a good Saturday. Send some fast vibes this way - 11:35 for Ed and 1:30 for Marc. Oh think tailwind for me - 8:15 please.

Antwerp Action

Had a great day in Antwerp yesterday. I truly enjoyed the city. Easy to tour on foot. Lots of amazing architecture to see. Lots of surprises. Nice cafes. Good shops. Lots of people watching opportunities. Suffice it to say, I could return again next week and have another most excellent time wandering around and discovering new streets and haunts.

I went to Antwerp with a few things in mind: I wanted to visit the Cathedral, I planned to take a tour of the city's sewer system (don't scrunch up your face - it is supposed to be very cool), I wanted to visit a yarn store, I wanted to visit China Town, I wanted to check out the diamond district, and then just generally chillax and see what I could see. Well, that is a lot for one day. I managed to get most of it done. Didn't tour the sewer system - it was kind of a far walk so I passed on it. As for the yarn store - well I screwed up. I had the address and details for a yarn store in Amsterdam.... Imagine my embarrassment in the tourist information bureau when after insisting that the street and yarn store existed in Antwerp, the very patient guy behind the counter said "Madam that store is in Amsterdam - we are in Antwerp!" I left the tourist bureau rather quickly! So no yarn store for me.

I took the train from Booischott to the Antwerp Central train station. What an easy way to travel. Arrived in Antwerp at around 11:00 with the afore mentioned jam-packed agenda. First up was China town. The reading I had done made it sound like Antwerp's China town was pretty big and spectacular. Well, unless I missed most of it - it really wasn't more than one street. I wandered around and went in a couple of Asian grocery stores and that was it.

Here are a couple pictures of the lions at the entrance:

After the quick visit I made my way back towards the train station and to skirt the diamond district. I just walked along the edge of this area - I had no real intentions of buying diamonds so I kind of passed it by. Maybe next time I'll visit this area in more depth. On my way to the diamond district I did make a couple of cool discoveries.

Check out how the bike lane is identified:

I also stumbled upon the Antwerp Zoo. Very cool. I didn't go in because I assumed this would take more time than I had. But here are a couple of pictures from the entrance. On my next trip, I plan to visit the zoo.

I will warn you now: I like statues. So there are lots of pictures of statues. I don't know the significance of the statues or any details - I simply like them.

Next up was a walk along the Meir. The Meir is the major shopping area in Antwerp. The street is closed to traffic and is literally full of shops. Honestly, I didn't like it. It really just has all the big stores that you can find in any other European city. And since I wasn't there with the intentions of hitting the sales or looking in shops, I didn't spend a lot of time on this street. The one thing about the Meir is there are many interesting side streets and if you follow it it will take you to the Grote Markt. So this is what I did. Here are some pictures from the Meir.

The start of the shopping area:

Just like home:

Random statues and shots:

This is the interior of a mall on the Meir. Amazing interior. The crazy blue structure changes color. As malls go this is pretty nice. This main floor also was the "food court" - much nicer than our malls.

By this time I was getting a bit hungry so I found a nice organic eatery and had some quiche and fruit with yogurt. I had picked up a couple of mags at the Internal Magazine Store so browsed this and then made my way. I was on a little side street and stumbled upon some cool shops and cafes. A nice change from the crowded Meir and the shopping crowds.

After some wandering I made my way to the Grote Markt. So my plan was to visit the Cathedral. Well, it was closed. So I was only able to take some exterior pictures. I had also planned on checking out the infamous yarn store because according to my research it was close to the Grote Markt... Anyway here are some pictures of statues and the Cathedral.

I walked over to the edge of Schelde river and was able to get up on a look-out kind of thing so here is a picture of the Cathedral from this view.

The Schelde is one fast moving river. Definitely not one that I want to fall into! Early in the 'cross season we raced in a race called Scheldecross and this takes place on the other side of the river along the beach. This beach is a very popular summer destination for Antwerp residents.

I walked along the river path and came upon this very cool castle. I had to take a picture of the statue - very intimidating!

Here is a picture I took from within the castle:

So from here, I really had no plans. Decided just to wander and find an interesting side street to walk down. Well, luck was on my side and I stumbled into the fashion district. This was cool. Some awesome shops all with independent designers. Not just clothing either - housewares, accessories, etc. I had a great time just wandering in and out of these shops. I even bought something - a super zip up jacket. I fell in love with a couple of items in the same shop but didn't try them on because the prices were a bit rich for me. Anyway if you are in Antwerp, I recommend you check out: o'zon. The jacket I bought is from Sambalou. Here are some pictures from my wandering around: a cool children's park in the middle of nowhere, a lovely building, the black panther:

From here, I simply wandered. Poked my head in shops, got some tea and walked. I ended up in the antique district - this was very cool as well. Stumbled upon a shop that sells recumbent bikes, so I had to take a picture for my Uncle Mike:

Now, it is going to seem like that all I did was shop - but honestly I didn't. But I couldn't resist a store called All Saints. The window display of the Singer sewing machines drew me in. I loved the clothes in this store. If I had a big budget I would have bought a few very nice items.

From here I wandered. Really had no idea where I was. Ended up in a rather posh shopping area and decided to have a hot chocolate and a treat. I highly recommend Le Pain Quotidien. I had a delectable cup of "real hot chocolate" and a wonderful yogurt parfait with granola and berries. Just what I needed for an afternoon pick-me-up. It turns out that Tim's table and chair company (The Table and Chair Group) provides the tables and chairs for the European cafes.

Now my goal was to make my way back to the train station with a few stops on the way. Here are a bunch of random shots of statues and buildings:

Perhaps one of the highlights of my day of walking was stumbling upon this amazing garden. Really the photos don't do it justice. Such a peaceful spot in the city. I felt instant calm when I entered this garden. In the summer I could imagine sitting here with a good book, a journal, a nice lunch and just enjoying being. I loved this garden. I tried to take some pictures to capture it. The greenhouses were full of cacti. Take a close look at the statue in the third picture.

So now it was getting late. Time to get to the train station. Quick stop to FNAC to pick up a couple of books: When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson and Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup. I managed to get a bit lost at this point so a very friendly woman offered to walk with me along the Meir towards the train station - she said she wanted to practice her English - so it was win-win for both of us. Made it to the train station with no problems. But this was the location of my one negative experience. I managed to choose a line at the ticket booth with a very unsavory ticket agent - one who wouldn't speak English and simply yelled at me in Flemish. When I asked which train to take he shouted very loudly in Flemish and pointed at a train and told me to get to track 12. A bit flustered and shocked, I made my way to track 12 and got on the train. It was the wrong train... Luckily with the help of a couple passengers I discovered this. I got off at the next stop, found a friendly and helpful ticket agent and got myself sorted out. I was happy to see Marc at the train station in Booischot at the end of it all.

So, a most excellent day in Antwerp. If you are thinking of a trip to Belgium or even Holland - I highly recommend Antwerp. It has something for everyone. I didn't even go in the museums - but there are many interesting ones to be seen. I can only compare Antwerp to Brussels and I would say that Antwerp is the choice - especially if you only have one day.

As for today. Well it was work, yoga and riding on the agenda. Pretty quiet Thursday. Marc and Ed have the World Champs on Saturday so we are just chilling out now. Sorry for not getting this post up yesterday - I was pretty beat after my day of walking. Oh by the way - I didn't eat a single waffle. I was tempted but I though I'd wait until next week when we go to Brugges.

Smooth

A pretty smooth day here today. Tried to sleep in - but this didn't really work out. For some reason since being here in Belgium, I can't sleep past 6:30. It doesn't seem to matter how late I stay up - I wake up between 6:00 and 6:30. So strange. At home I can sleep in to 9:00. And strangely, I'm not tired from this reduced amount of sleep. I've heard that as you age you need less sleep - but I don't think I could have aged that much on the flight over here!

Group ride day today. There were three groups of 50 out! Even more impressive when you consider that this ride starts at 1:00. Met a friendly Belgian guy so had someone to chat with when I wasn't riding next to Marc. The entire house went on the ride. So we gave it some good international flavor. Sven Nys was on the ride today.

Post-ride, Marc and I zipped to Van Ecyk in Geel. I had planned to buy one pair of socks... Well, I ended up with two pairs of socks, some super smooth full-zip Vermarc tights, and a Neils Albert hat (so cool!). A pretty good trip to the bike store. Good thing it is sale time right now!

For something different Marc and I picked up some Chinese food. I'm well impressed. We got an overwhelming amount of food and it is pretty tasty. Only downside was the shrimp in one of the dishes.

Just chilling out now. I've managed to drive Marc crazy with a hundred questions about printing a document. He has escaped to the garage for some peace and quiet!

I'm off to Antwerp tomorrow. Basically going to go for the entire day. I'm pretty stoked. Jos dug up a super map for me. I've made notes on what I want to check out. Should be a good one. I'll try to take lots of pictures for you.

So all in all, a most excellent day. Good riding. Good friends. Lots of laughs. Just as life should be.