So this weekend was another trek. My goal is to become as close to a world traveler as I can in six months, and I think I am off to a decent start. This weekend, my good friend Laurence and I went to Lille and to Bruxelles. Laurence has some things to do in Lille so I had to more or less entertain myself there, which is not a problem. I took the train from Luxembourg to Arlon, Belgium, where Laurence lives and then we drove from there. I was very concerned about the lines at the train station being the same as the post office which is more or less time consuming. The train station took about 3 minutes to get through so I had a lot of time to wait there. I ended up sitting next to a couple from Canada. They talked to me for a while, I got the impression that maybe they did not want to be talking the whole time, but they humored me anyway. Once I got on the train it was a quick ride and we were off. It took about 2 hours I think to get to Lille, France. The time passed pretty quickly because we were talking most of the way, or maybe it was just me...I had a lot of coffee that morning and I think everyone knows how I can be when I have had too much coffee!! When we got to Lille, Laurence pointed me in the right direction of the historical stuff and the shopping. I started out by taking pictures for a little while, but I was so hungry that I stopped for lunch almost right away. I went to a little bistro that served mostly gourmet pizza. It was very quaint and the people were really friendly. I was not exactly sure what I was getting because I did not know all of the ingredients in french, as it turned out I had a pizza with olives onions and tuna, which may sound disgusting but the combination of flavors was really good! From there I walked around and took some more pictures. As with every place in Europe, I had to go to the catherdral and to the center square to take pictures but the portion of Old Lille that I was in was beautiful and charming. I browsed in some of the little shops. Most of the places were out of my price range, but there were a lot of little original boutiques that you would not find in Luxembourg and these are the types of shops that I love to browse in. Once Laurence was done with her lunch and I was all pictured out until Bruxelles, we walked into some of the boutiques. I bought a necklace for myself that was very different and pretty, and description would not do it justice here so I will show you all when I get home. But is made in Marseille, different, and reasonable priced. I also got a present for my friend Maggie's baby because I know that she will just love to have something from France and I can't wait to mail it. That is definitely going out way before her birthday! From there we drove to Bruxelles. We stopped in a couple of cute shops that were also original and eclectic things. Laurence bought me the cutest little tiny rubber duck that I can hang off my cell phone or in my case I have clipped to my wallet. It is a pink GI duck, so cute! She also bought me some great spanish wine glasses, they are also very different and something that I can really keep and remember my trip every time I use them. I bought her a bracelet that she liked, and then we went to get her friend Alex. He is a very charming, smart, funny person. We hit it off right away. He is half Tanzanian and half Finnish, a different combination, but it works, he is a good looking person. We stopped a little outdoor cafe/bar. There are heaters under the awnings so that you can sit outside and have a couple drinks even when it is cold. This is the way with many of the cafes and it is a great idea I think! I sat with them for one drink and then I realized it was going to be getting dark soon so I went to take some pictures before we lost the light. I went to the Grand Place, which is the main square with the town hall and several grand buildings as well as chocolate shops and cafes. I took some pictures around there and some of the surrounging monuments but it was getting dark quickly by that point so I decided to head back. There were a lot of people around so I am sure it was safe, but Bruxelles is a real city as compared to the Village type city that Luxembourg is so it is better to be aware of your surroundings. We had a couple more drinks on the terrace. I actually had mint tea and Laurence and Alex had drinks. The mint tea was just hot water with a stalk of mint leaves in it. The presentation and the taste was really nice. I guess if you let it sit too long it gets bitter but mine did not sit long enough for that. Then we went next door for sushi which was also delicious. Unfortunately this was also the point that Laurence realize that she had either lost her wallet or it had been stolen. She took it amazingly in stride, but Alex and I felt really bad for her. We went back to the other place and looked around and asked questions, but it was a lost cause. After that we went for another drink, but Laurence and I were tired and wanted to sleep, so we took Alex back home and we went to check into out hotel. We ended up getting a really good last minute deal on a hotel right next to the Grand Place, which we were super excited about. The rooms were decent but the location was perfect. We walked to breakfast the next morning and Laurence left to file a report with the police. I walked around the Antique shops and the other shops which thankfully are all open on Sunday in Bruxelles, I found the cutest little dog sitting outside, I wanted to pick him up and take him home. I took his picture and I am including it here I am sure you would agree that I should have stolen him and brought him back to the U.S. with me. By that point I was tired and done with the wandering so I went to a cafe and sat outside with my cafe au lait to wait. Laurence and I enjoyed out hot drinks when she came back and then it was back to the almost reality of being in Luxembourg, still kind of a dream here too!
It was a fantastic weekend that made me realize how happy I am and how lucky I am to be having this experience.
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