By this Author: vagabondvoyager

There was a big traffic jam at breakfast - tons of people staying at this hostel. There was a big lineup to use the toasters - they were the automatic conveyor belt type. It took forever because people didn't realize they could put their bread in immediately after the previous person, but instead waited for them to be completely done first. I would have liked some cereal too but the line for that was too long, and I wanted to get out of the hostel and have a walk before going to the airport. There was some kind of Spanish high school group staying at the hostel - a group to keep an eye on not for their academic abilities, but because it was a big group of future Spanish hotties! Ahhh ... to NOT be so old and decrepit once again! Off to the Thames for a walk - the area that the hostel is located in is quite dead, but it is a Sunday after all. I came across a nice little park along the way. A little further down the road towards the river I encountered a freeway - I didn't feel like being road kill so the river walk wasn't going to happen! Back to the hostel to check out and then I was off to Heathrow. I wasn't paying attention and got onto the wrong metro - oh well, I wasn't in any hurry anyway. Anything that delays my arrival at the airport is a good thing - mentally, it feels like I'm extending my trip. I walked around Heathrow and its myriad stores. I loaded up on the free chocolate and booze samples at the duty-free shops. I needed something to dull the pain of leaving! I was going to buy some duty-free booze but found the prices to be extremely high - a bottle of rum would have cost significantly less in Calgary. Blasted crappy exchange rate!!! I arrived at the gate to find a huge lineup just to get inside the gate's sitting area. I don't understand why - it's a case of hurry up and wait. There's no reason for it! Unless these individuals were sick and twisted enough to be actually looking forward to going home!!! Masochists!!! It's an unusual thing - arriving at the gate is when I usually start running through different scenarios in my head. I always secretly hope that there's a problem with the plane, or a freak storm that will delay my trip home. Sadly nothing happened despite my best efforts - I've started doing a variation of a rain dance but it's never worked! Though the Japanese tourists always seem to get a kick out of it when I break out my geisha outfit ... Another boring plane ride home - the meal was a crappy salad and some kind of chicken. It was served with a strange spaghetti/spaetzle hybrid and is best described as gelatinized shoelaces. They tasted like shoelaces that had come loose and been dragged around a filthy Amsterdam public urinal. Don't ask me how I know what that tastes like ... At least the carrots were surprisingly crisp and fairly decent. Some movies helped pass the time - "A night at the museum", "The Hurricane", and "A Good Year". I could almost imagine myself as Russell Crowe's character in the movie - except that I never would have stopped going to his uncle's vineyard in Provence to become a rich and successful businessman. I would've stayed my whole life there living as a bum, and drinking wine with the French hottie! Time quickly passed on the flight - the next thing you knew I was back home. Sigh ...

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I woke up early to buy some chocolate and a birthday card for Emilie. It turned out to be a fortuitous coincidence - I never realized this when I booked the trip but it turns out her birthday was last Saturday. Went to the Church of Our Lady - I had tried to see its interior the last two days but always arrived after closing. Not a big deal - just another church! After I walked along Steenstraat in search of a pen (mine ran out of ink!) - went to the Hema department store to get a cheap one. I was pretty bummed today at the thought of leaving Belgium and going to London today. It's sad that I'm only passing through London on the way home. To cure my depression I had one final Belgian waffle with chocolate sauce and picked up a Brigand beer (my last Belgian beer of the trip!). I drank it on the train ride to Brussels, but only after some confusion at the train station. I got to the correct platform but it showed the next train to be bound for Antwerp, not Brussels. Turns out the Antwerp and Brussels trains were both delayed a fair bit. Anyway, I cracked open the beer halfway to Brussels and had to quickly pound it back before arriving. NOT a good idea! After eating only a small breakfast and waffle all day, chugging a 9% beer wasn't a good idea. I was really feeling it! Brigand wasn't the best choice - too bitter. Though I did drink it at room temperature and not at the 8 degrees Celsius ideal temperature printed on the label. I should've tried a Rodenbach instead! I almost missed my stop - I wrongly thought that the Brussels Midi station was the central station, when it fact it was the south station. Luckily I read about it in my guidebook just in time to get off. I had my last doner kebap of the trip - there was way too much meat and it was served with only some sauerkraut! I also had some bad frites and mayo. I actually felt kind of ill after (even worse than after the Brigand beer!). Blah! Aboard the Eurostar - I did some journal writing and napping. I was hoping to experience riding through the chunnel again - but I fell asleep and missed it! I was still depressed at going home but that was tempered by the excitement of seeing a friend in London again. It's always a nice way to end one of these Euro trips. It took forever to get to the hostel - delays with the tube system. At the hostel I finally ran into some Aussies - it wouldn't be a European trip without running into some! They were all long-termers in my dorm room, living there while they worked in London. I made my bed, changed clothes, and was off to see Emilie. I was a little late but her friend Alix was also visiting this weekend, so they had both just returned from sightseeing all day. Emilie always seems to cook for me! But I'm not complaining. A nice meal of salmon, roasted squash, rice, apple crumble, and some white wine. Good meal, good conversation, good friends - what better way to spend a night? We cracked open the chocolates I had bought, took some pics, had some laughs, and then I was off. Quite possibly the perfect ending to the perfect one week getaway. Emilie walked me to the tube station. There are new security doors installed in some of the tube stations to prevent access to the tracks. Maybe people were getting hit by trains? Not feeling like turning in just yet, I walked around the area by the hostel for a while - nothing happening. Bed time!

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Didn't sleep well again - must be depression over going home soon! So to make up for it, I of course had to stuff myself at breakfast. Some decent stuff - spicy ham (a little fatty) and lots of OJ. They had some crappy fruitcake - but with a little Nutella it actually tasted pretty good! Off for a walk - there are four windmills along a canal on the edge of the historic zone. It's a funny thing - running alongside the windmills is a freeway. The juxtaposition of modern and traditional elements ... it's a striking snapshot of time. A reminder of how much the world has, and will continue to change. Some things may remain constant but everything around it will always be in a state of flux. It's a unique and memorable experience to sit here and take it all in. Obviously the traffic on the freeway took away some of the magic of the moment, but still - it's at times like this where you realize how wonderful it is to be able to live your dreams and do the things that you have always wanted to do. There's nothing better! Off to the Jeruzalem Church - it wasn't open yet so I sat outside and ate chocolates until it did (but only to kill time, not because I wanted to!). When they finally opened I saw that there was an admission fee - no thanks! Over to the Burg to finish off the sights that were closed yesterday. Both the Town Hall and the Basilica of the Holy Blood were nothing terribly exciting for me, but I could see the Basilica being a pretty important pilgrimage for many, because it holds a supposed vial of Christ's blood. The Dumon chocolate shop - a bit of a pilgrimage for me because it supposedly has incredible chocolate ganache and chocophiles flock there for it. It was good, but no better than the other great chocolate I've eaten in Belgium during this trip. I grabbed a corn dog sort of thing for lunch - it was more like fried sausage roll filling in a light batter. Not bad, not great, but it was cheap food! I did some shopping - as I went to try on some clothes a couple walked out of a changing room together. A changing room quickie, I guess! But I wasn't as fortunate as that guy - I only ended up with a handful of clothing upon leaving that change room. And I definitely didn't have as big of a smile on my face as he did!!! As I returned to the hostel I ran into a lost Mexican family and gave them some directions. Any excuse to practice my Spanish! After, I quickly changed into flip flops and some of the new clothes I had bought (a non-black shirt and nice light cargo pants - yes!!!) and went off to the Straffe Hendrik brewery tour. I've never been to a brewery before so it was pretty cool. It was a good deal at 5 Euros when you factor in the included beer at the end. The tour guide was very good - knowing I was from Calgary she asked me if I noticed the Grasshopper and Big Rock beer cans on display. I stopped by the Begijnhof on the way to the train station. Its courtyard is kind of neat - very tranquil, but it was nothing special. Still, it's a worth a quick visit. Off to Ostend and its beaches. I expected it to be very hot since Bruges was very warm, but I brought a hoodie anyway. It's a good thing because it was very windy and cool in certain areas. I grabbed a crappy hot dog bun and sat at the church square for a moment. Then I walked along the seaside promenade and had a snack. Ostend is definitely not the nicest seaside resort town I've been to - it's got a gritty feel to it but still provided a nice contrast to the rest of the trip. I sat on the beach for a while - there were lots of broken sea shells in the sand but it was still better quality sand than I expected. Afterward I walked along a busy pedestrian shopping street and then chilled on a square. I wouldn't come back to Ostend again but it was definitely worth stopping here once. Back to Bruges and a walk through Minnewater Park. Very cool - drinking my last can of Maes for this trip and strolling through this serene place. A few other people were out enjoying the beautiful weather - lying on the grass, playing Frisbee. The guys weren't actually throwing the Frisbee; rather they were bouncing it off the ground. I walked around town and had a waffle with Nutella ... mmmmm ....it was almost dinnertime but I couldn't resist. A nice friendly girl named Gwendolen served me my waffle - she was very chatty and kinda cute, but my interest waned when I heard some mention of high school. I think she may have misspoken because she appeared to be near her mid-20s - but I've been famously wrong for misjudging European women's ages before! Back to the hostel to change - I had brought some dress shirts to Europe thinking that it would be cool enough to wear them. It hasn't been cool enough, but I figured that I should wear them at least once! I popped by the waffle stand for a restaurant recommendation - Gwendolen suggested a cheap Italian place. I wasn't really in the mood for it but I figured I should listen to the local - I didn't want a repeat of last night's meal. They served me some crappy bread to start - zero flavour and kind of stale. I tried the Kriek cherry beer - tasted a little like cough syrup mixed with Sprite! It's the Belgian equivalent of the "Flaming Moe" of "The Simpsons" fame! Caprese salad - good, as always! Tortellini with a 4-cheese sauce - it was reminiscent of the phlegm sauce I had in Palermo (see Euro 2006 blog entitled - "A culinary delight - cannelloni with phlegm sauce!") It was served with some shredded cheese on the side - I'm not sure what it was, but it definitely wasn't parmesan. Definitely not the best pasta I've ever had. I momentarily crapped my pants - I thought I lost my journal! It's the one item I can't afford to lose. Luckily I found it underneath some assorted crap that was lying on the table. I grabbed a second beer - this time a Straffe Hendrik. Not too shabby. Not a great meal, but definitely good value. They do a really good takeout business here with students - takeout pastas from 2.7 Euros. But it's much more expensive to dine in. The other day I saw many people eating out of conical takeout containers - I thought it was frites but it turns out that it was from this pasta place. Dessert was an excellent tiramisu. It tasted even better because of the great atmosphere on this street. Lots of pedestrian traffic (complete with Belgian eye candy) and music blaring from a nearby restaurant. Though the restaurant was closed, a bunch of friends and neighbours were having a little get-together. "If you don't know me by now" was playing - haven't heard that in ages! Some crappy Dolly Parton song was playing - knowing that I was Canadian the people in the other restaurant asked me if it was Celine Dion! A perfect way to end my last night in Belgium. I wanted to walk but first needed to return to the hostel for my jacket (it was a chilly night!). I considered going for another waffle but was too full. Sigh ... off to London tomorrow.

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Yet another bad sleep - the bunks are VERY cheap and even my breathing would cause it to rattle and squeak. I had a brief chat with the Montreal girls - both are occupational therapists doing a practical term in Nancy, France and are traveling for a short time before starting it. I almost convinced Crystal to go to Amsterdam, but it would have been a waste as she only had time to do a day trip. I packed up and was ready to go - I was going to skip the crappy hostel breakfast but when I saw the Montreal cuties sitting down I decided that I might as well join them! Toast, jam, and Nutella - nothing special. Walked to the train station with the lost Spanish girl, Graciela - turns out she's from Panama, has been studying French in France, and is traveling till the end of May before going home. I was jealous! She told me that she was originally going to skip breakfast because she saw some bread in the kitchen that was covered in mold. But then they brought out some fresh stuff and she decided it was safe enough to eat. Got in a little Spanish practice - her accent is very easy to understand. We had an amusing moment - we descended down into the Metro station and followed the signs for an appropriate line ... yet we magically appeared above ground again, and on the opposite side of the street from where we originally descended! We finally got to the right spot.

We finally got to the correct spot ... some nice old guy tried to help us out. We didn't really need it but it felt rude to decline help from such a nice old man. We arrived at the train station, where Graciela was off to Brussels and I to Bruges, with a quick stop in Ghent. The other night I was marveling at my luck - no blisters so far! They usually develop after the 1st or 2nd day. So of course as soon as I start thinking about my luck, I start getting a few. It wouldn't be a vacation without them! On the train to Ghent I noticed a very attractive girl sit down a few rows behind me. There was something about her ... I couldn't quite put my finger on it. She was very cute, with a beautiful smile and nice eyes. I also overheard her speaking on her cell phone - she had a very sweet, soft-spoken voice. Then it dawned on me - though was a little bit taller and slimmer, had blue eyes and blond hair instead of brown hair and eyes - she was the Belgian equivalent of Isabel! Well ... almost, but not quite! So lightning didn't strike in the same place twice - there will be no tales of returning next year and randomly riding the Belgian rails in search of this girl! Ghent - I arrived at the station but didn't have any change for the luggage locker so I needed to buy something. I had a Swiss pastry, dotted with raisins, filled with cream, and covered in icing. Too sweet! Friggin' Let's Go directions - it tells you to take the tram to the castle, but not which direction. And reading the maps at the station don't show any stops named for the castle. Anyway - from the tram Ghent looked pretty cool and had some pretty lively-looking shopping streets. I sat on a square between St. Bavo's cathedral and the Belfry munching on some chocolates (oh baby ...) Apparently it's quite beautiful and lively here at night, but I'll never know since I'm not staying the night. In hindsight spending the night would have been a good idea. The interior of St. Bavo's was ... just another Gothic cathedral. I guess I could also coin the phrase "just another Belgian chocolate" ... but it's never like that. Each piece is a unique journey into complete and utter ecstasy! There's a big museum in the basement, though I didn't find much of interest. Back upstairs there were paintings hanging between the pillars - similar to Milan's duomo. Inside the cathedral you could also view the "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" for a few Euros. I didn't bother - the only mystic lamb I'm interested in is one that's frenched and served on a plate with a glass of Shiraz! Some guy was running a petition scam. He asked me to sign it but I declined, gesturing that I didn't know what it was for. So he gestures that it's OK and to just sign it. So I fill it out until I reach a column indicating amounts in Euros. Up yours, buddy! You can't explain to me what it's for and you expect money??? Whatever! Back outside for a walk - it's pretty hot out again. At least it wasn't as bad as last year's European heat wave, so I wasn't afflicted with "swamp butt" (see Euro 2006 blog entitled "Bellagio is Bellissima"), only with a little "marsh butt". I came across a fancy little grocery/deli and had some caprese salad. Then I did some shopping - I saw a nice shirt in a window and went inside to find it. It took awhile, but I managed to find it, tried it on and liked it, so I bought it. After I left I looked at the window display once more - and realized that I had bought a different shirt! Off to St. Niklaaskerk - a very claustrophobic church because it's dominated by very large pillars. I continued walking around town - I did have a bit of a plan for the day but I kept going off course as there was quite a bit to see. I should've stayed the night! Back to the train station - I grabbed a beer (Palm) on the way. Good, but I still prefer Maes. On the train to Bruges - I still haven't cracked open "A Tale of Two Cities". Eventually I'll finish it! Bruges - a little confusion as to which way the hostel was. I finally found it - pretty charming and rustic. It's funny as there's a fine line - Antwerp's hostel was a little more run down but was dirty and therefore a complete dump. I could only book a single room here so it kind of sucks - it's always easier to meet people when you're in the dorms. But it appears the hostel is overrun with a school group this weekend so solitude probably isn't the worst thing. Out for a walk - there are a lot more big-chain stores around than I expected. I pictured Bruges as being more of a quaint little town that was stuck in a time warp. I browsed a bit and walked to the Markt square and the Burg. Most of the sights on the Burg were closed as I didn't get to Bruges until almost 17:00. I was hungry so I grabbed some frites with peppersauce. Good stuff! I did a LOT of walking in Bruges - it's a nice place to stroll because it's so compact and is such a charming little town. I'll have to come back and re-trace my steps tomorrow to see the places that were closed today. Off to dinner at the "Flemish Pot". I had the famous local brew, the Brugse Tripel - cloudy and a little yeasty, but with no aftertaste. Very good! But at 9% I didn't want to have any more. They brought me some nice, crunchy, dense multi-grain bread. It was a strange presentation - served in a paper bag. I ordered some asparagus soup - I can't get enough of the white variety! But they forgot it! Instead, they brought out my eel stew first. I informed the waiter of the mistake so he took it away, only to return moments later and say that he never entered the soup order and dropped the stew back on my table. Not even an apology or an offer to bring the soup out later. I later also asked for tap water and was told that they only had bottled water available. WTF??!!? Terrible service! The waiter never even came back to check on me - perhaps he was embarrassed that he was such a bad server? The stew had a slightly runny cream sauce that was filled with potatoes, celery, carrots, and leeks. Excellent flavour. The bony eel was difficult to eat. The stew became too rich and disgusting at the end - it simply was too much so it turned out that it was a good thing that they missed the soup. I was writing in my journal as I ate but had to stop as I became queasy from the stew. There was only one way to cure this queasiness - a waffle! I walked and I walked but had no luck - I couldn't find any stands that were still open. Bruges is nice but is a little too quiet. Back to the also-quiet little hostel - it's very quaint!

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Another bad sleep - it's too hot here! Also, the shower sucks in the hostel - the angle of the shower head doesn't allow water to shoot out very far. So you need to snug up against the wall but even that's difficult because the big hot/cold knob assembly prevents you from getting close enough.

I had only one bunkmate last night - some guy from Denmark that is in Amsterdam for an interview. He's really excited about it because he'd love to live here (who could blame him?). It's some job involving traveling 2-3 weeks at a time and then returning to Amsterdam for a week. I briefly considered killing him and taking his place - it sounds ideal! I forgot to ask him what company and type of job it was - definitely worth investigating.

At breakfast I accidentally got some Nutella on my Havarti (sounds dirty, doesn't it?) - you would think it would be gross but Nutella on anything is good! I decided to spend some more time in Amsterdam before going to Antwerp - talking to the waitress last night convinced me to stay. I was actually angling for her to give me a tour but she wasn't interested - I guess the Axe body spray doesn't work after all!

On my way out of the hostel I passed a girl talking on her cell phone and telling her friend that "The hostel is great! It's so close to Chanel, Ferragamo, and Cartier!" I laughed because I didn't think any hostel-goers could afford to shop at places like that.

Off to the Van Gogh Museum - a must-see while in Amsterdam. I never knew that he was self-taught - it's pretty amazing and probably explains why his style was so unique. Quite the tortured soul ... ahhh ... Tortured Soul ... (see Euro 2006 blog entitled "The cure for a tortured soul is Tortured Soul"). Many have tried to psycho-analyze him through his paintings - who knows if any of it was right, but I think that even the average person can examine his work and realize how troubled he was. An excellent museum.

Next up was the Foam Museum of photography. It was a VERY sunny day and reached 27 Celsius. I expected mid-teens and rain when I packed, so my wardrobe of jeans, black shirts, and suede shoes doesn't cut it!!! I walked along Prinsengracht to get there - a lovely walk along a canal. But what walk along an Amsterdam canal ISN'T lovely?

The Foam Museum was an excellent suggestion by last night's waitress. There was an exhibit by Joan Colom - photos from El Raval, Barcelona's red light district, also known politically-incorrectly as "Chinatown" not because there are any Chinese people there, but because they used to associate Chinese people with the poverty and prostitution found there. Maybe that's why Spanish women don't like Chinese men??? The photos were taken in the 50's and 60's - all I can say is that Spanish women from the 50's and 60's were NOT hotties! Who would've thunk it?

The main exhibit was by James Nachtwey - the man was an absolute genius with the camera. He's traveled all around the world and taken photos of many important historic events - Iraq in 2003, 9/11 (how he just happened to be there, I'll never know), Bosnia in the mid to late 90's, Afghanistan '96 (the aftermath of the Taliban's rise to power), and Chechnya in '95.

The "highlights" (the word highlight implies they were positive but really they weren't - for lack of a better term "highlights" in this context for me means the most powerful or moving photos) of Chechnya included the body of a woman lying in the street after being killed by a mortar on her way to get supplies. Another was a busload of Russian mothers arriving in Chechnya to look for their sons - and having to walk through a crowd of mothers of Chechen rebels. Imagine the tension - enemies by circumstance, but brought together by the tragic deaths of their sons.

Pictures of famine in Sudan and Somalia in '93, the struggle between the ANC and Inkatha Freedom Party in South Africa '92, the violent clashes in Rwanda in '94 involving mass extermination of the Tutsis ... there was too much to absorb. The Rwandan photos were particularly poignant - shots of people standing in line for hours and even days to get medical attention, and perishing before even seeing a doctor. French soldiers using bulldozers to move and bury disease-infested rotting bodies. I remember this being discussed in Grade 12 Social Studies but not having the maturity or intelligence at the time to really comprehend what was happening. But seeing these pictures now ... it registered in my mind like a blow to the head. Easter Europe 90's - environmental damage due to unregulated heavy industry with photos showcasing the human aspect, with shots of workers in carcinogenic environments without any protective breathing equipment. Interesting note - Magdeburg, Germany was featured in the photos - the home of Heinrich, the guy with the wine from the Brussels hostel. Indonesia '98-99 - the downfall of Suharto's dictatorship. A photo of a man with only one arm and one leg (he had been hit by a train years before) bathing his children in a polluted river. Most memorable were photos of student demonstrators in front of the parliament building, falling into trances when Suharto resigned. Powerful, compelling, gripping ... I can't adequately describe with mere words the look of bliss on their faces after the end of decades of terror and oppression. Just imagine my face after eating some variation of hazelnut gelato and you'll have an idea! But the most moving exhibit was Romania '90. Decree 770 was issued by Nicolae Ceaucescu in 1966 to increase the nation's workforce and build it into an economic powerhouse, birth control and sex ed were outlawed. Women were urged to have as many babies as possible; those that didn't were threatened with criminal prosecution. The problem was that the government couldn't look after its own people and the economy was in ruins. Families lived in complete poverty - women who were pregnant and already had a family they couldn't provide for decided to have illegal abortions rather than raise children in such conditions. Sadly many died, orphaning the remaining children. The resulting massive influx of orphans overwhelmed orphanages to their bursting points. The images were unreal - heartbreakingly so, in fact. Definitely not as graphic as some of the brutal images of war depicted in the other exhibits, but more striking. Society is so inundated with violent images that people become desensitized to them. But show images of children suffering ... and it's a completely different story. Some facilities only had hot water for one hour, twice per week. The tubs would have 5-7 people jammed into them at a time, and sometimes not all could even fit inside at once. There were also the "incurables" - those born with congenital defects weren't even cared for to any degree and were cast into the deepest depths of these squalid dungeons. Beds were packed with 5-6 people and some didn't even have mattresses to sleep on - only the bare metal frames beneath. There were shots of children crying in agony - locked up in what were essentially cages without any blankets or even clothing. Most unforgettable were the blank, empty eyes of a child blinded by a serious eye condition. He lay in bed with several other children and was left to fend for himself without any degree of medical care. Doctors in Romania also began seeing the first cases of AIDS in babies but were forced to conceal them. But with the poor hygiene conditions and the many that were infected, it was only a matter of time before countless more contracted AIDS. I think the name of the exhibit was "Awakening". Maybe you can find it on the internet somewhere - it's definitely worth a few minutes of your time. The long walk over to the Noordermarkt in the Jordaan was a good way to clear my head after the exhibit. The Noordermarkt was closed when I got there - I guess I misunderstood the waitress, because it's apparently only open certain days of the week. So instead I walked along Princenstraat, Herenstraat, and Westerstraat. It was a long day so far! I grabbed some pastries for lunch - a crappy sausage roll and a hot dog bun baked with cheese from a second, more upscale bakery. The hot dog bun was nothing special though they had an amazing-looking sponge cake that was glazed and covered in what appeared to be passion fruit seeds. I wished that I had tried a slice of that, too! After, I strolled along Kalverstraat to Leidseplein and retrieved my backpack from the hostel. The 15:30 train was cancelled so I had an hour to kill. I sat along the canal opposite the train station and ate a kebab. Kind of crappy at the end - the sauce ran out halfway through as a result of a poor job of sauce distribution. They really should teach the kebab makers the proper technique! But still, it was nice to have a kebab again - memories of last summer! The canal wasn't very pretty in this area - there was lots of traffic, taxis, people ... but hey, it's my last few moments in Amsterdam - I'll take what I can get! I tried writing the journal on the train but I had no inspiration - I was too depressed because I was leaving Amsterdam. I picked a bad spot on the train - I was stuck in the hot, hot sun. I managed to fall asleep but awoke in a sweat. I should've brought more shirts that were NOT black! The PA announced that the train wouldn't be stopping at Antwerp Centraal but at Antwerp Berchem instead. A pain in the butt! But then not 5 minutes later they announced that it WOULD stop at Centraal, amidst chuckles from the passengers. The train conductor was as indecisive as me at a gelato stand! Antwerp has a nice train station - it reminded me of Milan's. And also like Milan, Antwerp is kind of boring! I had some confusion with the metro/tram system - the hostel directions said to take tram #2 but I went outside and couldn't find it. Turns out the metro system is basically a few trams that run underground. It was quite a hike to get back to the right spot. I arrived at the main square - the hostel directions said to "Go to the cathedral and go to the left and the hostel is right there." What the heck??? I had to ask four people and the final person literally had to walk me to the doorsteps of the hostel. It's several sidestreets behind and to the left of the cathedral. Despite good reviews and a proudly-displayed poster saying it was voted one of the top 10 hostels in the world by Hostel World users, this place was a dump. No lockers and no toilet in the room so I had to go into another room to use theirs - awkward! But that was better than the other option - to go down and use the bar's nasty bathroom. Just a bad hostel in general. There was nobody in my room but I saw two in the other room when I went to use their bathroom, so I asked them if they wanted to join me for a walk. Caroline's a student from Connecticut who just finished a university term in Florence and Lars is a banker from Copenhagen taking a short break before starting a new job. Lars needed a shower first so Caroline and I went looking for a grocery store and told him that we'd be back in 30 minutes. Ahhh ... another Maes beer ... There's not much to see here except for the main square. We returned, gathered up Lars, and encountered a lost Spanish girl as we walked towards the square. Only one person out of all of us was able to actually find the place on their own - Lars.

Anyway, we pointed her in the right direction and then walked down the Meir (name of the main street) to the train station. There were lots of shops but it was dead as everything was closed. It would have been a great place to stroll during the day. I grabbed a chicken leg for dinner and we walked back towards the main square in search of a waffle stand, but first I stopped back at the hostel to use the can. I found the lost Spanish girl in the room and asked her if she wanted to join us but she declined because she was too tired (too tired for a waffle? Impossible!). There were also two Montreal girls in the room, Crystal and Katrine (ooh la la!). But they scurried off before I had a chance to extend the invite We found a place and sat outside while eating our waffles. I've had better but hey, it's still a Belgian waffle! It was chilly but still a fairly nice night. We sat and chatted a while then went back to the hostel around 11:30 or so. Funny moment of the day - Katrine was trying to get onto the top bunk of her bed. Being kind of petite and not having a ladder, she had to hurl herself up the bed. She made an "Oomph!!!" noise as she landed. Usually it wouldn't be an attractive sound, but her French accent managed to make it kind of sexy!

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