Christmas Time on the Grand Place

Every year the Belgians doll up the Grand Place in Brussels for Christmas. They erect a huge tree with blue and white lights, a life-size creche display which is both very realistic (they use real sheep) and very unrealistic (sorry, but I just can't believe that the real Mary resembled this plastic model, which is a spitting image of Nicole Kidman!), and then project a very modern (and thus not at all traditional) light show on the facade of the city hall. It's nice to see, but on a bitterly cold and windy December night it does make you wish that Christmas, at least in Belgium, could fall in July...

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

From our house to yours: wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
- Rick, Lucie, and Robb

Monschau Christmas Market

An easy 100 mile drive to the east, through the northern edge of the Ardennes Forest (where the Battle of the Bulge was fought exactly 65 years ago), brings us to the cute little German village of Monschau, just over the border. This is a very typical small-town Christmas market, complete with chestnuts roasting on an open fire (they really do this), Gluehwein (what the Brits call "mulled" wine), traditional tree ornaments (our primary reason for the visit) and, of course, fantastic German food and beer. If this isn't the European holiday feel, I don't know what is.

Try to Top This One!

Everybody, everywhere has his own story of the coldest winter, the hottest chili, and the worst traffic jam. Everybody swears their story is the best and the most extreme. Lucie is more than willing to take you on, as far as worst traffic jam, thanks to a dusting of snow here on Tuesday.
Robb needed to take the train to Brussels to attend a concert, so Lucie left our house around 4:45 PM to drive the 3 miles to the Waterloo station. By this time about 4 inches of snow was on the ground, but it was nearly done. To say that she was headed out on the Voyage of Doom is to understate the situation.
Just how bad was the traffic? Her total elapsed driving time, covering all of those 6 miles to and from the station, was just under 6 (that's right - 6) hours! It was a horrific combination of: too many fools without a clue how to drive in even the best of conditions, but don't put even try to put them to the test in precipitation; the ridiculous right-of-way rules, where any and EVERY car coming out of any and EVERY street on the right has right-of-way over EVERY other car on the larger, main road; the complete lack of road courtesy seen all too often here; and, finally, I guess every person in the country happening to want to pass through Waterloo that evening.
The headline in the Brussels paper screamed, "3 Flakes of Snow; 510 Kilometers of Traffic Jam!" The first half might be a bit of a joke, but the second part is absolutely accurate, and that equates to over 300 miles of back-up! In a country the size of Maryland. You do the math.
Anyone care to try to top Lucie's "the worst traffic I ever saw" story? I didn't think so...

Paying the Price For a Remarkable Summer

And boy, are we paying that price! We had about 7 months of fantastic weather, from spring right through summer. How great was it? I got a tan lying in our back yard. And this is Belgium! You might recall the post from late June about how long the days were and how great the weather was.
Now, fast forward 6 months and taste reality. I believe it has rained in one form or another for about the past 15 or 20 days. We see the sun for all of a few minutes each day and, even if the skies were somehow to magically clear up (dare to dream), check out the winter sunrise and sunset times: sunrise: 8:35AM ; sunset: 4:35PM. And we've still got 2 weeks to go before reaching the shortest day of the year.
Considering I leave for work at 6:30 every morning and don't return to my car before about 4:15 every afternoon, I really am beginning to feel like a mole...or mushroom. I guess it's the price we have to pay in December for our June the summer before.

Saying Goodbye to a Member of the Family

This week we had to say goodbye to Abby, our beloved family cat of 17 years. We got her and her sister when they were crazy kittens, back in October 1992. Though we often groused about her all-too-frequent inability to keep most food down, constant begging at the dinner table each evening, and howling for no good reason (she was deaf for the final 4 or 5 years of her life), she was nonetheless a real member of the family, one whom we are all missing very much right now. Her elderly sister probably hasn't even noticed the absence, and the two younger cats are probably thinking, "Good riddance; more food and space on the blankets for us now," but those are the minority view. The humans, at least, are so sad that you're gone, Abby. We hope you are loving your new home in the Land of Catnip and Toy Mice.

My Latest Foreign Language: English!

It all started so innocently: about 2 months ago I began volunteering at St. John's International School, a private U.S.-style school here in Waterloo. The middle school was putting on The Canterbury Tales (about which I knew absolutely nothing) and I agreed to help out with accents, learning lines, and acting skills. The juvenile version of this rather racy (not to mention religiously prejudicial) set of stories included 6 separate tales, as well as an introduction and closing by the off-stage voice of author Geoffrey Chaucer.
The director got the brilliant idea about a month ago to have yours truly read these lines...in their original Middle English. I assumed this would be similar to Shakespearean English, which was on the scene about 200 years after Chaucer. Wrong! Middle English sounds like some gibberish garble of English, Dutch, and German, with a few other weird sounds thrown in just for fun. Thanks to the internet, I found a couple of readings which I learned to mimic perfectly.
Then, just 2 weeks ago, the director got another brainstorm: why not have Chaucer on stage and in full 14th century costume, delivering the opening and closing lines of the play? One day I'm a drama coach; the next, an actor on stage. The only actor on stage, I should add, older than 13.
Did I like it? No; I loved it! Every minute of working with these 35 marvelous kids was great. I'm not sure who got more out of the deal. Now I find I have nothing to do with my afternoons and weekends. Maybe I should learn from the director what play he plans on staging next year, so I can start learning my lines - maybe next time they will be in Farsi, or Japanese, or Swahili...

The Hairiest Town in Bavaria!

Here's something you definitely won't see at home: a decree from your town's mayor, ordering all participants in an upcoming cultural event to begin now, months before that event, to let your hair and beards start growing. No more shaving... or you're out of the show! Teutonic tyranny? Nope, just Oberammergau getting ready for next year's Passion Play.
This cute little southern Bavarian village has been staging the show about the final days of Christ for well over 350 years now. But only during one summer, once every 10 years. They take this community theater very, very seriously, to put it mildly. They make use of 1,100 amateur actors, drawn exclusively from town folk. Considering how small the village is, that has to amount to probably every third or fourth adult. And boy do they have rules! The most important is that only residents of O'gau for at least 20 years are allowed to take part - no exceptions. I met a guy who was born and raised in a tiny place only 4 km from O'gau and who had been in the town itself for the past 16 years. But he was politely told, "No way; we'll see you in 2020." The man playing Jesus in 2010 has been "promoted"; in 2000 he was just a disciple. The obvious question: where does he go from here? I guess you could say he has peaked!
Walk into any restaurant and look around; it's easy to tell the local males from the tourists: they're the ones who look like Grizzly Adams. They don't care; it's all for a higher purpose. Amen.

Tree Mystery Solved!

No more calls - we have a winner. Lucie asked a Belgian colleague about our mystery tree of doom (see the October 4th post) and learned that this tree, originally from Chile, is known as the Monkey or Monkey Puzzle Tree! The Latin name is Araucaria araucana, if you want to learn more on Wikiepedia. Evidently the name comes from a quote that "it would puzzle a monkey to climb that." Not only that; it would *hurt* a monkey, or any other living thing!

Shame on Us

I watched British TV last Sunday with great interest, as they celebrated Remembrance Day. It's always held with great pageantry on the Sunday closest to November 11th. The queen was there, along with all the ranking members of government, dozens of old war vets, bands, and, oh yes, thousands of ordinary citizens. At exactly 11 AM, as bells sounded across the entire nation, all activity ceased for a minute of silence, in honor of war dead. The tradition started after WW I, of course, but has carried on to this day almost unchanged. In Britain, as in Canada, there is an ongoing respect, admiration, and appreciation of those who have served and died. It's what these fallen soldiers most certainly deserve. I've been proud to wear a red poppy on my lapel for the past two weeks - more on the poppy in a later post.
How does America celebrate Veterans Day? For most, it's a great opportunity to hit the mall, take in a movie, or begin getting out the Christmas decorations. I'd bet that if you asked 100 Americans why this holiday is on November 11th, maybe 5 would know the correct answer. Sure, the President will lay down a wreath at Arlington and there might be a couple of hundred people there, probably more for the opportunity to see the President than honor the dead. Maybe it's because we have fought so many wars and have lost so many people. Maybe we're just jaded to it all. We build fancy memorials; other nations pay fitting tribute and truly remember and honor the sacrifice, once a year, on a very special day, and in a very special way.
I'm afraid we're far too busy for all of that. Shame on us.

Halloween, Belgian-Style

When we left Germany back in 1992, not a soul in Europe seemed to have a clue just what Halloween was all about. Boy, has that changed! Now, you see typical American-style Halloween decorations in many stores all over Europe, complete with fake cobwebs, witches, and creatures that appear to be a genetic cross between a ghoul and a Smurf. There are pumpkins for sale everywhere, but very few understand the concept of carving a scary face into them (come to think of it, I don't get the historical root of that one myself...). As for the most important part - trick or treating - most of the European kids I've met haven't yet gotten the word about this American once-a-year goldmine for sweets. But at least a few in Flanders seem to be aware: a recent newspaper article even told them what to say when they knock at the door, and it's great: the translation would be "Your treats, or your life!" And this is friendly Belgium, not some former East Bloc nation. American kids just threaten to trick you; here, it's the death penalty if you try to pawn off some crappy 2-pound-bag-o-candy-for-a-buck sweets. I guess I'm secretly hoping the doorbell doesn't ring tonight...

Extremely Relaxed Dining

"Fast food" here in Belgium means ordering, eating, and paying, all in just under 3 hours. That's hardly an exaggeration. We think that Belgians consider this a sign of high-class culture, spending what seems like the better part of a week just trying to consume a single meal. Case in point: we recently visited a nice Chinese restaurant here in Waterloo. Being early diners, we were literally the first folks in the establishment right after they opened at 6:30. By the time we had ordered we were still the only non-Chinese in sight. Drinks came about 25 minutes later and the appetizer about 30 minutes after that. When the main course arrived (perhaps carried by a sloth, slug or snail), we had already spent two hours in this Gho-Slo Palace. At long last, when we were able to drag the waiter over for us to pay him, it was almost time to break out the Corn Flakes and OJ. Or so it seemed. The bottom line: if you want fast food, look for a Belgian McDonalds - I hear that you can get a Big Mac there in just under 2 hours. But if you prefer a sit-down meal, prepare to remain seated. For a very, very long time.

We're Here for the Beer

When in Prague, do as the Pragians (that may not be correct, but "Praguettes" sounds too feminine, or like something you'd eat at lunch...). So, we drank beer. Germany may be more famous and Belgium may have far more variety, but this is the country where real pilsner beer was invented, only about 170 years ago. They have several world-class beers, including Pilsner Urquell and the original Budweiser, known here as Budvar. Prague also has a surprising number of brewpubs, turning out their own excellent lagers, including a fine blueberry beer and a too-odd-sounding-to-try "thistle beer," which will have to wait for another visit. And the price for a half-liter of this liquid gold, even in a touristy area of the largest city in the Czech Republic? About $2. What's not to love??

Prague...tically Perfect!

At long last we finally made it to Prague and it instantly moves onto our Top 10 Europe Sights list! The weather was a bit brisk, but other than that the 3-day visit was a marvel from start to finish. The city itself is gorgeous, loaded with history and fantastic street scenes. The food is great and the beer is, of course, world-class (we ate lunch in the restaurant where the very first glass of Pilsner Urquell beer was ever poured, back in 1843). Prices were extremely reasonable and we found getting around via tram and subway to be very easy, even without benefit of speaking a word of Czech. The people were friendly, polite, and helpful and they certainly have plenty to be proud of in Prague. I found myself humming the most famous part of Smetana's "The Moldau" whenever the river came into view - typical sign of a guaranteed tourist, I guess. We both give Prague two very big thumbs up - Czech it out!

Climb This Pine and Whine!

Is there a botanist in the house? Lucie and I have been unable to identify this neighborhood tree, probably the most intimidating flora/fauna we have ever seen. It looks like some sort of pine but I sure can't imagine anyone attempting to chop one of these bad boys down and mount it in the living room as the family Christmas tree! Suffice it to say that no fire department has ever been called out to rescue a cat stuck in this tree. I don't think a bird would even attempt to set up house at the top of this Palace o' Cactus.
As a kid I used to love climbing the pine, bay, and redwood trees on our property in central California. I never met a tree that I didn't want to at least consider climbing. Until now.
If you can identify this killer, please let us know!

Dog Doo ... and Don't!

Continuing on my theme of bodily functions (see the next post below), now I move to dogs. For those ready to complain about my seeming preoccupation with the scatalogical scene, I say gimme a break: nearly every other post has pretty, postcard-quality pictures from all over Europe. But now I offer a view or two of European life that you don't see in photo albums. A trip to the Darker Side, if you will.
Awhile ago I wrote about politeness being something of a rarity in this part of Europe. This applies to taking care of one's pet's "by-products" as well. In America it is rare to see someone walking Fido without a plastic shopping bag for canine kaka. Here in Waterloo you see this as often as no-pay toilets (see the following post). People let their dogs do their doo anywhere they like, without a single thought to picking up after the animal.
But, as my photos demonstrate, not every resident takes the presence of poo "in stride." While the little statue of the dog is direct and to the point, the words are more thorough, advising one and all (in two languages, no less) that the sidewalk is not a shitwalk (as Lucie will tell you, it sounds cuter and rhymes better in French).
Not wanting to sound immodest, but this is the kind of European cultural note you simply won't find in your Fodor's or Michelin guides. You're welcome!

The Cost of Doing Your Business...

One of the things most Americans find difficult to adjust to in Europe is having to pay for your…uh, well, your private business, inside a bathroom. With the pleasant exception of airports, nearly everywhere else in Europe (even many restaurants in tourist areas) you have to be prepared to pay to pee, to put it bluntly. Actually, you pay one price for whatever you choose to do behind closed doors. Except that, for men, they really aren’t closed doors. It is not at all unusual to have a female attendant busy scrubbing a sink or the floor while you are standing at the urinal attending to matters of state. Fortunately (I’m not sure that is actually the best word), these Toilet Ladies are invariably old and unattractive. Then again, this is rarely a place men go to find beautiful ladies to pick up.
The average price in Belgium is 50 Euro cents, or about 75 U.S. cents. There is no discount for a “quick trip” to the men’s room, nor anything like a “frequent flier program” after several beers, but then again there is also no penalty for what we might term an extended stay, thanks to spicy Thai cuisine the night before. The record price I’ve ever seen is almost $1.50 – just to pee! This was noted in the Cologne train station. Granted, the bathroom was immaculate and the attendants actually wore starched white uniforms (this was Germany, after all), but I would gladly have accepted a hag in dirty blue jeans if we could have cut the pee-price in half, say. I picture a gang of American college frat guys hitting the town and eating and drinking literally everything within sight, simply to make sure they “got their money’s worth” at the station toilet.
There are rumors that Ryan Air, the most famous European discount airline may actually start charging 5 Euros for a single potty visit – that’s nearly $7.50, folks! What we pay for an in-flight meal, Europeans will now have to pay for… oh, forget it, it’s too gross even for me. Another Ryan Rumor is that they are adding more seats on each aircraft by cutting the number of bathrooms down to one. How’d you like to be Lucky Pierre on the 3-hour flight across the continent, sharing a plane with Mister Occupado, who decides to really get his money’s worth by hogging the one and only toilet for the better part of the flight? Once again I find my sick mind pondering how those U.S. frat guys are going to handle this situation and save a few bucks…

Europe on 500 Steps In a Day

Just north of Brussels is "Mini-Europe," a family park featuring dozens of buildings, all at a 1:25 scale. Each of the European Union's 27 nations has at least one structure. Many are famous; some are a tad less thrilling (Luxemburg, for example, is represented by a single highway bridge - I have to believe that this cute little country has something a bit more interesting than a bridge!). There are also other features, such as the Chunnel (with a high-speed train passing through), Mt. Vesuvius (which blows its top when you push a button), airports, harbors, oil rigs, and the world's largest duck (look closely for the enormous avian beast, threatening London's Big Ben and Parliament!). In the background is the famous Atomium, part of a 1959 Brussels world exposition.

Dinant: Miniature and Gigant

Head 30 miles north-west of Waterloo and you can see a mini version of Dinant, a beautiful city on the Meuse. Head 50 miles in the opposite direction and you will find the real thing. The mini-city is part of "Mini-Europe Brussels," a park with dozens of famous buildings from every EU country, all at a 1:25 scale. I'll post pictures of the park separately.
Dinant itself is situated on the Meuse River, near the border with France, at the foot of a steep ridge of cliffs. High atop the city (408 stairs atop, to be exact; those stairs have been there since 1577) is the 600 year-old citadel, site of fortifications, battles, destruction, and rebuilding many times over. There is a small French military cemetery nearby, honoring the dead from both world wars. The citadel itself was the scene of vicious hand-to-hand fighting between German and French soldiers just days after WW I began, in August 1914. Much earlier, Louis XIV spent time here and his famous military engineer, Vauban, is responsible for much of the present layout.
On a more peaceful "note," Dinant is famous for one more thing: the home of Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone.
On a sunny fall day like today, this is a marvelous get-away, with few tourists, little traffic, and enough chocolate and beer to satisfy anyone!

A Lot More Than Candy and a Coke

In both of the largest train stations in Brussels you will find the largest vending machine I have ever seen. Why stop with just candy and Coke, when you can add milk, massive bags of potato chips, 5 or 6 different beers in all sizes, and, my personal favorite, bottles of wine (look near the top left), selling for only 3.95 Euros each (about $6), which tells me all I need to know about the quality of the swill. Who needs a fancy-schmancy restaurant for fine European dining? Just visit your local train station!

Tanks in Town

For the past 10 years Mons, Belgium, has hosted "Tanks in Town," to commemorate the city's liberation in early September 1944 by U.S. armor units. We visited the huge military flea market and display of military vehicles this afternoon, along with probably two or three thousand other curious folks. It was by far the biggest military display I've ever seen on this side of the pond. Our son, Robb, came home with a 3-Euro gas mask (what every 19 year-old obviously needs) and his friend found a French newspaper dated August 30, 1939, the day before WWII began. Definitely a non-typical Belgian experience!

Nature's Zoo

Besides the obvious joy of visiting family, I love every trip to California and never cease to be amazed at the "natural zoo" that anyone can experience. Whether at a bird feeder in Camarillo, in a kayak near at Moss Landing, or walking near the wharf in Monterey, it's all there, free for the asking. Just get out your camera and shoot! If this doesn't reduce your stress and give you at least a temporary lift, you're probably beyond hope. I guess everyone needs an unattainable dream, if for no other reason than to keep them humble. Mine is to live somewhere near Monterey, able to experience all of this on a daily basis. I figure I'm only a few million dollars short right now. But I can dream...

First Impressions From The Last Visit...

I just got back from a brief trip home to the U.S., my first in almost exactly a year. It was fun for me to notice exactly what I noticed - what things immediately caught my attention, that I was able to compare-and-contrast with Belgium. So, in no particular order, here are those first impressions:
1. vehicles: God, how how we love our vans, SUVs, and other big, gas-guzzling vehicles! I made a random count along Rte 97 and, out of 200 vehicles, 102 were vans, pick-ups, or SUVs. Each probably averaging all of 15-20 MPG. Sadly, we still don't get it. In Belgium, for every 200 vehicles, maybe 15 would be in that category.
2. large people: just like large cars, we have loads of them. Once in awhile you will see a very overweight Belgian, but it's almost an oddity. Not quite the case in Maryland, to put it nicely...
3. no weird yield-to-the-right rules: thank God! This is one area where the U.S. has its act together and Europe really should take a lesson. Anyone who has driven in residential areas in this part of Europe knows what I'm talking about: having to slam on the brakes for a car entering the road from the right, even if you're on a wide thoroughfare and he's coming in from something just bigger than an alley, the right of way is all his. I would estimate that well over 50% of all crashes are the result of this ridiculous rule. Someone will have to explain the logic behind it to me someday.
4. breakfast restaurants: if you stay at a small hotel almost anywhere in Europe, breakfast is included in the price, which is great, as is the food. But stay at a larger, more expensive hotel, and you're on your own. Good luck finding any place outside that hotel to get anything close to a full breakfast. Obviously, not a problem back home.
5. bumper stickers: though they're not nearly as popular as they were, say, 30 years ago, you still see a fair amount in the States. I counted over 30 Obama stickers. Not a single McCain. No comment. But here in Belgium, no clever bon mots or witty phrases. I guess cars are for the business of travel over here, not at all for anything like pleasure.
6. lawyer ads on TV: no such thing in Europe. What a concept! How do they survive here without them? Very nicely, thank you.
7. general politeness: face it, we Americans can be crude, culture-less, and hung up on creature comforts and shopping. But we are nice. To friends, strangers, customers, whomever. It's just part of our culture, I think. Over here, well, they just have a very different culture. There is no expectation of politeness, even among store clerks or restaurant staffs; I guess there's just no history of it. Granted, this is a gross over-simplification without any backing data, but it certainly caught my immediate attention when I was back in the States. From the young kid in the WalMart to the waiter at Chevy's (I admit it: I did Mexican almost every day!) to the check-in lady at Dulles Airport to the maid in the hotel.
Bottom line: no two countries or continents are alike; each has its strengths, weaknesses, blemishes, beauties, foibles, and quirks. I love Europe and all the exciting new things to experience and see. But it will never be home-sweet-home.

Like Yertle the Turtle...

...our cats are the rulers of all that they see!
While the two 17 year-olds rarely show enough energy to take advantage of our marvelous back yard, the two younger ones, Max and Gina, spend nearly every waking minute (all 6 or 7 of them per day) outdoors, when given the chance. Max is usually content to simply laze under the shrubs or roll on the warm deck. Gina is the hunter of the family, often found stalking bugs of varying sizes and smells. Just yesterday she "blessed" us with her first official big game kill: a mole. While we were on the phone with our son in the States, she ceremoniously delivered her Cargo of Carcass to our feet, in the house. The poor little mole was at least partially still alive when delivered; I rushed him outside and deposited him in the yard next door where he hopefully has recovered, with one heck of a tale to tell his grandmoles. Gina, as you can imagine, was none too pleased with Dad - if this is how he thanks her for such hard-earned gifts, she just might think twice before bringing us another. Or so we hope.

Watch Out, Lance Armstrong!

Well, maybe not quite yet. We are, to put it politely, novices on two wheels. You've heard of the Wild Hogs? Maybe we should have the moniker the Timid Lambs, or perhaps the Speedy Slugs. We've only ventured out a couple of times together on our bikes and we set our personal best today, with something like 8 or 9 miles covered. Not exactly ready for the Tour de France, I guess. Fortunately, if you're going to go biking, whether seriously or like us, this is the country: not a hill as far as the eye can see. While there are bike lanes on many roads, Belgians drivers are certainly not nearly as bike-friendly as those in neighboring countries. So I guess the tres chic helmets are a must...
By the way, notice the healthy crops in the field behind me? On the right, it's obviously wheat. What about on the left? At long last, we've solved this mystery: they're potatoes. They have beautiful white and yellow blossoms, all apparently for naught, since the vegetable is growing underground.

Where Napoleon Met His...

We live in Waterloo, only about a mile from the actual site of the famous June 1815 battle where Napoleon, once and for all, was given the boot, never to return to power. Napoleon's northward march from France had forced the attendees at the Congress of Vienna to put a hasty halt to their parties and soirees and send an allied army (primarily British under Wellington and Prussian under Bluecher) to defeat the Little One. In one of the largest single-day battles in world history, there were well over 50,000 casualties. In the vicinity there are still several original buildings which have survived from 1815 to the present, having endured a couple of other wars in the 20th century. To commemorate the battle, a large hill was formed, with a fierce lion placed atop it, facing toward Paris as if to say, "Don't even think about doing this again!" But they do:
Every few years they recreate the battle, with thousands of folks dressing up and playing the roles of French or allied troops. Even a few females participate (you'll see one in my picture), but I'm not sure how true to history that really would be. Once again, here in 2009, Napoleon lost. I'm reminded of the truism: "If at first you don't succeed, try try again. But if you still don't succeed, give up. There's no sense in being a damned fool about it!" Maybe Napoleon will think about it next time, but I doubt it...

Independence Day in the UK!

What better way to spend the 4th than in the enemy’s capital?!? OK, 220 years later I think we’re all past that now. So, it was fun to spend a marvelous, long, hot day in London; my first visit since 1999; Lucie’s first since 1985. It’s fun to compare and contrast our two countries and cultures and now, having spent about 9 hours in England, I can speak as an authority. So here is our scorecard, based on all this extensive research:
Travel – the train ride was nothing short of wonderful. Just under 2 hours from downtown Brussels to downtown London, on the smoothest set of rails I’ve ever felt. It departed exactly on time and arrived one minute early. It cost about $110 R/T per person, which certainly seems reasonable. When compared with train travel in the U.S. : ADVANTAGE – ENGLAND
Friendliness of big city folks – where in America would you find a subway station employee who not only goes out of his way to give helpful directions, but also sings two songs in praise of America, all for the benefit of these two almost-lost Yank tourists? ADVANTAGE – ENGLAND
Weather – gimme a break; this is London we’re talking about. It shouldn’t even be considered a fair fight. But yesterday it was in the low 80s with almost total sunny skies. The locals were dying of the heat; we were loving it. Just as nice as at home. ADVANTAGE – TIE
Sights – London has a wealth of sights, like every other huge city. Trying to see them all in one day is an effort in futility, but our feet can attest that we almost died trying. But here’s the one downer: admission to St. Paul’s Cathedral (a church…) was 11 pounds (about $20) and Westminster Abbey ran us 15 pounds each (almost $30!!). I think the most expensive museum in all of Washington D.C. is the Spy Museum, which still charges less than half of the Abbey’s price. OK, the sights aren’t quite on an even par, but still, early every major museum in our capital costs nary a farthing, as the Brits might say. ADVANTAGE – USA
Beer – taste, as they say, lies on the tongue of the beholder. While I can appreciate a good British bitter or IPA, on a day as warm as yesterday, a *cold* one would have really hit the spot. 20 years ago, I’d have to say advantage England, but with the true wealth of American microbrews these days… ADVANTAGE – USA
Food – Don’t make me laugh. ADVANTAGE – USA
Great Way to Spend a Great Day – it really doesn’t matter. When you’re with the one you love, sharing beautiful sights and experiences, whether it’s in the UK, US, Belgium, Germany, or Outer Slobovia, who cares? ADVANTAGE – THE TWO OF US.

The Dog of Bruges

I was so proud of myself, catching this pooch in such a great pose when we visited Bruges. There it was, a once-in-a-lifetime photo op, worthy of National Geographic, Time, or at least maybe the National Enquirer. Then we watch the movie "In Bruges" and what do we see, but our Brugian Dog, in the same window above the water! So now I'm wondering if he's real or just a statue, there for chump tourists to take a picture of... I sure hope he's real; heck, he was the only thing Lucie found to like about the movie!

A Night With the Dan

We went to see/hear Steely Dan last weekend - one of my favorite groups for the past 30 years and yet my first chance ever to hear them in concert. It was amazing! And here it is, in effect a 2-man group, yet with a total of 13 folks up on stage. A couple of observations about European rock concerts:
1) they start on time. The program said 8:30 and literally at the stroke of 8:30 the warm up band took the stage for exactly 30 minutes.
2) you can drink/eat/whatever in the small concert hall. Beer runs about $5, with other drinks at comparable prices, so the Europeans have obviously not yet mastered the Art of the Rip Off.
3) there is no dope whatsoever. Somehow it seemed to me like that would simply be considered bad form.
4) the hall has absolutely, positively no parking whatsoever. Fortunately for us, it was a quick and cheap train ride north from Waterloo to the Forest East stop, just south of Brussels. Two train tickets were almost certainly still cheaper than the parking "convenience fee" charged for nearly all U.S. rock concerts.
5) you stay in your seats, at least until the end. Everyone remains seated throughout the concert until the encore, at which time, almost as if by a predetermined signal, everyone stands and crowds forward, as close to the stage as possible. Since our seats were in the 16th row, only about 90 ft. from the stage in the first place, we saw no reason to cram forward, but that stopped few of the others behind us. But even as they approached the stage, there was no jumping, dancing, even swaying. Just standing. And listening.
How civilized. How very European.

They're At It Again...

On the 7th I posted some of the wild and weird English sightings we've encountered on t-shirts and sweatshirts. Now I've stumbled onto a local establishment, in downtown Brussels, that definitely is on-topic. Can anyone please tell me just what it is they're selling here?

The Longest Day

At long last, it's finally just about here: the longest day of the year. This is our "reward" for having to put up with the damp, cold, and very short days of December. To set the stage: sunrise tomorrow will be at 5:29AM and sunset just after 10PM. That's 16 and a half hours with Mr. Soleil. The birds are still chirping when it's nearly 11PM and, by 4:30 in the morning, they're at it again - short nights for them, that's for sure.
Compare this with, say, Washington D.C. There, the sun will come up just a few minutes later than here, but it sets by 8:40PM. Of course, it's all a question of latitude. Here we sit at nearly 51 degrees north. To put that in perspective, Baltimore is at 39 degrees; Boston at 42; and Quebec is at 46 degrees north. We are on the same latitude here in central Belgium as the southern edge of Hudson/James Bay, nearly 400 miles north of Montreal! I think about that every time I see the beautiful, locally-grown tomatoes and fruit...

Rick in Dublin

We stumbled upon this fast food joint in Ireland but only stopped long enough to take this picture. Burgers in Dublin? Come on! That would be like Irish stew in Tucson or bratwursts in Key West!

English...Almost

We've noticed that Germans and Belgians both love to put English words and phrases on t-shirts and sweatshirts. Rarely, if ever, have I seen a bon mot in French, or a cool Witze in German on someone's shirt. Instead, they prefer English. But, you see, it's not the kind of English we'd ever see at home. Sure, they're all words you'd find in a dictionary; it's how they're put together that makes no sense.

An example: a t-shirt with this poignant message, recently seen in Antwerp: "Photographer Naval Conqueror." Now, who can argue with that?
Here's another: "Cleveland Indians: Motorcycle Club OK." I'm with ya!
We like to advertise our alma mater at home; it's not hard to see a sweatshirt with Harvard, Dartmouth, or yes, even Ripon College on it. But how about this one I saw in Germany: "California College"? Maybe it's a small college in California, Ohio, or something...

We'll keep looking for new "classics" to pass on to you...

Don't Try This at Home, Kids!

Here's Robb in action in downtown Brussels. Maybe Mom and Dad will try their luck on his board. NON! JAMAIS NON!

Belgian Fashion Statement

We saw this in a store window in Ypres this afternoon. Maybe the Belgians just have a different idea of creative advertising. I'm thinking that they are either trying to sell the culottes or the necklace. In either case, I'm not sure they are doing all they can to focus the audience's attention. At least, not this audience's...