2007-Oct-23 - Blobbing Out in Belgium

Finally a week with no disasters, lost passports or lost sleep - - - YET!

HOWEVER ... there is a rumour that the trains in Germany may be on strike this week and I need to catch the train to Dusseldorf Airport early on Tuesday to fly out to Southampton. Lets hope they would prefer a long weekend with the Friday off rather than the Tuesday when I need to use the train system ;)

Been a quite one since I waved Ross off at the Pizza place in Riga airport. I have been at my brothers place in Belguim the last 5 days and its been good to just kick back and dooooo ..... nothing! without feeling guilty about not seeing the local tourist sights - basically as there are none. Montzen is a small village in Belguim 30 min from the German border and 10 min from the Dutch. There is a church (every village has one of these), one shop and one "drinking" house which apparently only alcholics drink at. Most people in Belgium drink at home and after going out to another local village for rabbit and beer I can see why - $4 for a glass of "fine" beer. No such thing as pints or jugs here! The houses here in the village are generally modern Belgium places and the people commute to the city to work.

I have also wandered around the Village abit and hiked a while on a country walk down these narrow farm lanes seen on the likes of Emerdale Farm (oh the smell of the cows brought back so many memories of home); visited the highlight of Aachen, which is about 30mins on the German side of the border - their 1200 year old cathedral; participated in some German culture - Coffee and Cake at 4pm, in an ancient bakery that Dickins would have been at home in; and visited an American war cementry on the hill over looking some very green hills like home.

It has been a great chance to have a breather, update all my pics and website, and try to downsize the pack for future flights. I have also been able to spend litterly hours on the net trying to secure air tickets home and have managed a confirmed flight from Vancouver to Melbourne on the 30the December - only problem is that it means I will miss out on the New Years drinkies as we skip the whole of the 31st crossing over the International Date Line :(.