More Belgium

Nights in Europe: 5
Hostels slept in: 3
Places visited: 6

Not done a post in a while due to the lack of internet (And Rhianna being tired!). But this Hostel has free internet and a computer to use it with - WooHoo! So get your reading glasses on because this is going to be a long one.

Spent Wednesday evening in Brussels for one drink of Leffe, much to Richard's enjoyment. The whole city lit up in the dark and was so beautiful- Got lots of photos to show. The pubs weren't particualrly busy apart from one Irish pub we past that was full and overflowing out the doors, I guess all irish pubs are!

Thursday morning we got up esspecially for Brussels biggest flea market. Was possibly the weirdest thing I've seen. There must have been everything yuou can think of laid out on rugs on the floor, with people rummaging around boxes of spoons, forks, kifes, old furniture, paintings, televisions, saws, hammers, fridges, jewellery, squirrel-like skins. There was a doll with no arms, a fork and a picture in a frame spread out on a fur rug. Back to the busiest street in Brussels to find the Manneken Pis absolutely naked!! (photo coming soon) And a REAL-LIFE Belgian Wafel, with bananas and Lots of cream. YUMMY! A long stroll around the rest of Brussels proved that there really was nothing more to see. But painting on the sides of buildings. Back to the hostel to spend the rest our evening planning our trip down to Switzerland!

Friday morning we were pleased to find that our Interrail tickets were valid and we could move out of Brussels. Spent the morning in a lovely little city called Gent. We were greeted from the station by bikes (see photo) and the kamikaze cyclists haven't stopped since! We followed a canal to find the entire centre and Cathedral was a building site-including the pavements! Recommended in 'The Book' we stopped for a boost in a little coffee shop, called Mokabon, that smelt wonderful. The place was so cosy and small it even made me feel big with my gigantic rucksack, and I'm sure Richard wiped someone out with his! The owners were amazingly friendly and were excited that they had appeared in our book. Contiuing our tour of the city we found more old medieval beautiful buildings and even more cyclists. A place definately to be found in The Chellies Guide to Europe!

Back on the train, for FREE!!! (Rich: It's not free! Rhianna: Let me think it's free) To Brugge. Very similar to Gent but taken over by tourists, and when I say that, everyone there was speaking English. With chocolatiers lining either side leading up the the huge square full of restaurants. We went to see what people beleive is the blood of Jesus but I was disapointed to find it had been put away. A walk around the city to see all the old buildings and back to the '3Euro for a giant spaghetti Bolognese' place to find it fully booked. Richard led me back through all the streets to find another cheap replacment. A hour later we settled on the first placed we saw opposite our original plan. With a margherita pizza in front of us Richard spotted out the window a huge group of people gathering in the street to steel our seats and our cheapo pasta!
We then, esspecially for Richard, went to a pub to try their very own Beer. Which with the free cheese I didn't find too bad. We moved onto our next pub purely for the free wi-fi connection and the fact it was in a cellar but when ordering our first very Belgian drinks there, we met 3 Australians. We spent the rest of our night with them enjoying more drinks and a qiuck dance. And headed back to the Hostel, in Brugge, for an early start.

Sorry about the extreme length, but this should keep those of you with no lives busy!