Belgium +

From Oslo, I took the bus to Gothenburg for just $16. What a deal. It cost more to get to the Oslo airport! I went to the visitors center and overhead a girl speaking about what she should see for the day. I approached her to see if she wanted to spend the day together exploring those sites. She accepted my offer and off we went. Sometimes, all you have to do is ask the question and things work out. Spent the night with a wonderful couch surfer. And then left for Brussels in the morning.

My couch surfer couldn’t host me the night I arrived in Brussels so I thought what a perfect excuse to head over to Luxembourg. I had a quite train ride through the country and had day light left to explore when I arrived in Luxembourg City. That is before the pouring rain set in. My couch surfer also showed me some of the sites of the city by car. It’s a very old town that’s built around very large city walls. Part of the city is up high and the other part is closer to the water. It was a great place to spend part of a day and evening. I also enjoyed that my couch surfer took me to a pub to try the local brews.

From Luxembourg I went back to Brussels to meet up with my couch surfer. She showed me the wonderful sites of Brussels and the food. I ate a Belgian waffle with chocolate, indulged in frites and enjoyed a few Belgian beers. It was a great evening with new friends.

From Brussels I took a train to Brugge but on a whim I decided I should get off the train in Gent! Oh what a wonderful stop that turned out to be. Such a great old city. I really enjoyed wandering the streets made of pavers, the small alleyways and bridges that cross the river. The old churches and buildings were magnificent. The day was a bit windy and cold but that did not dampen my awe of this city. I enjoyed a lunch at a vegetarian cafe before heading back to the train station.

Brugge was another wonderful old city. I enjoyed wandering the small city within the walls and indulging in more frites and beer. I am not a huge fan of mayonnaise but that’s the normal dipping sauce for frites so I tried it a couple times. And…it tastes better than in the states. It’s either the surroundings or the recipe, or both! I haven’t quite figured out the difference.

We tried to go to a brewery the next day but they were closed so we went to the beach instead. A bit chilly but it was a nice scene. Mostly because it was before the high season and all the condos were filled with people and the beaches full of fun. I think it would be quite nice to have a condo there but I do prefer the days when it would have been lined with beach cottages full of personality. There were only a couple left and one was slated to be torn down any day in favor of a taller structure. Sigh… Sometimes older is better in my book.

The evening brought another Belgian beer tasting and the next morning I was off to Amsterdam for the last stop of my European adventure.