Tuesday, October 20, 2015

A Wyona Update from Brussels

From Wyona


Just a little update. We left Calgary for Brussels on Oct. 15th flying with aeroplan miles. The airplane was maybe 25% full from Calgary to London. We have not been on a flight this empty since we started flying in 1973. Greg kept our 2 seats by the window and I slid over to the three seats opposite. Greg has repeated half a dozen times how nice the flight was. We had a five hour wait in London before boarding for Brussels.

As the captain was telling the weather in Brussels, cloudy and rainy, I remembered leaving my raincoat hanging in the closet in Calgary. ( I even put 2 zippered pockets on the inside for this trip) Oh well, too late.

We exited Gare Central and tried to get a taxi. No taxi would take us. So we walked in the rain to the hotel arriving dripping wet. The good thing was we walked downhill, past the Grand Place to our hotel. No taxi would take us because the streets from Gare Central to our hotel are just walking streets. So different here now in terms of traffic than it was when the 'Big Four' (Marcia, Tonia, Trent and Teague) would head down to the Grand Place on the weekend. 

We managed to sleep until 6 a.m. in the morning. Just spent the day walking and eating frites. I forgot big cobblestones and slippery when wet makes an old back hurt a little.

Today we slept until 5 a.m…the time is going the wrong way. Had a long nap in the afternoon and walked again at night. The Grand Place is the most beautiful of all squares in Europe, during the day and night. I remember doing the history walk of all the buildings in the Grande Place with Alicia and Charise. I remembered taking Billy downtown Brussels, parking the big van on Rue Neuve and then Billy wanting to get a cup of coffee. Charise and Lurene were with us. Lurene kept bugging me to go to Paris and she asked me if we were in Paris. I told her ‘yes’, just to keep her quiet forever. It worked.

I can hear Kalina and Theresa bugging Lurene. Remember, ‘just say yes’. It keeps the peace.

Tomorrow Greg and I are going our own way. Tuesday Greg wants to hit Stockel and the market. Wednesday we are taking the train roundtrip to Ostende (6 euros each because we are seniors)and then riding the Kusttram (tram) all along the Belgium coast (5 euros on and off all day, 60 stops). I took the Kusttram from the cruise ship while Greg went to Brugge. It is a fabulous ride, 2.5 hours from one end to the other.

Thursday we head back to London.

We have on our table, Leonidas, Meringue and chocolate from Elisabeth Artisanal Belgian Sweets, Petites Mousses aux deux chocolates, Lu milkchocolade bisquits, chocolate cream puffs and Cote d’or chocoat hazelnut chocolates. Have not seen any chocolate mice, nor do I want any. 

Our hotel is Hotel Floris Harlequin Grand-Place.

In London we are at the

Dorsett Shepherds Bush


Then we are on Celebrity Eclipse until Nov. 16th when we fly from Miami to Calgary.

See you then.

2 comments:

  1. Ah, a Celebrity cruise. I will never forgot my sweet Celebrity Solstice with the outdoor glass blowing studio. My travelling companions were jus the best ever. Wishing I were there with you and Greg and Arta.

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  2. I was reading an email where Wyona said that she is starting to look forward to the repositioning cruise that will be starting for them soon. She saw Kinky Boots in London a couple of days ago -- and reports that Bird in a Cage is still a first pick for her in that genre.

    You are right, Mary, about Greg and Wyona being the first-choice for travellng companions. I shake my head, remembering us dressing up every night and going to dinner with each other. Yes to fine dining and good companions.

    Arta

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