High Times in the Low Countries

"If you want to travel fast, go alone. If you want to travel far, go together."

.................

BELGIUM: I swore to Bill that I would end my days in Belgium, living alone in a cabin next to a monastery and drinking Trappist beers until I could barely walk. Let's ignore the current governmental debacle and imagine that all will be well enough for me to realize this dream someday.

Atop a Flemish castle [Ghent]

 In the stable/torture chamber [Ghent]

Joyriding on our rented bikes [Brussels]

Basilica [Brussels]

The kitschy unreality that is [Bruges]

They really are better in Belgium [Bruges]

Design Museum [Ghent]

YES!

I would also like to give Bill an Honorable Mention for his travel skills. Our combined frugality and "appreciation" for the arts kept us in step with one another the entire time; I couldn't have asked for a better voyageur. I'm declaring this a tradition.

THE NETHERLANDS: It was nice to leave behind the francophones for once -- welcome, techno music, tall people, and stroopwafels! I stayed for a week in Amsterdam with my friend, Nicolette, whom I met two years ago in Australia. Besides being a good sport and going to all the city's major museums with me (Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, Heineken Brewery, city Archives/Photo Exposition), Nicolette proved to be an excellent tour guide and host. There is nothing like tourism under the wing of a friend.

 Houseboat [Amsterdam]

 Nachtspelen ! [Amsterdam]

 Nicolette and Brenda, another Dutch friend from Australia, at Nachtspelen [Amsterdam]

 The Heineken Brewery

 Escher Museum [The Hague]

 A traditional herring and onion sandwich [The Hague]

LUXEMBOURG: My final stop. I spent the weekend Couchsurfing with Mareike, a German student in Luxembourg who loves the European Union. Her knowledge of Luxembourg was impressive, the highlights of which I will share here: the name Luxembourg comes from an old Latin word, Lucilinburhuc; the original fortress, on which the city iteself is built, was constructed in the 10th century; the city was invaded, in turn, by the French, the Austrians, the Prussians, and the Spanish; Luxembourg has the highest GDP in the world; the inhabitants speak Luxembourgish, a German dialect that is rarely written and wasn't declared as an official language (after French and German) until 1975. Cool! 

 The city is divided into la ville haute and la ville basse, separated by the ancient fortress wall

A residence in center city

Crypt #1

Crypt #2

At the event Design City, an urban outdoor design expo that welcomed breakdancers

.....................

Maybe I'll elaborate a little more later. I'm still in the process of reflecting and sifting through my experiences, a process that surprisingly didn't happen during my countless hours on the train. I may not get around to it fully, actually -- I'm getting my other two wisdom teeth out tomorrow, and I suspect that this time around, I won't be recovering so quickly. 

But still, I'm proud for two reasons: another two-week trip in Europe for little more than 600 euro, and I've finally seen all the major parliamentary cities in Europe (Strasbourg, Brussels, The Hague, Luxembourg). Yes!