Stupid stupid stupid. (And lucky)

I'm so angry at myself right now. I left my bag for less than a minute in a room full of people, between two people I had been sitting next to for a good ten minutes and when I came back my passport wallet was gone. I am just so unbelievably lucky that my passport was in my hand when it went missing. Its still annoying though. My debit card was in there along with my student card and currency from all over Europe. I'm a bit unsure whether it was actually stolen or whether I just misplaced it becaus my phone, camera, ipod and purse were all still there but I had been sitting in the same place when I had taken my passport out of it and I looked all round and couldn't see it. So if it wasn't stolen I don't know where it is.

The staff at the eurolines stop were extreme unhelpful. All they said was 'you shouldn't have left your bag'. Yeah, thanks. I got that. I had to just leave. They had already announced by bus and the bus driver wasn't happy when I turned up.
I'm so stupid. Never again will I leave my bag even for a second.

Anyway. Enough of that. At least I have my passport!

This morning I followed a route around north Brussels suggested by the map I had. It took me down massive boulevards surrounded by skyscrapers that were a far cry from the Grand Place and the areas I'd seen yesterday. It was like two different cities, one with cobbled streets and magnificent town halls and the other filled with modern massive skyscrapers. The route also took me through Brussels red light district, or rather red light road which I hadn't realised until I had already started walking down the road which had half naked women sitting behind windows of shops.

After that I took the metro to Atomium which is a monument type thing built for the World exhibition of 1958. Its meant to represent iron. (See photo)

Then I headed back to the hostel to get my bags and get the bus to Amsterdam as my interail ticket expired yesterday and its alot cheaper. It does however mean a 4 hour coach journey but oh well. I'm just praying I don't end up needing the loo.

One sour note....

This evening I went back to Grand Markt to see the town hall by night. I was just sitting on the kerb with hundreds of other people when a presumably homeless person came up behind me. He bent over,  his head right next to mine, shaking his hand right in my face. I said no and turned away. He carried on shaking his hand in my face and I just ignored him. Then he put his face right next to my ear and starting swearing at me. I was genuinely scared he was going to hit me. He walked off and the man next to me asked if I knew him.

I tried to forget about it but I was just generally shaken up. He had clearly thought he could intimidate me into giving him money because he hadn't asked anyone else.  He ignored the families and the man either side and just headed straight for me. I only had 6 cent on me anyway.

Later I was just crossing the square when I happened to walk right past him and a friend sitting in the middle of the square and they both just started yelling at me, presumably in Flemish or whatever they speak here.

It just really ruined what otherwise would have been a nice evening. The square was full of people and the building were lit up in different colours. But it just put me in a bad mood. I've come home and am just going to bed. Probably a good idea anyway as my throats really sore. Yawning is quite painful.

Browsing Brussels

Today I had decided I was heading out on an unguided tour of Brussels. I planned a route around all the major sites at the hostel before breakfast,  expecting it to take me most of the day as it looked pretty far.

I had bread and hot chocolate for breakfast. The hot chocolate was basically just melted chocolate. It was so good.

I had woken up with a sore throat and decided that it was a good enough reason to get a chocolate milkshake from AMT to soothe it. I had a  little chat with the guy behind the counter about where we were from - he's from Egypt. Then I headed off to the cathedral which as cathedrals go isn't the most impressive I've seen on this trip. The 21st of July is Belgium's national day type thing so everywhere is preparing for that. Apparently there is going to be a big parade. Outside the cathedral the army were practising marching up and down steps.

On the way to the cathedral I passed Albertine square, where there were two statues, one of Albert and one of Elizabeth, having a face off. I assume most Belgians and people in the know will know who they are because I don't. I think Albert was a king once upon a time.

From the cathedral I walked a short distance to colonne du congress, which is a fancy war memorial, before walking to the opposite side of town to St Katherines church. From there I headed osst a fancy art gallery to Grand Place.

Grand Place is a beautiful square with the town museum on one side and a magnificent town hall on the other. Then I headed to what is apparently the most famous landmark or symbol of Brussels - Manneken Pis. A fantastic name for a statue of a little boy peeing. I probably would have walked right past it if it wasn't for the massive crowd gathered round it. Its in a corner of a random street and you can't see it from the direction I was walking in. Also its absolutely tiny. Nothing special about it at all really.

There are two different stories as to how it came about. One about a rich parent findig his missing child like that in that spot and one about the boy peeing on a burning wick planted by enemies that was meant to start a fire to burn down Brussels and therefore saving the day. I don't know if either are true.

My map and the guide book both mentioned a flea market in one of the little squares south of my hostel,  whereas everything I had visited so far was north.  The market ended at 2:00 but the map said lot of people don't bother clearing up so there would be free stuff left. It was only about 12 when I got there but I had a quick look round and there wasn't anything worth waiting for so I walked back to the hostel, stopping at a lebanese place for lunch and acquiring the left over accompanying pitta bread for dinner.

I had a rest at the hostel until abouy 3 at which point I headed down to St Giles church and the Hotel de Ville, which was a nice building. Whilst walking around the outside I saw a building that looked like a castle and went to investigate. It turns out its a prison. It can't have been a very secure one as there were no guards and people were going in and out.

I'm so knackered. It has been so hot today. Tomorrow my bus to Amsterdam is at 5 so in the morning I'm going to investigate north Brussels. This evening I'm going to sit in a freezer.

Belguim. Brugge. Brussels

Last night my plan was to just wander round after it got dark to see all the sights lit up. I asked the barman at the hostel where is good to go in the evening and he recommended me all these places and then told me if I waited till 11 he would come with me. I hadn't really meant going out out and I wasn't sure if I wanted to go out with him. He was about 35 and I didnt have the money. At around 8 I told him I'd be back and went for a walk down to Minnewater,  the so called lake of love, although I'm not really sure why. I was just sitting there listening to my ipod, admiring the view whilst gradually more and more people turned up next to me for what appeared to be some kind of birthday gathering.

I got up to take a photo and a girl and a boy came over to me asking if I was from Brugge and what I was doing there on my own. I explained I was interailing and they invited me to join their party. The girl gave me some rum and coke and I joined them.
A few minutes later some Australians turned up. 3 guys and a girl in their late 20s who really didn't look it. As in they were 28/29 and looked about 21. They were invited to join the party too. When I say party I mean a group of people sitting by the river with music and alcohol. Not a dancing party. At around 12 the Australians and I decided it was time to go home. They had to leave for Amsterdam and I had to leave for Brussels in the morning.

I got back to the hostel to a room full of sleeping people. I quietly got into bed and tried to sleep. On the bed opposite me was a woman who was snoring so loudly she was making the whole hostel vibrate. It took so long to get to sleep. Eventually she rolled over and shut up.

This morning was nice and relaxed for a change. My train isn't until 11:30 so I got up at 8 and didn't have to rush breakfast and packing. I even had time to hairdry my underwear which was still wet. I received some very strange looks.

This train journey is the last time I will use my interail pass. It expires tomorrow. I can't believe I am almost at the end of this trip.

When I got to Brussels I immediately got lost trying to find the hostel. I went back to the station and asked at the tourist info who sent me in the right direction. When I got there at 1:15 there was a sign on the door saying 'closed for lunch. Open again at 2pm' which was highly annoying. Thankfully there was a little patch of grass outside the hostel I could sit on. I had my backpack with me so I didn't really want to walk far and I was desperate for the loo which really didn't help matters.

I eventually got in and dumped my bags and went for a walk round a tiny portion of Brussels so I don't kill myself trying to see everything tomorrow. One of the places I went to was the Palace of Justice which is a massive building but quite nice. I wandered through the royal gardens and then found somewhere to eat.

It was so so so so hot today on Brussels. Just breathing was too much effort. Tomorrow I am going to be doing a lot of walking. Brussels is quite big.

Brugge

Brugge is fast becoming my favourite place. The canals, the cobbled streets, the chocolate shops,  the pizza hut and the fact the shops all sell pepsi max.

I've run out of underwear, the cashpoint won't accept my card and the hostel doesn't have a laundry room. What a mare. Its not really. I am going to hand wash stuff. I brought washing stuff with me for this very situation.
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Now I've washed them they are just hanging on the wardrobe opposite the doorway. What a treat that will be for who ever comes into the room.

Today I did a little tour of Brugge's main sights. There aren't many. It was lovely though. I had pepsi max today and then after I had a coke and it reminded me how much nicer pepsi max is than coke. I don't know how I could ever give it up. 

I wanted to take a boat tour but a) they were like €8 and b) there were massive queues. I think there are more tourists than local people here. But it is a very lovely place so you can understand it. You wouldn't want to stay here long though. Unless you like beer. There are enough different variety of beers here to keep you going for a long time. And chocolate. I saw some barley being delivered to the 'De Halve Maan'  brewery today. It was coming off the back of a lorry and being poured into a hole in the ground. The lorry man said it takes 3 hours to empty the whole lorry but I wasn't going to stay to time him.

There was a market in Brugge today. Funnily enough it was in the main square, which is called Markt. I didn't buy anything. I just sat and watched others spend their money. I took photos of the cathedral and another fancy building and continued on to the former Hanseatic quarter. Not much to look at there. Then I went to Burg where there were some lovely building that I don't know what they are and then I went to Brugge's most photographed sight which wasn't as amazing as you'd think but it was nice.

I read in the guide book that the cathedral tower is right in the centre of Brugge and can be seen from anywhere so you can't get lost. I found three church towers,  none of which can be seen from everywhere so I think it was lying. I think this evening I am going to walk back to Minnewater, if its not blocked off, as it was last time I went and just have a little walk round. Tomorrow I am moving in to Brussels, the penultimate stop on what has so far been a fantastic trip.

BREAKING NEWS

I have found (and eaten) an orange calipo. Panic over.

After Paris, Brugge is a lovely contrast. Its small cobbled streets and canals that are wonderfully walkable are a world away from the massive avenues and boulevards of Paris. Its like being in an entirely different continent.

When I got to the hostel it was dead. There was no one except the receptionist there. The hostel does lunch at 12:30. I got there at about 12:50 and there was not a soul. Now there is massive french school group. I love school groups...

At Brugge station I got an AMT milkshake. It was amazing. Nicest milkshake ever.

For lunch I paid the ridiculous price of €2.76 at the world's smallest Aldi. I got two bread rolls,  a packet of ham and a 19 cent bag of crisps then I went and sat by one of the canals to eat.

Afte lunch I went for a wander through Brugge. I did a bit of windows shopping. Brugge has hundreds of chocolate shops with amazing window displays. There was nougat and fudge and marzipan and chocolate and marshmallows. It was very hard to resist.

I went and sat in the main square for a while and just people watched. There is some beautiful architecture here.

For dinner I went to restaurant Gruuthusehof and got the tourist menu. It was fantastic. 3 courses for €16.80. Best meal I have had in weeks. For starters was a yummy courgette soup (yes - courgette!), followed by steak, chips and salad, with profiteroles for dessert. I ate every last bit except for the tomato in the salad. You can add courgette soup and profiteroles to the list of veal, melon and mustard that I have tried and for the most part enjoyed whilst on this trip. I didn't really rate the melon. It tasted nice but I wasn't a fan of the texture. Also the mustard is only nice in very small moderation.

I have taken 2033 photos on my camera so far. Most of them are attempts at selfies that I haven't got round to deleting yet.

I've decided to just stay in this evening and get an early night. Paris has worn me out.

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I've had a fantastic time in Paris. Being there for Bastille Day was a lovely experience. And having a room to myself last night was fab.

The hostel was one of those new buildings that is eco friendly. Its all about reducing CO2 and saving energy. It meant the hostel had some annoying features though. The showers and taps didn't have a temperature adjuster. The showers were scalding hot. I couldn't even stand under it properly. I resorted to filling my massive water bottle from the sink to rinse the shampoo out my hair. And I know I'm not the only one who thought it was too hot. When I got back from the tour Eiffel last night some girl was complaining about it. I'm also not a fan of brushing your teeth in hot water.

The other annoying feature was that you had to have your room key in a little slot of the power to work in the room. It meant when I wanted to charge my camera or ipod etc I had to sit in my room where there was nothing to do because the wifi only worked in the lobby. I guess it was just a way to stop the lights being left on. But it was annoying.

This morning I packed up to head for Brugge. I got the metro to Paris Est only to remember my train was leaving from Gare de Nord. Thankfully they are just down the road from each other and I realised before I left the metro station so I just hopped onto the Metro to the right station. I could have walked because my train was delayed ten minutes away but I should still make my connection with time to spare.

The last couple of times I've got the metro I've had a right palarva with metro tickets. Mum gave me a whole load she had left over and they worked fine the first few times. When I tried to go to the fireworks on Bastille Day the tickets I had weren't working. I assumed they just cost more at night so brought tickets. But yesterday at Bastille metro station I had the same problem. I asked the ticket man and he looked at it and then just let me through the gate. On the way to the Eiffel tower yesterday evening I had more ticket troubles. I just copied the rest of the people and squeezed past the barrier anyway.

When I got to the metro and my ticket wasn't working this morning, some man just told me to crawl under. He wasn't an official man, just another passenger. I had to take my backpack off to be able to fit. I wasn't going to pay for a metro ticket when I had two unused ones. I'm just thankful you don't need them to get out.

The 11:05 train to Brugge from Brussels was absolutely packed. It was a double decker and I really wanted to go upstairs but by the time I had worked out it was actually my train and not the 10:58 that was 9 minutes late, both of which were going from the same platform it was packed and there was no point me even trying to get a seat. I just sat on the stairs instead.

Not only have I decided I want to do para sailing (as I was informed thats what it's called, if I remember correctly) during this trip, I have decided I want to try speedboat driving.