Belgique!

Hello from Brussels!

We arrived on the bus from Amsterdam yesterday after a fantastic time. When we arrived at our hostel, found that it had been double-booked. Not to worry, the guy working there just took us to a different, much swankier hotel and gave us the same price! Great. Brussels is pretty cool. We took a walk around the Grand Place (big main square) and had a glass of red in a nice café. Continental Europe very satisfyingly meets my expectations. It feels just like you'd expect, specifically in the older areas. The new areas are suburbia, just like everywhere else.

Today we caught the train to Marche-Lez-Ecaussines, where my mom's dad's relatives lived for a while. It was a sleepy, quaint little place, surrounded by countryside that smelled and looked a bit like home. After a quick walk around, we found my great-grandparents house, and we even talked briefly to the woman who lived there. Her door was wide open, and being a rowhouse on a small lane, we were practically inside just trying to find the house number. She seemed pretty disinterested, but I managed to catch a glimpse of a dark-stained wood interior while Nicole gave her our story. At a store nearby we asked if they knew anyone with my grandpa's last name, and sure enough, Ecaussines ( the next town over) has some. I guess they used to run a butcher shop there. Tomorrow we head to Bruges, and from there, somewhere in France.

I'm spending money like it's going out of style on this trip. I guess that's to be expected, but I need to line up a job in Cardiff if I want to be able to pull my weight!

I want to take this opportunity to say Happy Anniversary to mom and dad. What number is it?? I hope your trip is going well.

Well, gotta find a place to stay in Bruges.

Take care!

Luke