Last weekend was another three day weekend for Keith, assumption day, so we filled in with all sorts of European fun :) On Friday we headed in to Brussels to meet up with some friends of ours to check out the famous Flower Carpet. Every other year the floor of the Grand Place in Brussels is covered in a carpet made out of flowers. It was quite impressive. We also had the longest lunch of our lives (at least 2 hours for cold food that should have been hot) in a little resturant that looked nice enough, but clearly we were decieved. Keith's mentioned the general attitude of indifference and lack of customer service before but this took it to new extremes. Waiters don't check in on you, and have mastered the art of avoiding eye contact so as to not be pulled over to your table when help is needed. For the first time we were truly unwilling to pay the 10 % tip that is automatically included in your bill. But the day wasn't to be ruined. Our friend, who for some reason has all sorts of inside knowledge of Belgium, took us to the strangest bar I have ever been in. He called it the coffin bar. We walked in to a pitch black room with caskets for tables, and ceramic skulls for beer mugs. The best part was that for such a "dark" space the music was Duran Duran, AC/DC, and so many other favorites that were upbeat and fun. It was awesome! After a couple of skulls I was pretty buzzed and ready to go home. :)
Saturday was overall very relaxing, Keith's company has sent over a new person for a couple of months and we met up with him to show him around Mons. There is a lot of support of military and NATO civilians at the base for getting people welcomed and acclimated, but unfortunately they really don't offer any of that to contractors. Keith and I both wish we could have had some of that support when we got here, so we are happy to do whatever we can to help other contractors feel they at least have some other resource. Not that we are experts by any means, but I guess it's nice to just see a friendly face.
On Sunday we packed up Bailey and took a two hour drive to visit our neighbors in Luxembourg.
We found a truly picturesque city that perfectly combines old and new. We followed a walking tour that was recommended in our Lonely Planet guide and thought it was a fantastic way to see the city. Nothing in particular stands out to me as a must see, it's mostly just taking in the feel of the whole place. The town winds through ravines, and along cliff sides with hints of the old fortress peaking through modern buildings. One of the funniest moments was when we were stopped by a group of Asian tourists who asked us for directions. While we fumbled through our guide book to help them out they were completely fascinated with Bailey. They were so impressed with her tricks that they were filming her and applauding after each trick. After this, we are keeping our eyes out for Bailey's You Tube premiere. Overall it was a perfect place for a day trip...and overall a great weekend.
We found a truly picturesque city that perfectly combines old and new. We followed a walking tour that was recommended in our Lonely Planet guide and thought it was a fantastic way to see the city. Nothing in particular stands out to me as a must see, it's mostly just taking in the feel of the whole place. The town winds through ravines, and along cliff sides with hints of the old fortress peaking through modern buildings. One of the funniest moments was when we were stopped by a group of Asian tourists who asked us for directions. While we fumbled through our guide book to help them out they were completely fascinated with Bailey. They were so impressed with her tricks that they were filming her and applauding after each trick. After this, we are keeping our eyes out for Bailey's You Tube premiere. Overall it was a perfect place for a day trip...and overall a great weekend. 
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1 comment:
You'll be able to afford an extra skull full of beer with the dollar on the rise!!
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