After a lovely week in Paris, we took the Thalys from Paris to Brussels on Sunday afternoon. We arrived by train at Gare de Midi in Brussels on Sunday, July 4th. A cab picked us up at the train station and took us to the Hotel Amigo, a hotel near the Grand Plaza in Brussels.
Elisabeth and Kate were excited for their last evening in Brussels. Elisabeth planned our afternoon. We walked from the Grand Plaza to St. Catherine's Square (one of her favorite squares in Brussels). During our stroll we enjoyed Belgian chocolates from Elisabeth, her favorite chocolatier in Brussels. What a treat! We loved Paris, but we missed our Belgian chocolates!
We ate dinner at our favorite Greek restaurant just off of the Grand Plaza in Brussels. A lovely meal. We reminisced about our travels in Belgium, Greece, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Which was our favorite? The consensus was Spain! Starting to think about Spring Break in Barcelona next year...
After dinner, as a special treat, we took the girls to a boutique across the street from the Hotel Amigo. I had taken the girls to the boutique many times to buy wedding presents, christening gifts and Christmas presents. Elisabeth and Kate were very patient and admired the dresses there. The girls enjoyed picking out a special dress.
After putting the girls to bed at the Hotel Amigo, I enjoyed a nice walk from the Hotel Amigo through the Grand Plaza to the Cinquantenaire Park. The hotel gave me a map of a short route and a long route. Of course, I took the long route. Quite strenuous, but fun to see the city one last time. Lovely fountains, parks, and cobblestone streets.
The next morning we woke up early. We ate breakfast at Exki, a healthy breakfast spot just off of the Grand Plaza (we contemplated the walk up to the Petit Sablon to eat at Pan Quotidien; however, the uphill hike was too strenuous for us so early in the morning!). After breakfast we strolled around the historic Grand Plaza and returned to our hotel. Surprisingly, the Radio Shack team from the La Tour de France was just checking out (aka Lance Armstrong, etc.). What fun for the girls to meet some of the Radio Shack team!
Upon arrival at the airport, the girls were in good spirits (despite being carsick in the parking lot at the Brussels airport). It could have been a long flight, but the girls rallied and we enjoyed a terrific flight. Several people commented on the plane that the girls were well behaved and well mannered. The flight attendants gave them extra "United Wings" as a reward. Elisabeth was also allowed in the cockpit after the plane landed and the pilot gave her a tour (she wants to be a pilot when she grows up!).
We were concerned about immigration, baggage claim and customs, but we breezed through. We arrived home at Rich's parents in Falls Church at 3:30pm, dropped off our luggage and drove to the pool. Such a hot day in Virginia. Nice to let the girls swim (there are few outdoor pools in Belgium - too cold!). Also nice to see a few familiar faces. We stopped at Panera to eat dinner, drove through the neighborhood and put the girls to bed. They were asleep by 7pm (1:00am in Brussels). A very long day. Let's hope for a good night sleep....
