Europe trip

So today we had to get up around 6am so we could get all of our stuff together and head to the airport.  Just FYI, the cab ride to the airport is super expensive but at least we rode in a luxurious Mercedes.  Of course now that our trip is over, I feel like it flew by but to be honest when I was going through the week, I didn't feel like it went by too fast.  We got to the airport about two hours before departure, which really is a perfect amount of time.  Check-in and customs was not bad at all and by the time we got to our gate, we didn't have to wait that long because they started boarding the plane almost an hour before we took off.  So now as I sit on the plane going back to Atlanta I'll leave you with some tips/pointers/observations about my trip:
1) Make sure to bring an extra bag and/or leave room in your suitcase to bring all of the things you purchased home.  Yeah, I'm pretty sure that we were over the 50 lb. limit for at least one of our bags because of all the beer we were bringing home.
2) A lot of Belgian beer is pretty up there in alcohol content but boy is it delicious.
3) It is a good idea to bring an umbrella with you since it rained almost everyday I was there (never rained hard, just misty or a real quick shower).
4) If you can study up on some French before you come to Belgium, it really is a good idea.  I did my best but it was tough not being able to understand what was being said a lot.  The people do speak very good English, however they do get excited when they think you understand what they are saying in their language.
5) The train (Thalys) to Paris and the train (Eurostar) to London were awesome.  I highly recommend them.  They were very fast and, comfortable and it was a breeze traveling by train.
6) It is totally normal for people to be hanging outside of a museum on a Friday night sitting on the steps drinking beer.  There were a whole ton of people doing that last night, I've never seen anything like it.  
7) The Belgian police were out in their riot gear last night in various locations around the city.  I'm not sure if this is a normal Friday night thing or if it was because it was holiday and there were so many people in the area but I find it amusing that I saw police in their riot gear in two different cities in less than a week's time.
8) The exchange rate from dollars to euros sucks!  Best to just use your ATM card when you get to Belgium to get money out.  I also had a Visa pre-loaded traveler's card that charged less of a percentage for use than my credit card so that was a good option too.
9) Apparently, shorts with either tights or pantyhose underneath is a fashionable look for women in Europe.  Don't know if I'll be trying that back in the U.S. but it was a trend that I saw a lot of.  
I'll post a bit more once I get to Atlanta...

Our last day in Brussels was pretty low key.  Brussels was on bank holiday so there was a lot of stuff that was not open.  We tried to find some new things that we hadn't found yet and ended up in the high end shopping district.  I highly recommend going to this area - it is the Louise/Louiza metro stop.  It had all types of beautiful stores like Gucci, Armani, Louis Vuitton, etc.  And it had a Tiffany & Co.  I was absolutely crushed that it wasn't open due to the bank holiday, there is not a Tiffany's near me at home so it would have been so nice to have been able to go to it here in Brussels.  Anyway, near this shopping district was a gigantic building built for Leopold I.  It looked like a building that had possibly been used for court proceedings.  It was absolutely gorgeous but you could tell that it had not been used in a little while.  They were doing some work on the one side of the building so hopefully they are going to restore it for use again.  After that, we took the Metro to another area (St. Catherine metro stop) which was supposed to have a flea market type thing.  But, I guess because of the bank holiday, it wasn't open.  So,we headed to the Grand Place area.  I don't know whether it was because it was holiday or because it was Friday but there were people everywhere.  I had not seen this many people in this area the entire week that I had been here.  We ate lunch at a really cool bar/restaurant.  That was the best sandwich I've had in a while.  Then we walked around a bit (thank goodness we had done most of our gift shopping on Wednesday because the shops were mobbed with people).  We ended up back at the Mannekin Pis and this time he was dressed up in a chef's hat, shirt and apron.  Apparently they dress him up in costumes from time to time so I am glad that we got to see that.  We finished our shopping and then headed back to the hotel to start packing up so we didn't have to do it all in the morning.  Then we went to dinner at an authentic Belgian restaurant right in the Grand Place - food was freakin' fantastic and we had such an amazing view while we ate.  Then we headed to Little Delirium for a beer.  Not only was there the ginormous bar Delirium but there was also Little Delirium which was a lot more quaint and also had pink elephants everywhere - seriously they make the best beer ever! After our beers, we went to our favorite waffle stand and had our last waffle.  Mine was with whip cream, caramel and pecans - again YUM.  Boy am I going to miss eating those!!  We rode the Metro back to the hotel, had one more beer and then went up to finish packing.  So, it was a good last day.  I still feel like there was so much more for me to see but I definitely plan on going back!  Til I depart back to Raleigh...

I was up super early again for my train ride to London.  Got up at 4:45 am and arrived at the train station a little before 6 am.  My train wasn't until almost 7 am but I didn't know how long the whole customs thing would take.  It was a breeze though, it took no time at all.  You had to go through security and show your passport but it was nothing like going through security at the airport -> this was a lot quicker.  So I got to London at 8 am (London time), it is a little under a 2 hour train ride, which is truly amazing.  The London 'tube' system is a lot more user friendly than Paris' was.  So I hopped on and got off at m Circus so that I could catch the sightseeing bus tour.  I hly recommend getting a pass for one of these - it's for The Original Sightseeing Bus Tour and you can hop on and off at any of their stops and then get back own where you left off.  And, yes I rode on one of those buses that screams 'tourist' where it's 2 levels and the seats on top are out in the opens that you can take pictures.  I got to see so many beautiful spots that I probably wouldn't have seen had I just gone by foot.  First stop was Trafalgar Square. This area was a bustling with people and a ton of cars and buses.  But it was beautiful - there was a gorgeous statue surrounded by 4 lions.  And they had a countdown posted with how many days remained until the beginning of the 2012 Olympics.  Next stop that I got off at was Buckingham Palace.  This is one of the most beautiful spots I have ever seen.  The gates and the building was just absolutely breathtaking.  I got some good pictures of the balcony that William and Kate kissed on after they got married.  The tour bus wasn't allowed to drive in front of the Buckingham Palace because it's not allowed - they've told that because the tour buses are two stories, they detract from the view of the palace.  So it dropped me off on the side and I had to walk to the front of the palace.  I thought it was kind-of amusing that there were certain rules about what types of vehicles could drive in front of the palace.  Anyway, there were four guards standing at the front of the palace and I got to see them change places with each other so that was pretty neat.  They literally do not move when standing there, it is incredible.  I went in the queen's gallery which was a bunch of photo exhibits of England's visits to Antartica in the early 1900's.  I didn't really know that's what it was going to be, had I known that, I most likely wouldn't have paid to see it.  Don't get me wrong, it was interesting but it wasn't what I was expecting.  I then got back on the bus and we drove past the parliament building and Big Ben - this was incredibly impressive in person.  Then we drove over London Bridge and made our way towards the Tower Bridge (which is what I actually thought was London Bridge).  So I got off of the bus and walked up to Tower Bridge and took a tour of the inside of it.  Very cool!  Then I had fish and chips and a pint at a local pub near the Tower Bridge.  Absolutely YUM!  After lunch, I got back on the bus and rode past a few more sights.  I would have loved to ride the London Eye (gigantic ferris wheel) but didn't think I had enough time. I had had the bus drop me back off at Picadilly circus and did some shopping.  I walked all up and down Regent Street which has all of the high end who shops on it.  It was gorgeous plus they already had a lot of decorations out for X-mas.  At least we're not the only country that goes crazy with X-mas this early.  I headed back to the train station via the 'tube' and then got back to Brussels around 10:30 pm.  So it was a great day, I just wish I had had more time.  Things I learned while in London:
1) British accents really are hot - not that I didn't know that already but hearing it all of the time when you are around all British people is awesome!
2) Always look the opposite way that you are used to looking when getting ready to cross the street.
3) The UK accepts pounds (£) not Euros (€) - yup totally made that mistake.
4) The British have a great sense of humor, all of the tour guides on the buses were hysterical!
5) The metro system is A LOT easier to use then the one in Paris.
One more day until I have to go home .  Til next time...

Yesterday (Wednesday) I slept in a bit since I was so wiped out from walking the entire city of Paris the day before.  So I took my time, had breakfast and then headed to the Metro station with Sean.  He was able to hang out with me for the day since his program was in small groups and he wasn't needed.  So, we took the Metro to Atomium.  This was really cool - it looked like a large molecular structure that I used to build in my chemistry classes.  The science part of me definitely appreciated it.  We were able to ride to the top "sphere" and then look out to take in the view.  We were also able to go to most of the other "spheres.".  Much to my dismay, we had to do a bit of stair climbing.  My calves were in knots from the trek up the Eiffel Tower the day before so I am pretty sure the other tourists got a big kick out of me climbing stairs like an 80 year old woman.  After Atomium, we walked over to Mini Europe.  This was a collection of all of the famous buildings, structures in all of the various countries in Europe.  All of the buildings/structures were a much smaller version of the real thing.  It was really quite neat, the detail of all of the buildings was incredible.  We ate lunch at a fantastic restaurant right near Mini Europe.  After that, we took the Metro to Grand Place so that we could do some shopping and get gifts for everyone at home.  I didn't think it was possible, but I do believe we spent almost $100 on chocolate -> it is so freaking good but it isn't the cheapest in the world, however it will make really great gifts for everyone at home.  Then we went to a beer store and bought out that store as well -> remember how I said earlier that I was a big fan of Delirium beer and it's "mascot?". Yeah, I got a mini stuffed pink elephant, some Delirium beer and my favorite part, the beer glasses with the pink elephants on them.  Although, the glasses look more like small piña colada glasses rather than beer glasses.  I was super excited!  After that we headed back to the hotel, I took a much needed nap and then Sean went downstairs for dinner (he had to eat dinner with everyone from his program).  I went upstairs to the fitness center for a much needed run on the treadmill, plus I was hoping it would loosen up the knots in my calves.  Carroll, if you are reading this, I know you are making fun of me for working out while on vacation but if you saw the waffles that I was eating you would understand.  . Anyway, so you remember how I said it was pretty warm in the hotel?  Yeah, the fitness center is like a sauna.  I had only brought yoga pants and a tank top to work out in, not knowing I would need my bikini to run in - but I wouldn't want to scare anyone by running in my bikini.  I looked like a hot tamale after I got done running.  After that sauna experience, I got cleaned up and just had dinner down at the hotel restaurant and had a couple of beers.  Then, it was off to bed since I had another early train to take me to London in the morning.  A few more observations I've made:
1) Bring extra cash for chocolate, it's expensive but tastes so good and makes for excellent gifts.
2) I really have yet to find any good Brussels souvenirs (other than my pink elephant paraphernalia).
3) I am beginning to cheat on wine and am having a love affair with beer - the beer here is fantastic and I am enjoying trying all of the different kinds.  Plus, they all come in their own unique glass.
4) I really wish that they didn't charge money to use public restrooms.  I really believe that it would cut down on the urine smell in the Metro/train stations since the homeless people seem to just urinate in the stations rather than the bathroom since it would cost them money.  The smell is the worst first thing in the morning.  
5) I am determined to learn French the next time I come to visit so that I don't feel so lost.
Til my update from London...

Paris, oh how I love you - if I came proficient in French, I would so live here.  It has been a very cold, dreary and slightly rainy day but this city is still just beautiful!  I got here at 8am and after spending about 20 minutes trying to figure out the metro map, I was on my way.  This is not the best time to ride the metro out of the train station as we were all packed in like sardines.  I got off the metro at the Louvre Museum - somehow I was inside of the carousel de louvre and then ended up under the glass pyramid -> it truly is amazing how I just stumble upon things without even intending to.  I couldn't get into the museum because the entrance there was closed.  So, I finally found my way outside and came out in an area that looked back at the Louvre.  Okay so once again I am behind on this - I fell asleep on the train ride back last night and then had a rather busy day today.  Moving on, so I came out of the Metro station and was looking at the Louvre with the pyramid in front of it - what a gorgeous site!  Took probably twenty pictures because there were so many beautiful buildings and statues in this area.  Next, I saw the Arc de Triomphe du Carroussel which is located right across the way from the Louvre.  I next walked through the Jardin des Tuileries.  Everything was so green (probably because they get so much rain).  That brought me to the Champs Élysées which had so much shopping on it that it's a good thing I stayed focused on touring because I probably could have stayed there all day.  Walking the entire Champs Élysées brought me up to the Arc de Triomphe (the one that all of the cars drive around).  What a gorgeous sight this was, exactly like what you see in movies/TV.  I walked back down the Champs Élysées and walked past the beautiful and breathtaking Louis Vuitton store - didn't go in though.  I then started heading over towards the Eiffel Tower.  Mind you, I had a Visite Paris pass that allowed me to ride use pretty much all of the transport systems however, my pass wasn't working.  Fortunately when I first arrived off the train and went to get on the metro, it was such a hot mess because of all of the people, I was able to get through because the guy behind me put his pass in right after me so the gate opened.  Because my pass wasn't working, the instructions said to take it to a person in the metro station and they would replace it.  Well, every Metro station I went in, I could never find anyone at a help desk so my stubborn self just walked everywhere which my legs are paying for today.  So after a rather lengthy walk, I made it to the Eiffel Tower.  It is so much more impressive in person.  The line to ride all the way to the 2nd floor and then ride to the top was super long and it was so cold and rainy that I didn't think it was worth it to wait but the side that had an entrance to just walk to the second floor had no one in line so I did that.  Let me just say, those were a lot of stairs!  I looked it up, and it was probably about 700 stairs total (up and down).  I really wasn't so tired from it but today my calves feel like they have rocks in them.  So, it is true what they say, incorporating stairs in your workout routine, really is a good idea.  I know, I know, random side note.  Okay so I climbed to the first floor of the tower and had lunch at the restaurant there.  I totally recommend eating there, it was fantastic.  I then went to the second floor and took a ton of pictures.  It was absolutely amazing.  I was somewhat bummed that I couldn't go all the way to the top but that just gives me a reason to go back sometime soon .  I then made an even longer trek to Notre Dame.  I think it took me about an hour to walk there.  I probably didn't take the most direct route there and there were a ton, I mean literally a ton of police officers on every corner with their riot gear on and then a fleet of police cars would drive by every so often.  I had no idea what was going on but everyone was acting like it was fine so I just went on my merry way.  Notre Dame is probably one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen.  And it is so big!  I got to go inside as well and was just amazed at the beauty of it.  I was unable to go up top to where the gargoyles were, the line was kind-of long and I needed to head back to catch my train.  So, yet again I decided to walk to the train station.  It took me an hour and I was doing good for about the first half hour and then got lost.  Ended up in a bit of a sketch area, but I found my way out.  Thank goodness for the iPad, I used the maps to help me get to the train station.  I got back to Brussels around 8pm and then went and had dinner, a very large beer and a waffle for dessert (I am such a sucker for those).  Then I crashed, gosh I was tired.  I wish I had had a pedometer to see how far I truly walked!  Here are some facts/tips that I learned while in Paris:
1) I don't recommend the Paris Visite pass -> even if mine had worked, I probably wouldn't have used it much because it was actually nice to walk and otherwise, I may not have seen some of the things that I had seen had I been underground riding the metro.
2) It probably was an excellent idea that I did not go into the Louis Vuitton store because I most likely would have tried to justify spending a lot of money on a purse.
3) Get a massage sometime soon after climbing the Eiffel Tower - gosh my calves hurt!
4) The French are very trendy and fashionable -> I saw some fantastic outfits.
5) I didn't care for the Paris metro system, it was extremely confusing and very crowded.
6) I highly recommend eating at the restaurant on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower - the food and service was fantastic.
7) It is entirely possible to spend $40 for one person to eat lunch especially when drinking fantastic French wine!
8) It is impossible to see everything that you want to see in a day, but still so worth going if you are nearby.
9) I hope to go back soon!
Til my next update...

Today I got to know Brussels a little bit better (sort of).  I left my hotel a little before noon (took my time getting ready, eating breakfast, etc.) and headed to the Metro station which was about a 15 minute walk.  I bought a one day pass for the Metro which probably took me about 10 minutes because all of the instructions were in French and I wasn't exactly sure what I was doing.  After getting my Metro pass, I took it to the Grand Place which is a big square with beautiful historic buildings.  Took some pictures there and I felt very at home there because it was a huge area with tons of people taking pictures so I fit right in. I then started just walking around. The bad thing with me is that I never really have a plan of where I am headed so I think I walked in a few circles and then ended up in the same area that we had eaten last night.  I looked at a few shops here and then had lunch at Drug Opera.  I had a salad that was okay -> it had a lot of tuna in it which I wasn't quite expecting or maybe I just missed it on the French menu but it was a huge salad so I was definitely full.  I ended up sitting next to two ladies from D.C. and chatted with them for awhile -> they were quite the world travelers so I got a lot of tips from them for my day trips to Paris and London.  After lunch, I went and saw the Mannekin Pis.  It literally is a small statue of a boy pissing.  It is a Huge attraction that is just on the corner of two streets but it was mobbed with people.  It was quite amusing!  Plus, all of the tourist shops sell statues, mugs, shot glasses, etc. of the boy pissing - Hysterical!  I will probably have to add that to my list of souvenirs that I want to bring home.  I then walked around some more and got a present for Haley and then decided to head back to the hotel -> this was a lot more of a difficult process then I expected it to be.  I had to take one Metro line up one stop and then was supposed to get on a different line to get back to the Metro station near my hotel.  I followed all of the correct signs but for some reason I couldn't find the other line, but I eventually found may way back, just in a round about way.  Came back to the hotel and hung out for maybe 20 minutes and then went to dinner with Sean and is co-workers.  I had the best risotto I've probably ever had.  After dinner, we went back to the hotel bar for a beer and then it was off to bed for me since I have to get up at 4am to catch my train to Paris.  Don't know that I'll be able to sleep because I am so excited!  Til tomorrow...

About to head to out to tour around...super excited!

So, today I woke up at 5am and was totally wide awake.  My clock is all messed up!  Had a great night last night.  After my 45 minute walk around the city, I came back to the hotel and met Sean and we headed down to the hotel bar for a drink.  We then took a cab to Grand Place (area with lots of restaurants/bars/shops) -> totally my kind of place!  We had dinner at a really cool restaurant -> Sean had chicken and fries (the fries were freaking fantastic) and I had a Belgian dish which was beef cooked in a dark beer sauce.  Can we say YUM??  I must say I made a good choice considering I really didn't know what I was ordering!  I had a Westmalle Trappist dark beer with dinner - Delicious!  After dinner, Sean and I walked around and stumbled upon this bar that one of the guys on the plane told me about.  It's called Delirium and it's a three story bar that offers 2,004 beers!  I think we'll definitely head back there another night - very cool place.  After our beer at Delirium, we walked back to this little stand next to the restaurant we ate at that serves waffles, ice cream, etc.  They had these dessert waffles on display that looked amazing - a lot of people told Sean to try them, so we each got one.  I had a waffle loaded with whip cream and then caramel and chocolate drizzles on top - I was in heaven!  It was so incredibly delicious that I think I will be eating one of those every night!  After our waffle, we took a cab back to the hotel and had a couple more beers at the hotel bar.  I had one of Delirium's beers (which was served in a glass with pink elephants on it).  All of the beers here come in their own unique glasses and the pink elephant is Delirium's "symbol," which is just awesome.  I am so buying one of those glasses to take home and I think that they sell stuffed pink elephants so I think I'll have to get one of those as well- so freaking cute!  So, around 11 pm I went to sleep and then was wide awake at 5 am.  It's now 10 am and I'm probably going to go take a ride on the Metro and see if I can't get myself lost (hopefully not)!  It is another very cloudy day and I think it just started raining . But I will make the best of it !  Here are some observations that's I've made thus far
1) All of the taxis (so far) have been super nice Mercedes' - our cab drivers at home are being screwed!
2) The choice of music being played is very random everything we've heard so far is American - Will Smith's 'Men in Black' was played at the bar last night & Rihanna's 'Murderer' (instrumental version) was being played in the elevator.
3) Everyone seems to wear black, brown or gray so I stick out like a sore thumb with my bright colors.  
4) Do not wear 4" platform heels to the Grand Place - it is all cobble streets and sidewalks...so not good for the ankles especially after a few beers LOL
5) I think I'm definitely going to have to buy an umbrella which will probably cost me a small fortune. 
6) Every building is really warm inside!  I am always cold at home but here it is super warm everywhere we go and remarkably I am not that cold outside even though it is pretty chilly here especially since I have yet to see the sun.
7) You can totally drink beer like you a drinking wine since the glasses are shaped very similar to - I probably look silly because I hold my beer glass like a wine glass.
8) My French is pretty lacking but everyone is really nice and very helpful!

Until later...

See, I'm already behind!  It is now 3pm local time.  We arrived in Brussels at 7:15 am after a very lengthy 8&1/2 hour flight from ATL.  Sean & I didn't get to sit next to each other because they had switched aircrafts.  But, I was able to sit directly behind him -> unfortunately for us, we were both in middle seats.  I sat in between two very nice gentlemen -> they both gave me really good tips and suggestions for my trip here.  So, my plane ride was great.  Sean's on the other hand was not so good -> the guy on his right was fine but the guy on his left was a bit nuts.  He slept pretty much the whole way but would toss and turn a lot and would put his head on Sean's shoulder and at one point had put his shoe in Sean's lap!  Needless to say Sean was highly irritated when we landed.  Customs in Brussels was a breeze and then we took a Mercedes taxi to the hotel - it was a sweet ride!  Got to the hotel around 8am and checked in.  It is ridiculously hot in the buildings here - I am Never hot but its been hot everywhere so far.  The weather today is very overcast and a bit chilly (50's).  As for the hotel room, they had no king bed rooms left so we have two twin beds pushed together which is pretty comical!  There is no thermostat in the room so we have to open the windows to get some cool air in so I have a feeling it will feel like the Arctic in the morning because Sean will want to sleep with the window open.  Other then that though, it's very nice. So, after getting unpacked we took a much needed nap since neither one of us really slept on the plane.  So now I feel full of energy and am about to go out and walk around since Sean is setting up right now for his program. Til later...

So, we arrived at RDU airport at 1:10pm for our flight to ATL. We were running late all because I didn't start packing until 10:00 am - I was a hot mess this morning trying to cram everything in my suitcase but 45lbs later I was good. Too bad I have no room to bring stuff back but I can always buy a bag somewhere and fill it with stuff . Our flight is at 2:45 and we are about to start boarding so I will check back in in ATL.