Let's do Brussels!

I moved into a different flat for a few days while the house gets ready. I spent one night there and then jumped in the car to drive to Brussels for the 3 day weekend. 

Did you know that there are European rules for items that you must carry in your car? One required item is a "red triangle" that's basically a little popup road sign in case you break down. You have to carry two breathalyzers and you have to put stickers over your xenon headlights. You have to carry backup headlights and a fluorescent yellow jacket. Then, if you're in a rental car (eg hire car) like me, you have to pay for your car to get a "green card". That card allows the car to travel around Europe.

Before moving to London, I thought the English Channel had a tunnel that you could simply drive through. After some googling, I'm pretty sure that doesn't exist. There is a tunnel, but it's serviced by trains and shuttles which can take you and your car. I found the ferries to be much cheaper, so I opted for that. It's about a 90 minute ferry ride. The one I took had two decks, like a cruise ship, where you could eat, shop or play games. 

I was warned that driving and parking in Brussels might be difficult. I spent quite some time looking up garages and preparing for an easy parking spot. The garage I found online was closed when I got there! I drove around Brussels and stumbled upon a garage that a good friend had recommended. I hope it's ok to leave my car there for three days. 

Dutch and French are the main languages here. There's some English and German too. I've mostly seen and heard French. Sortie means exit and nord means north, I picked up on those words very quickly. 

As I was walking around, I heard about a tragic shooting in Brussels. I looked on my map and sure enough it was 2 blocks from where I was walking. It happened two hours before I arrived. I walked by the area on my way to the chocolate place called Neuhaus. There were many people standing around, including police and news crews. My understanding is that Brussels is safe, so this event is shocking and sad.

For dinner I popped into the first shop that looked crowded. I often like to trust the local crowd for good ideas. The menu was in French, so I used google to lookup each word. Their speciality seemed to be salad so I ordered an apple bacon salad. It was amazing! While I was eating, I started a conversation on twitter and several people chimed in, so that was nice. The restaurant was playing American music from the 90s, so that added a nice touch. 

Big day planned tomorrow, off to bed...