Capital City Five - Brussels: Belguim - 190 to go.

February 28th 2010
Belgium - Capital City: Brussels
Picture with two local Policemen
190 Capital Cities to go.

Drove down to Dublin to catch the flight to Brussels, I ended up leaving my phone in the car, and stood debating for at least five minutes to go back for it. In the end I didn't, didn't want to risk catching the bus back to the car park then the bus back and be on time. (I have to bore you with this, as I bored myself with my self debating whether to go back for it or not).
Probably a good thing as after I had queued to go through security, I was informed that the printout of the ticket wasn't any good, (the bar code hadn't printed out) so I had to go queue at the check in desk, then get a printout, fight through the crowds, then re-queue to go back through security.
Usually before I go to a capital where I haven't been before I try to get some reading done about the place, this time, I hadn't - I didn't even know what language they spoke (in Brussels it's French). Not knowing anything about a place can be quite liberating, because you don't plan anything, you just work it all out when you get there.
I landed at Charleroi Airport and then caught a bus to the train station and walked to our hotel, stopping for food along the way.
I arrived at our Hotel 'Hotel Queen Ann' it seemed more like a youth hostel, no carpet in the bedroom, and just a bed and small portable TV in the corner of the room.
As I'd been up since 3.30am to get the flight, a nap was in order. Fell asleep to watching the Brussels version of 'Come Dine with Me'. Which from what I worked out, you get scored not only for the dinner, but for three categories, the food, the table setting and the entertainment.

In the evening I headed out and ended up at this Spectacular place - which was an Art Gallery and a bar, (I can't remember what it was called). You could get a drink whilst walking round to look at the Art pieces. There was also a cinematic Art piece which projected onto the wall.
The following day, I headed down to 'The Grand Place' it's a truly beautiful town square. This is where I got my picture with a local policeman, one of them wasn't that impressed - he reminded me of the man in Madrid.

Grand Place

I then and went and ate the biggest sickliest Belgium waffle ever, with ice cream and melted chocolate, even though I felt sick half way through, I carried on, it was amazing.
That night I went out,  and ended up in an Irish bar drinking White Russians the whole night.
It rained the day I left, and I got soaked walking to the train station. I Waited for the bus in the rain.
When it finally arrived, there was loads of pushing and shoving to try and got it, and it was that situation, if you can't beat them, join them.
 I managed to get on, but I stupidly walked past the only free seat at the front, and so did the other six people behind me. We all stood in the aisle of the bus, trying to look inconspicuous.
 The driver realising he'd put too many people on the coach, started to herd  the people off again, back into the rain, where we would all have to wait for another hour for the next bus then re-start the pushing and shoving. The thought filled my already soaked clothes with dread.
I hid!
I stood down into steps of side of the bus, and did that thing of - If I can't see him, then surely he can't see me. I didn't care that I would be stood for nearly an hour to the airport, I didn't want to stand back out into the rain.
 Whether the bus driver saw me and choose to ignore me, or just didn't see me, I don't know, and at that point I didn't care, at least I could dry off a bit.
 The actual journey to the airport was horrendous. It was chucking it down with rain, really windy. So windy that branches were coming off trees and lying in the road, this seemed to enrage the driver even more and drove with such anger that we nearly seemed to crash a few times.  Once at the airport, I proceeded to change my damp socks.
Charleroi Airport is an odd one. It's a tiny airport, one quick lap completes the airport, it's the sort of place you need to see, as it's the atmosphere which is an odd one.