I've always thought that was a strange hashtag. Actually today was pretty low key and relaxing, which I kind of needed. It was foggy this morning, and I really like the fog. The metro was empty, and as I was walking to church the streets were pretty empty too. Loved it. I love going on walks when the town is empty. Downtown cities always smell bad, but once you get far enough away, it's quite lovely.
So I had looked up directions to church on lds.org and the website said church started at nine. But it turns out today was a regional conference for Western Europe that started at 10:30. So there were about 5-6 of us waiting outside the gate to get in. We chatted with each other and one of the girls waiting was from Utah! What are the chances? I guess they're a little higher considering I was at church... Ha. She is nannying for a Belgian family and this was her first Sunday. She seemed kind of young, but hey- there's nothing wrong with being young. I also met Alex who is from France and was visiting Brussels, not sure why- I didn't really get his story. After church I went back to Grand Place and walked around. I had a waffle for lunch (because you have to when you're in Belgium). As I was walking up the escalator to leave the metro this guy came up behind me and asked if I spoke French. Then he told me I was 'tres belle'. The way to a girl's heart is to tell her she's beautiful in French. Also I fall for people too easily. Anyway I had a whole conversation in French! I was so proud of myself! Actually except for church today I've tried to do everything en francais. The metro guy asked if I was Belgian and he seemed surprised that I was American. Or maybe he was just trying to flatter me. Actually someone one else asked if I was local because they wanted directions to a grocery store... I like blending in with the locals. That's pretty much all I did today. I also took a super long nap. In case you were interested in that. I have rather ther enjoyed having this fancy hotel room to myself as I sit here overlooking the city and eating cheese and waffle crackers. I'll take a picture right now actually to post here. The sun seems to set slowly here. If was setting like an hour ago, and it's 11:30 now. Tomorrow's another travel day. MARSEILLE!!! I'll be back in Belgium for a night, so I might come back and post on this page near the end of my trip, but tomorrow's post will be on the French page. Button below.
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Today was crazy. I woke up, walked around Dublin looking for a place to eat breakfast, and I just ended up buying a pastry and a banana. And then I thought to myself... 'I wouldn't mind existing on pastries and fruit'. I went back to the hostel, packed, and checked out. I went one street over to the bus stop that went to the airport. I helped an Irish couple with bus lines, they weren't that familiar with Dublin, but it still felt a bit strange to be helping the locals :) then they paid 30 cents towards my bus ticket because I didn't have exact change. Karma. Irish people are pretty great eh? I sit down on the bus right? Of course right. I then begin to chat with this EXTREMELY attractive Irish man. Let's call him S.A.M. It's an acronym, but yes I'd probably go to Mordor with this guy. We chat and flirt for the 45 minutes it takes to get to the airport. And then.... I never see him again :( I suppose that's what happens when I don't do real names. I did sneak a creepy stalker-like picture of him on my phone if anyone wants to see. Also before I came on my trip, thought to myself that I probably shouldn't tell people I'm traveling alone... But I always do. Guess I'm just too honest. Then I flew. On a plane. Landed in Brussels. Here's where it gets a little crazy (I know you're thinking what's crazier then an attractive Irish man??) I grab my bags and start heading to the shuttle that's supposed to take people to the train station. The plan was : shuttle bus -> train station -> walk to hotel. Before I can even get to the ticket kiosk, a man comes up to me and tells me that the bus drivers are on strike. I was skeptical because I had just seen a bus unload at the airport. So I walk over to the automated kiosk and there's a sign saying that 'Bus Line A' isn't running because of a strike. I'm not sure if the sign is official and I still think this guy is a little sketchy, this airport isn't crowded and there aren't many other people around. This is the part where the girl from TAKEN would be kidnapped. Luckily I am smarter than she. This guy has a row of black unmarked vans with Italian drivers. So I'm not sure. And I don't speak Italian. Then I see another guy come out of the airport and completely ignore the taxi tempters and walk to the kiosks, so I decide to go ask him. Turns out he only speaks Dutch. Not even French. We had a hard time communicating, but we decided that we would wait for the bus based on the facts. Here are the facts: 1. The sign saying 'line closed' was dated for June 3 which was yesterday. 2. The Dutch man I was talking to, let's call him Dan, looked up the news on his phone and showed me the strike was supposed to end today 3. Dan then dialed the number on the kiosk and had me talk to them on his phone. They said the line to the station was running and the trains were running. They sad it to me in English. 4. To be double sure I even called my hotel and had them check. Then I asked them to give me a number for a taxi just in case. If I had to take a taxi to the station, I wasn't sure I trusted these guys. The bus was scheduled to arrive at 5:42. As more people came from the airport, I would explain the sitch, some would take taxis and some stood with us waiting for the bus. Two American guys came and decided to wait with Dan (the Dutch man) and I. Let's call these Americans Kenny and Obadiah. One was from Kentucky (but living in Germany) and the other was from Ohio. (I used the states they were from to make up names for them) Then a woman from Milan who spoke pretty good English decided to wait with us too. Let's call her Maggy. 5:42 came and went. No bus. We waited until 5:55. The price the van-guy was offering us was actually cheaper than the bus ticket, but they were so pushy and the vans were unmarked. But now that I had a bunch of new friends I felt safer taking a risk. So, I caved. Dan (the Dutch man) walked away but Maggy, Kenny, Obadiah, and I went in with a few other people to take the 'taxi' (unmarked van). I asked the ring leader if we could pay when we got there (which I knew was a stretch), but he wanted cash beforehand. A few other people went with us and I thought... 'There's eight of us and one of him, if something goes down we have the upper hand'. He did drive like a crazy person but we made it to the train station. I say goodbye to my taxi-mates and head inside the station. It's completely deserted. Like no workers and no passengers. So I'm starting to stress that everyone in the country that works in transportation has gone on strike. I head over to the timetable sheet and I figure out where I need to go- and then head up to the platform. If I were in a movie I would've heard those crows that you always hear when it's dusty and silent. There was one train parked on one of the tracks that said 'out of service' in French. The train that says 'out of service' is on the track of the train that I'm supposed to be taking that leaves in 25 minutes. Should I just wait? Then out of the fog (or maybe there wasn't fog) I see Maggy! Turns out she needs to take the same train so she suggests we stick together and we decide to wait the 25 minutes. She keeps commenting on how it's weird there aren't even any workers... Maybe there IS a strike. I didn't get an email though... I've been getting emails from the French embassy about strikes, but nothing in Belgium. Then we see Kenny and Obadiah! We wave and they come over. They need to take the train too! Good thing I'm being super friendly on this trip eh? Then the train lights come on with the train number we need! The doors are unlocked and we board and rejoice!!!! The the train pulls out on schedule. Yay! Then we talk the whole way to the station. I actually took a picture of the four of us so I could remember our train incident. I'll try to upload it here. We talked like old friends. Except I didn't know their real names. And I'll never see them again. But you know what they say about growing closer in stressful situations! When I got off the train I hauled my stuff through Grand Place to the hotel. I'm not staying in a hostel this time, my dad hooked me up for two nights. And I'm not exaggerating. This hotel is NICE. And seeing as my dad is an elite platinum gold medallion star/sun/moon/Galaxy class club member (That caused me some grief on my trip to New Orleans, I'm still holding a grudge against those guys) but anyway I have like the best room in the hotel. After not-so-silently celebrating the plushness of my accommodations, I went and ordered frites entirely en francais. So anyway, crazy day! I'm now eight hours ahead and plum tuckered. I'm going to go rest my weary head in a king size bed. I bet you wish you were here instead. I've said all that needs to be said. |