The good, the bad and the ugly

Let's start with the good. Leaving our Brussels apartment after 6 days and it was literally downhill to the station, which was a nice start to the day. We had foregone a visit to Ghent earlier in the week, to do it as a quick day trip on the way to Lille. Bags dropped at a café for storage and we were on our way. 

There were people everywhere in cafés and restaurants and looking at the sights and taking selfies on bridges. Apparently I made a deal that today would be both waffles and fries day.

Waffles for morning tea were good and they had a toilet.

Then we did more wandering to see castles and churches and street art,

and it was lunch time. Frites Etelier had served us well before so this time would be good.

And it was and they had a toilet.

There was also a wedding party that we followed across a bridge. Annette wanted photos of the bride's clothes, as well as one of the guests in stilettos trying to walk on the cobblestones just over the bridge. Bride's left leg is on the right of the bridge, and stilettos in goldish dress up front and left.

Back of the bride:

The Bad

We walked back to the station, checked the indicator board and got on a train that headed in the direction of Lille, was labelled as going to Lille, and then went elsewhere. When we finally realised, we had found ourselves in places unknown.

A train back in the right direction was over 30 minutes, we changed trains and finally arrived at Lille Flanders station. We quickly made our way in the designated 7 minutes onto our next connection. We were on this train standing and waiting for over half an hour before somebody told us the train was cancelled. We changed trains and waited seated for over half an hour. Nothing. With Sandrine and Pierre (they were picking us up) getting constant bad news, we bailed on the train that was going nowhere, booked an Uber and arrived in Carnin (outskirts of Lille in the French countryside).

The Ugly

4 hours later than planned.

On a positive note, nobody in any of the many trains checked our tickets so we have an extra day to use on our Eurail pass.

Sandrine and Pierre are Claire's parents. She is married to our son Jeremy. Just in case you didn't know. 

We had a lovely, very late dinner,(being light after 10pm assists with eating outside) marvelled at the garden, in particular 2 small brick buildings that I can see Annette replicating in retirement, 

made friends with the cats,

and absolutely crashed.

Isn't travel fun.

A relaxing day

I've done over 25,000 steps today. My legs are tired. The relaxing day did not happen.

To be fair, doing a 5 km run before it all really started was my fault, but where did the other 18,000 steps come from? You have to do a 5 km run in new red shoes within 24 hours. It's a rule. It wasn't fast but it's my first run in over 3 weeks and it's a while since I did my former compulsory 5 km run in a foreign city, so please don't judge. 

I have decided to ditch the muesli at breakfast for one of those 8 pack sugary treats so it's a good thing that I exercised.

Anyway, after I ate sugar, cooled down, showered and continued cooling down, we went in search of cartoons on walls (whatever that meant).

At Central station we found an actual picturesque part of the station

and I got a free chocolate protein yoghurt to add to tomorrow's sugar meal. Winner winner.

The cartoon things were large distances apart. 

We spent way too long in a cooking shop

and wandered. Hence the steps. We stumbled upon a big square of impressive buildings,

walked, walked and then returned home, which is always uphill.

Lunch, rest, another downhill walk to the shopping centre with Sports Direct where yesterday I bought red 👠. Today I purchased their black and pink sister. I'm a disgrace. 

A Carrefour Express was visited for what I believe was an almond croissant at some stage and a book was purchased at HMV. 

It was fun.

Today was our last day cooking until we get back to Australia (maybe) so dinner was chicken covered in ham and cheese. I will call it cordon bleu. Accompanied with it were way too much broccoli and pasta with tomato, cucumber, garlic, capsicum and rocket, all mixed up. All that is left are 2 cookies that Annette doesn't like (I call them mine) and 5 sugary treat boxes plus tomorrow's breakfast 

Flea time in Brussels

We cancelled our trip to Ghent today and will do it on the way to Lille in 2 days time.

So today it was Brussels. You are all well aware of my fear of markets, but today was different. 

These flea markets were really good with lots of good old stuff.

The 1,000s of LPs were overpriced and today's big winner was Nana Mouskouri. I could have purchased this, but I've matured.

In a contest between Harry Secombe, James Last, Richard Clayderman and Nana (the big 4 of any second hand record sales), Nana blitzed it today. Perhaps it was European favouritism.

There was loads of good junk and Annette was very close to buying a clock. The pros and cons of price, weight and transportation were thought about extensively. We do not have a clock to pack however Annette bought a brooch.

We both purchased books to assist with our French language understanding. Annette got a novel and me a Seven Dwarves book and a Donald Duck. Mine can double as a first Christmas present for a granddaughter. Winner winner. Sept is 7 in French. That is progress.

We were there for hours.

We then went to the streets with quirky shops, but lots were closed. We found a multiple-storied antique store.

I purchased half a golf club, we found a morning tea store and wearily made our way home for lunch and rest.

Annette had a museum appointment whilst I had an appointment with Nanna nap time. She may elaborate about the museum: I went to the Magritte museum, dedicated to the art of surrealist René Magritte.

After, she dropped in to the supermarket to buy lots of ingredients, returned and then unleashed me, by myself and Google maps, on a 20 minute adventure to a sport store, and to fulfil my Elvis Costello destiny and buy some red shoes that an angel wants to wear (have a listen to My Aim is True by Elvis C. You will thank me).

Home alive, washing machine battle won, and clothes on the line, and a new food to try that starts with G (gyoza). We even ate broccoli. Remember when there was a no vegetables rule on holidays?

I couldn't sleep as I fell off the Pepsi wagon. Or fell on. One of them. One litre gone and the caffeine wanted to stay awake and have fun.

Ps. We both had stomach pains during the night.

Gyoza be evil.