Belgium Trip
4/17-24/19
EURO = $1.13
POUND = $1.30
Non-Stop United 787-8 to LHR
LHR – BRU Brussels Air A320
Wednesday – overnight to LHR
Thursday – Arrive Brussels
Renaissance EU District
Friday – Brussels
Saturday – Eurostar/Thalys Amsterdam
Sunday- Easter Brussels
Monday – Antwerpen Belgium Rail
Tuesday – Thalys Paris
Wednesday – BRU-LHR | LHR-DEN
Excited to be on the road again. Springtime in some favorite cities. Cruising the Dreamliner on a new United Airlines direct route from DEN, my home airport; Denver Colorado to Frankfurt Germany. Saves an East or West coast plane change to get to Europe. I did a similar trip/itinerary in 2017, which worked, so back for more. I have booked train rides with Thalys and Eurostar for the Amsterdam and Paris day trips. Also got a ticket to the Van Gogh Museum. Notre Dame burned two days ago; Monday. Paris Day Trip next Tuesday to walk the city. Staying at the Brussels Renaissance near the EU Parliament. Easy train between the Airport (BRU) and the Brussels-Luxembourg station. These tickets can be purchased on-line or at the stations. Good Brussels Rail App. A day trip to Antwerpen is on the schedule and Brussels re-visits to the Grand Place and the Delirium. Easter weekend. Open to whatever comes up. Here we go!
Wednesday 4/17:
Busy at Denver Airport.
Gate 32 – Plane is coming in late from Narita
My seat 5D is broken. Moved to seat 5A. There goes my direct aisle access, hello window!
Due in to London at 10:13am.
4684miles to LHR. Cruising at 39002’.
Thursday 4/18:
The day is underway. Over UK airspace, 30min out from LHR.
GMT +7hrs from Denver MT.
On the ground 10:22am GMT.
Gate B48 terminal 2.
The flight to Brussels is also delayed. No pressure.
Check in will be at gate A20 a 15min walk. Let the folks back home know I arrived in London. On the plane, seat 4F 11:49am. Nice day at Heathrow.
Off the ground 12:31pm. 45min flight. A57 arrival gate.
On the ground at Brussels Airport: 2:08pm.
Took the train to the Brussels-Luxembourg station. Short walk to the Renaissance, Gin and Tonic in the lobby, startup Gin Distillery samples, delicious. Checked in, met Jens, the hotel manager.
Regroup time.
Rm 230 is a roomy corner room on the street side.
Lounge for a snack and a Leffe Bruin
Walkabout
Friday 4/19:
Blackout curtains work
Full day walkabout
Botanic Garden is more park than garden. Many folks out enjoying the beautiful day – temp in the 70’s.
Saturday 4/20: Amsterdam day trip
Walked down to the Brussels-Centraal station to start the trip only to find the trains to Brussels Midi, where I connect to the Amsterdam train, are delayed due to a signal failure. Wait for awhile but the delays get longer.
Running out of time to make the connection to the Eurostar to Amsterdam so opt to head back up the hill to the Porte de Numar metro station for the ride to Brussels Midi. 2.1 Euro gets me a ticket and a short wait for the #2. 4 stops to Suid then up the escalator to the station. Train info board indicates the train will arrive on track 3. By the time I get to the platform the train is arriving. Car 15 seat 41. Good timing and a good ride to Amsterdam Centraal.
Beautiful peaceful day in Amsterdam. Busy, but not too much. Good leg stretch by the floating flower market enroute to the Wok to Walk for some noodles. Next up to the Leidesplein and a stop at the Hoopman for a brew, table just inside the door. Enjoyable crowded visit to the Van Gogh Museum. Circled my favorites from a distance. Amsterdam exudes a mellow vibe, sunny weekend day. Easy ride back to Brussels with an end stop at Brussels-Centraal. Walk around the Grand Place and a night cap at the Delirium.
Sunday 4/21:
Easter
Low key day in Brussels – I wanted to hear the acoustics and pipe organ in the Cathedral. The heat drove me out to the park across the street. I walked the central district in an ever widening arc.
Monday 4/22:
Antwerp/Anvers
Brussels Luxembourg to Brussels Nord
10:06 to Antwerp Centraal
Senior RT E6.80 – $7.60
Easy walk from the station into the old town district of Antwerpen. Beautiful day. Highlight was the old Escalator that connects to the tunnel under the River.
Tuesday 4/23:
Thalys Train to Paris
Walkabout:
Gare du Nord to Isle de Cite
Notre Dame to D’Orsay
D’Orsay to Tuilleries
Tuilleries to Champs Elysses
Champ Elysses to Louvre
Louvre to Gare du Nord
Thalys Trains are all running late
After some false starts like getting loaded on to the “wrong” train, disembarking, then loading on to the “right” train, we are on our way to Brussels. Comfortable, fast ride to Brussels – Midi. Train to Brussels-Luxembourg
Late visit to the
Delirium Loft for a Nocturnum
Packing
Set Alarms for 6AM
Wednesday 4/24:
Travel day to Denver
Finish Packing
Breakfast in the lounge
Checkout
Walk to Brussels Luxembourg
7:22 am Train
Brussels Zavanteum (SP?)
Check In – I am now standby on the flight to London, the person checking me in can’t tell me why- The agent at the gate will assign me a seat. Never words you want to hear.
Head for the Brussels Airline Loft Lounge and have a beer. Somethings up with the flights and it doesn’t appear to be beautiful.
I get to the gate early. The flight to London is now departing an hour late which kills my connection window so the gate agent sends me to a “help desk” near gate 14. Long line moving slowly. Made a call to the United Belgium Reservation line. By the time I got to the help desk the on line agent had a plan. I handed my phone to the agent at the help desk and the two of them worked out a way to get me back to Denver.
My return flights got changed from the flight to London connecting to a direct flight to Denver to a direct flight to Washington Dulles with a connecting flight to Denver. Never understood what happened, guessing late aircraft triggered the change, however the United ground and phone support did a great job and they got me home the same day. My bag got lost, maybe too many tags?!, but showed up the next day. Travel is always fluid.
Jay Geiss - Walkabout 