Today was a bit hectic. We didn’t really think about our time well so we ended up rushing to the train station today… not the most fun. We did make a last minute trip to Regent’s Park which was pretty. What I liked most in London were the parks. They are beautiful and everyone uses them. Plus there are lots of ducks, swans, birds, etc. They are gorgeous. Anyhow, we were basically running to St. Pancras because we had to get our tickets and check-in by a specific time. We barely made it.

Lounging around before going to Brussels

Once on the train it was a quick trip to Brussels, but getting off was another story. There was much less English than either one of us anticipated and it was quite disorienting at first – trying to find the metro, buy tickets in French, and figure out which train to take into the city. Zach did well with his French and we made it into the city, found a little cafe, and camped out there for a few hours while we waited for our host, Rajiv, to meet us. He ended up being a little late, so we headed over to the Grand Place – the city’s square – and sat outside. It was the perfect ending to the day. It is a gorgeous square and there were pockets of people all over; sitting with lovers, in large groups of friends, drinking, admiring, reflecting. Zach even pulled out his trumpet. It is an incredible area.

Rajiv met us later and took us back to his flat. He is great – incredibly gracious and very well travelled. It should be a great weekend. We are doing Brussels tomorrow and then taking a day trip to Ghent on Sunday.