Mussels from Brussels

2010 09 14

I've always wanted to visit Belgium. I do not have a sweet tooth so it is not the chocolate I came for. It is, the trappist beer, that I came for. When I found out that my friend Phil was still living in Brussels, I gave him a heads up that I'd be coming for a visit. The day I arrived Phil met me at the hostel. Phil offered for me to stay but he and his wife Rafika were expecting their first child anytime that week so I didn't want to impose.

Phil did manage to come out to meet me at my hostel on the day I arrived to show me around. We had a great lunch and as we walked around the city centre, we were welcomed by a giant hot air smurf! Apparently, we were in the midst of this huge parade celebrating comic books and cartoon characters. One after another, some of our childhood favourites passed by, held and manuevered by its team of puppet masters.

In between all these madness, we stopped and sampled what I came for, beer! We went to the Delirium, one of the most interesting pub in Brussels. The ceiling was decorated with various beer trays and the place was packed with locals and tourists alike. The only thing I didn't like was that it was so smoky because you could still smoke in bars in Belgium.

After a fun filled afternoon, I was invited to have dinner with Phil and his family. Rafika, Phil's wife greeted us and introduced me to her parents visiting from Romania. The language barrier did not prevent us from laughing and enjoying a great meal prepared by Rafika. The many rounds of drinks throughout the meal certainly complimented the great evening.

The next day I was going to check out Bruges but I also needed time to buy a mobile phone. So with Phil's help I spent the morning in the mall going over all the different options and finally I became the proud owner of a new Samsung. It was useful to have a phone to confirm bookings and to communicate with others without waiting for the next available WiFi connection. Given the day was half gone, Bruges would have to be on my to do list.

We decided to then check out the Atomium, a structure designed straight out of a science fiction novel. It now housed a restaurant, exhibitions, observation deck among other things. We finished the tour with one of the subway stops decorated by pictures of Tin Tin commerating the creator's Belgium origin. After Phil left, I did one last walk around the city centre and found a recommended Vietnamese restaurant for dinner.

1. On the train.
2. Hamburg, Germany
3. Breakfast
4. Bruges

Getting Smelly in Cologne

2010 09 12

I arrived in Cologne with very little expectation. I wanted to go towards Luxemburg or Brussels but neither cities had any available room on that weekend (Sep 10 & 11). So Cologne was the lucky recepient of my presence. The hostel I booked was once again close to the Hauptbahnhof and upon arrival I was very pleased with the newly renovated facilities, including the much needed laundry service!!! Unfortunately, the dorm was in a converted old church and my room was on the fourth floor with no elevator! Going up and down 80 steps each time was a great workout.

My exploration of the town began with a walk through the Aldstadt, and then along the Rhein toward a more modern and industrial part of the town. On the way back, I stumbled upon the Schokoladenmuseum (Lindt chocolate museum) and thought I had to go in to check it out. The operation was not that interesting given I grew up next to the Hershey factory, but the complimentary wafer covered with the cholocate from the massive fountain was a good distraction. There were extras so the lady gave me two!!! The upstairs housed the playful interactive chocolate adventure for both adults and children. Okay, I added the adults part myself because I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The next morning I went and explored the north end and the Technology City, with the radio and TV headquarters. I then went back through the centre town and just wandered through the city streets checking out the shops. The free map I got from the hostel was sponsored by Globetrotters so their marketing worked because I was curious. The flagship store in Cologne was gigantic and was nearly twice the size of the MEC store in Ottawa, including a water poolfor testing kayaks and canoes. I almost bought myself a pair of Adidas and a messenger bag, but luckily, I talked myself out of it due to the lack of space and the added load.

After visiting everything else, I did leave the major landmark for the end. The Dom, Germany's greatest cathedral, was a colossal High Gothic masterpiece right beside the train station. Built over the course of 6 centuries, it was completed in 1880 and survived WWII. Having already done my quota of stairs back at the hostel, I further punished myself by ascending the 533 pie-shaped steps spiralled to the top of the Sudturm (south tower). The challenge was further accentuated by the fact that these steps were also occupied with those descending as well, hence it was great way to meet other visitors as we fought for a foothold or fell to our death.

At the top to my disappointment, the view was partially obstructed by the so called security measure of a metal caging installed around the top. Nevertheless, I was able to peep through and take some great photos for my record. Hey, afterall, I did Stonehenge through a fence, so what's a little Dom?

In the end, the stopover in Cologne wasn't that bad at all. Of course, finishing a load of laundry before moving on was a big plus because I didn't want to leaving smelling badly from Cologne.

Frankfurter or Wurst?

September 10, 2010

Going through Switzerland from Geneva to Basel was like moving through a French German conversion program. So as I headed toward Frankfurt am Main, my first stop in Germany, I had some practice in German already. I would crossed more strasse (street) and arrived at more bahnhof (train station) than I could count by the end of my trip.

Arriving at the Hauptbahnhof, the central train station, my hostel was only across the street. It was great given German rain greeted me with open arms. However, I immediately realized that the area close to the Hauptbahnhof was also the red light district. Live entertainment could be found on the left, right and bottom of my hostel. You could not get more central than this!!
Luckily, the hostel had a great common room with free WiFi. I caught up on my Facebook, checked my e-mails, somewhat organized my photos from the cameras, and spent a lot of time researching my next destination while waiting for the rain to stop. I was trying to get to Luxemburg before going to Belgium but between the train schedule and the hostel booking no combination seemed to work out. By then also I was not able to secure any train discounts as most require 3 days advance booking. It was hard to do when I didn't know where I was going the next day, let alone 3 days in advance.

As I was talking to Takeshi (Japanese working in Germany) at the common room, he suggested that I should enquire about the Eurail Pass again. When I was looking into the pass back in Canada, I was told that you had to buy it outside of Europe, and given it was so expensive to pay so much money, I opted to not get one. So with the Hauptbahnhof just across the street and the rain was still preventing me from sightseeing, I went into the Bahn office and had a great discussion about my travel. The staff at Bahn had to be the most helpful and patient people I met. She explained that yes non-EU residents could buy the Eurail Pass in Europe. After a long chat and went through all the permutations, I selected the 15-day within a 2 month period in any of the pre-selected 5 connected countries Eurail Pass.

The weather was not getting any better or worst so I managed to venture out into the Aldstadt. In the heart of the old town, Romerberg plaza housed the picturesque Fachwerkhaeuser (half-timbered houses), the Statue of Justice fountain, and the 1405 city hall (formerly the gables of Romer). Across from Romerberg, the mural in Paulskirche (St. Paul's Church) memorialized the trials of German democracy. It was near there where I had my first wurst with beer at a delicatessan.

That night, I crossed the river to check out the Sachsenhausen district and found the Adolf Wagner, a local hangout as recommended by my guidebook. I was seated at one of the many long tables and ordered the Apfelwein (apple wine) as suggested. It tasted kinda bland but it was cheap. As others joined my talbe, I chatted with John (tourist from UK) and exchanged travel tips and stories. When my wiener schnitzel arrived, my customary food photo tradition caught the attention of this German couple (Bob, originally from Ethiopia, and Patricia) sitting at the next table. Before I knew what happened, the four of us were trying each other's food and taking photos together. The night ended with Bob taking John and I on a tour in his car around Frankfurt. The highlight of the night was a stop at Bob's barber shop, which was more a museum of antiques and art!

The next day was just as gloomy and so it was more about walking around whenever I could in between rain showers. I did manage to find a wine and food tasting fair but I was actually quite good and did not spend any money there. I did however darted into a shopping mall to escape the weather and ended up buying a dry fit top to give myself another change of clothes before finding suitable laundry facility.

That night I hung out at my room and met some really interesting people. There was this business man from Leipzig who did not have any praises for any of the German cities and thought Frankfurt with its red light district was a disgrace. Then there was a painter from Spain who travelled to Frankfurt to look for any job to support his family back home because unemployment was really high. And then the most interesting had to be Bruce, who was on his way home from the Ukraine and it turned out he went to the same high school in Smiths Falls as I did. Yes, I kid you not, two people from the same small Canadian town of 9,000 met thousands of miles away in Germany.

1. On the train leaving Frankfurt
2. Cologne, Germany
3. As my first stop in Germany, I chronicled everything I ate in Frankfurt, including the stuff I sampled at Adolf Wagner on the others' plates.
4. I saw and explored most of Frankfurt already, so there was nothing that I needed to go back for. If anything, I would go visit Bob and Patricia.

Swissing from B to Z

September 7, 2010

After leaving Geneva, the train stopped at Bern on its way to Basel. I couldn't pass up the chance to make a pitstop at this capital city, so I jumped off the train, stored my luggage, and took off with a tourist map in hand. The historic center (Altstadt), an UNESCO World Heritage site, of Bern was really easy to navigate and I spent most of my time looking left and right, admiring all the beautiful architecture, including Albert Einstein's House. The fountains that dotted the main intersections were a managerie of masterpieces in themselves, each with a distinct artistic touch and an ornamental pinnacle atop.

As recommended by my guidebook, I headed toward the highest point across the bridge to the rose garden, Rosengarten, and witnessed the panoramic beauty. Coming back down, I crossed over to Barengraben, the bear pits, where the city's namesake played in their open home next to the river. After another hundreds of pictures later, I went back through the Aldstadt, just in time to see the Zytglogge, a 12th century clocktower chimed at noon. Tourists stared upward with their cameras and videos trying to capture the moment when the golden man strike the golden bell.

I hopped on the next train to Basel. The hostel I stayed at included a transportation pass for the duration of my stay, so I learned the tram system quite quickly. After Bern, Basel was a bit disappointeing. There was some nice buidings but overall it wasn't much to keep me interested. I did manage to find the Bank of International Settlement (BIS) the last day just before I left. It turned out to be the huge building right next to the train station which I thought was a hotel at first. BIS was the birthplace of the Basel Accord, Basel II and the upcoming Basel III, the international banking regulations where most domestic banking regulators adopt. I spent most of my last three years incorporating Basel II at the bank, and to finally witness where all my headaches came from was the closure I needed.

The next day, I took a day trip into Lucern and saw for myself what the Kapellbrucke, the wooden-roofed bridge, was all about. The day started out a bit dark and cloudy, hence I opted to hike the medieval castle wall, the Museggmauer, first before the sun came back out. The view on top was amazing. Coming down through the Aldstadt, I grabbed a quick lunch amidst the frescoed houses before heading back to the bridge for the one picture I needed. The sun broke through and the Kapellbrucke did not disappoint, with its Swiss historical scenes adorned on the inside. Further down the river another bridge, the Spreuerbrucke, was adorned by Kaspar Meglinger's eerie Totentanz (Dance of the Death) paintings.

On the bridge, two ladies approached me and asked me whether I spoke Chinese. After a few exchanges, I realized they spent sometime in Taiwan and were on a mission. Yes, in my vulnerable state I got the Watch Tower magazines in Chinese shoved into my hands. Ironically, one of the magazine talked about how to deal with being unemployed!!! Were they trying to tell me something? Hahaha...

That afternoon, I stopped at Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland with the fourth largest stock exchange in the world, for a visit. Perhaps I should look for a job at Paradeplatz, the banking centre of Zurich, and hope that I woud not get single out anymore by any other religious groups.
The Limmat River split the city down the middle on its way to Zurichsee (Lake Zurich). Walking along the main shopping street of Bahnhofstrasse, wealth permeated throughout the shop windows and bankers in their Armanis hurried by while closing their deals on their Blackberry.
I climbed one of the twin towers at Grossmunster for a great view of the Aldstadt. Afterward, I took a public ferry around Zurichsee without getting off any stops. It was just like a boat tour except it was cheaper and without the audio commentary. That night, I went back to Basel and got ready to move on the next day.

All in all, I visited 4 cities in 2 days, which was great because I got to see everything I needed to see. As a last minute traveller moving from place to place, staying longer without early reservation and planning would truly break your bank because one thing I did not mention was how expensive everything was in Switzerland, unless of course you have a Swiss account!

1. On the train leaving Basel
2. Frankfurt, Germany
3. The breakfast at Basel hostel.
4. I would go back to see more of the countryside and the Swiss Alps, but I would have to save some money first and double my budget.

The Geneva Convention

September 5, 2010

I had a difficult time finding accomodation in Geneva. Luckily, my sister's friend Simona lived in Geneva and she was able to host me for a couple of days. Arriving from Lyon to Geneva, I met Simona's brother Cornel at the main train station. After dropping off my luggage and settled in, Cornel took me sight seeing. We went through the university grounds and saw the founding fathers of protestant movement. The giant chessboards at the end of the park provided locals some leisure mental exercise.

We visited the old town and onto the high end fashion streets before reaching Lac Leman, commonly referred to as Lake Geneva. I could sense the wealth around with all the major labels and corporations elbowing for a place on the waterfront. The most prominant were insurance/financial companies and the most popular swiss watch makers. Unfortunately, the jet haute was not on that day, the highest water fountain in the world. However, I did witness the majestic sprout the next day.

We took a cruise around Lake Geneva in the afternoon and peeked through the fences of the United Nations before heading home to meet up with Simona after her day at work. When we arrived back at the apartment, Simona was already cooking away in the kitchen and preparing a feast for the night. We had a great time chatting and getting to know one another over dinner and wine.

Cornel and I went on a day trip by train around Lake Geneva. Lausanne's old town was a bit of an uphill climb but the waterfront at the bottom was beautiful and picturesque. We next visited the Olympics Museum and I participated in the Olympic physical test to determine what type of an athlete I would be. Unfortunately, beer drinking was not an official recognized event yet, hence they were not able to place me in any of the categories. We spent a bit longer in the museum than expected and we left Lausanne to Montreux.

The afternoon sun was shining brightly at this quaint little town at the tip of the lake. The promenade along the water was another photo moment. We left Montreux around 7 and got back to Geneva about an hour later. We then met up with Simona and went out for dinner and dessert.

On Saturday, Simona and I went to the market and bakery to pick up some breakfast and grocery. We next visited the Carrouges area where there was an open market and plenty of shops and restaurants around. We next checked out Les Paques, the ethnic and funkier passed the train station. We finished off walking along the beautiful park on the west side of the lake people watching everyone at the park sunbathing, picnicking, playing soccer, riding their bikes, or just taking a leisure stroll. That evening, Simona prepared another feast that could feed a village. Afterwards, we got on Skype and chatted with my sister. All good things must come to an end, and I would like to thank Simona and Cornel for their great hospitality.

The Lyon Sleeps Tonight

September 1, 2010

When I asked what I should see in Lyon, most answered "you mean what you should eat in Lyon?". With many Michelin rated top restaurants, most agreed that I should spend my money on food there. Well, twist my arm!

Limoges and Lyon looked really close on the map, but apparently there were some hills or mountains in the way that made the train ride longer than I anticipated. I arrived a much later in the afternoon, so I didn't venture too far and found a nice restaurant near my hostel for my first night there.

The place was really quaint, a traditional French bistro. The server was too good of a salesman to convince me to have a semi bottle instead of just a glass (I tried to resist but to no avail). I ordered the set menu and chose the turrine, the sausage with pancakes, and the rum cake (they had fancier names but I forgot to take a picture of the menu). When the food came, I thought I died and gone to heaven. Everything was so good.

At one point during dinner, I kept hearing this squeaking sound and I thought I just had a little too much wine. After several more incidents, I spotted it! The two couples across from me in the restaurant had a little dog under their table. I guess in France it was not a health violation. Afterward, I literally rolled back to the hostel and had a good sleep that night.

The next day I ventured out to check out the sights. There were a few surprises that I didn't know about. The best part was taking the funicular up to the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere. Then there were the remains of these Roman Amphitheatres that felt a bit out of place. Place Bellecour was just a big empty square, but the huge Only Lyon sign sure made my photo more interesting.

I spent some time checking out the commercial side as well, and actually went into a shopping mall and bought a new mini-mouse (my old one died). All in all, Lyon was a nice surprise.

1. On the train leaving Lyon
2. Geneva, Switzerland
3. I took pictures of everything I ate in Lyon
4. I would go back to try the famed Nord, Sud, Ouest and Est restaurants. I actually found (stumbled upon) two of the four.

My Own Pilgrimmage

August 29, 2010

The train to Limoges was very peaceful, and seeing Karine at the train station brought a lot of joy to my journey. When I visited her 10 years ago in Paris, she was the typical young French professional living the single life in a flat in Paris. Now she is a mother of two living in a beautiful old house in the heart of France in a tiny village named St. Leonard de Noblat (SLdN).

SLdN City Hall

We couldn't stop talking throughout the ride to her house, knowing we had so much to catch up on the past 10 years. Upon arrival, I saw the real French countryside and the picturesque town that was part of the St. Jacques de Compostelle pilgrimmage and was listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Coincidentally, that weekend, SLdN was having their annual agricultural festival and the town centre was barracaded. Karine's house was right next to the town square, hence we had to park outside of the enclosure and walked up.

St. Jacques de Compostelle pilgrimmage

Karine's husband and children, Jean Marc, Enguerran and Amoury, welcomed me right away into the family. They also had some family guests, Nadia and Jacques, staying with them for a few days. It was truly amazing that despite the language barrier, we talked, laughed and ate the best French cuisine I could ever imagine for those 9 days. I didn't plan to stay so long but it was so relaxing and comfortable that it was hard to leave.

During my stay Jean Marc and Karine took me to many interesting places in the Limousine region, such as the Moulin de Got, an old paper mill that was still in operation, the Richard the Lionhearted route (La Route Richard Coeur de Lion), the Royale Limoges porcelain factory, and many beautiful towns and villages along the way.

Along the Richard the Lionhearted Route in Nexon

The Royal Limoges porcelain factory



One of the most unforgettable and heartwrenching visit Le Centre de la Mémoire d'Oradour, where in June 10, 1944, the Waffen SS rounded up 642 villagers from the town of Oradour sur Glane, and executed them in cold blood. They seperated the women and children, locked them in the town church and set it on fire. The men were shot. The haunting walk through the memorial centre up to the skeletal remain of the old town set chills down my spine. The cemetary at the end of the town cemented the horror as I read names, often family of 5 to 10+, all died in that one single senseless moment. That visit made me realized that all the stuff I knew about WWII or any other war were so minuscule, limited and often filtered. This personal face to face experience was really an eye opener and forever form part of my own personal pilgrimmage.


The Oradour Memorial Centre




A burnt vehicle remain on the street in Oradour


The aftermath of the Oradour massacre

I learned a lot while staying with Karine and her family. In the end, when it was time for me to continue onward, I knew I will miss them tremendously. I will miss the quality time I spent with Enguerran, teaching him how to play backgammon using my broken French (and the kid beat me in the first game). I will miss Amoury running around and falling many times. He would then make everyone laugh with his flirtatious winks. I will miss Jean-Marc's handshakes photo collections, his wonderful crepes, and his trusted English-French dictionary. Last but not least, I will miss Karine's love of Great Big Sea, and of course, the many many delicious traditional French cooking that I was fortunate enough to experience.

Jean Marc playing with Enguerran and Amoury

Fun time with the boys

Ratatouille

Blood Sausage

Stuffed Tomatoes

Ham and Cheese Crepe

Escargots