I guess I should ride around more, but I really do prefer to walk around a city to get more of a feel for it. Brussels has SOOOO many little corners filled with funky buildings or funkier shops. I’ve spent a lot of time now just wandering and still find new stuff to check out, new districts, etc..

I got totally lost today and had to ask a bartender for directions.. then his written directions blew away!! Lucky I remembered the correct tram number! Yeah, I was that far lost he laughed when I asked if I could walk back!! I didn’t have a ticket. Apparently ticket inspectors are rare, but the fine is so steep most people don’ risk it. I was quite prepared to launch into a frenzied “begging state” to get out of a fine, but the need didn’t arise.

I wanted to see the Atomium(?) but my feet are falling apart so I wasn’t going to make it and turned around. That’s when I got lost. Waiting for the tram I turned aroung and saw the top of one of the Atom balls! So close, yet so far..

Belgium and probably the rest of Europe doesn’t have buttons on their ped crossings. They simply operate whenever that direction can cross. How much money would that save Oz in installations and button repairs??

Belgian chocolate is NOT the shit everyone reckons it is. At least none of the chocolate I’ve had here tastes as nice as Aussie stuff. Maybe all the preservatives in our chocolate actually improve the taste?? (unlike Aussie beer).

Anyway, I still have some Fscking Expensive(tm) pralines to try. These had BETTER be an improvement over Aussie chocolates or I’m starting a campaign to bring about an end to this “Belgian is the best chocolate” crap!!

As Tam mentioned in hippyontour.. I think I’m coming down with a cold or something. It might have something to do with spending all day and night drunk, wandering around in teeshirt, shorts and thongs (flipflops) whilst the locals are in jeans, jackets and scarves!!!

Last night, owing to the self-destructing feet, I couldn’t be arsed walking back into town so got royally shit-faced at the hostel. Jacques Brel has a cool bartender, Jeff, and a selection of beer, etc. large enough to keep me occupied for the night.

Their prices are also the cheapest I’ve seen, which might exlain the reasonably sized crowd at the bar. I got talking with some Canadian girls (Sean, thank Shona for me, otherwise I would’ve called them Americans!) and a guy from California. He had arrived from Bruges, which was useful to me, as I plan to get there in the next few days. He suggested “Snuffel” hostel which has a bar that “goes off”, apparently.

Hey, I finally found out how to type @ on these stupid keyboards! Press “Alt Gr” and the “?” key. Sheesh! (to get “!”, by the way, you need to press the “=” key, to get “=” you press “-“… and so it goes.. stoopid backwards keyboards!)

Hostel bar opens soon, so I’m gonna hobble back there..

Oh, on the chocolate again, DON’T bother with the choc-coated waffles, the hot plain ones are a zillion times better..