My trip to Belgium 11th – 14th Aug.

I was looking forward to this trip since Eric’s first visit to Bonn. I timed this to fit the Marktrock, one of Europe’s biggest urban music festival. Stupid thing is the event only starts on the 13th, simply because it has to end on the 15th, which is a national holiday in most parts of Europe, except Bonn! Its Mary’s ascension to heaven on that day…and perhaps country’s that feel more religious makes it a public holiday. Damn Bonn!


Here is the poster for the music fest that was Marktrock, most of them we dont know



My Belgium Itinary (work - Koln - Liege - Leuven - Gent - Brussels - Leuven - Marktrock - Koln - work)

So what is famous in Belgium? Having been there during my Euro trip back in summer 04, my 6 hours in Brussels gave me a very bad impression of the capital. I hope to change this mindset with this trip. Besides fries (which apparently originated here rather than France…but still we call it French fries), waffles and really nice chocolates…what else makes Belgium…Belgium?! What do they speak…Belglish? (ok…its either Flemish or French or Dutch…depending on the region). We had a conversation during my Baltic trip about what makes Belgium tick…and sadly the outcome of it was that yes…Belgium as a country seems like a land that is neither here nor there (vague…but put in terms of economy, people wise, culture and traditions). But it definitely was something which I want to find out too…which made this trip all the more like a mission! All the more because I originally wanted to go to Belgium for my internship, having lost out a really cool position to a crappy guy (yes, I am still bitter!), ironically the same place where Eric is doing his internship now, the world’s largest brewery. So in a way I am coming full circle with this possible scenario which I missed…living a life in Leuwen, through my trip here to Belgium.

So I ve got Dee (my travelling partner lately) and introducing to Portuguese Tart’s blogosphere, Jonathan Lustgarten. This Venezuelan dude arrived recently and we hit it off instantly, from the moment we were “selecting” him if he fits the bill to replace Claudia in her room. Don’t ask me why I was involved…but yeah, maybe its cuz he has like the coolest surname since de Souza!! You could do like heaps of bed talk with a surname like this! “…allow me to show you around the garden of lust!” So cool! Anyways I’ve christened him John Lusty from the day we met! Amen…!

(Left - right); Portuguese Tart, Dee, John Lusty and the host for the weekend.





And thus our journey begins…with a transition to my sister site of course to begin with.