Brussels, May 19, 2017 Uh oh, Lost Two

Brussels, May 19, 2017

Uh, oh. Lost two...

Another marathon day. We docked in Zeebrugge at 7 AM and were en route to Brussels shortly afterwards. They allow 2-1/2 hours to get there in case of traffic, road construction or both.

Interesting port, actually two ports: one open to the sea, the other inner that connects to canals via a series of locks. Flat, flat country with everything from bucolic farms to tire stores and roadside commerce. Once again the Europeans are clueless about the concept of the rest stop. One learns to moderate one's fluid intake prior to shore excursions.

Today our guide is a rather humorless chap who is obviously quite proud of his country. Never did get his name. Flemish is absolutely indecipherable. Can't read it, can't understand it. As seat of the EU, Brussels is the true international city, an architectural mix of old and new, and very crowded. Gobs of tourists from all over the world, both adults and mobs of school age children and teens. Jim asks, "Doesn't anyone work or go to school?" And  FYI, it seems that all the smokers have migrated from France to Belgium! And so many in their 20s and 30s.

We flew by this monument and that historical spot before finally stopping in the older downtown centered by the Grand Place. Our guide lead us through a labyrinth of narrow lanes and streets of endless shops and restaurants. At this point he left 18 of us in a splendid glass topped arcade with high end shops while he took two of the group ahead to the lunch restaurant. The ship ranks all excursions as either easy, moderate or strenuous. Ours was labeled as moderate with a lot of walking over uneven, cobblestone streets. However, HAL does not seem to keep those unable to handle the walking off the tour so we had this elderly couple; he shuffles with the aid of one or two canes and she is nimble but never pays attention to instructions. Thus they were walked directly to the restaurant. The guide returned and walked us around and into the splendid Grand Place warning us to watch for pick pockets, machine made chocolates and lace. About the chocolates and lace, it must be hand made. If the price is reasonable it's mass produced so take a pass.

There are so many chocolate stores with gorgeous displays of their goods. I was so tempted but knew that anything I bought to bring home would never make it through two weeks in Italy. No doubt I would just have to eat them before they got squishy in the Tuscan sun. Left the lace in the stores, too. Jim is now collecting key rings from each stop that he snaps onto the zipper pull of  his back pack so we cruised through a rather nice souvenir shop. Lots of stuff with EU logos. Bred it be damned.

After a tasty lunch with plenty of vino, we were given maps and set loose for an hour or so with instructions to meet at the foot of a staircase in front of one of the elaborate buildings in the Grand Place. It was cool and raining a bit but this time I was ready for it. So many people! So many Selfie sticks! And so many waffle shops!  The basic waffle, about six inches square, can be topped with anything from chocolate to some mysterious-looking stuff. At one Euro each probably THE bargain in Northern Europe. Every kid walking around had one. Lots of adults, too!

At the appointed hour, 1:30, everyone was at the meeting spot except for guess who. We waited and waited and then followed the guide over the river and through the woods to our bus. Departure time was a firm 2 PM to get us back to the ship by all aboard at 4:30. The guide then set out to find the MIAs, returning every ten minutes empty handed. Now the phone calls are starting to the tour company (we were given cards with an emergency number to call just in case) and then the ship. Finally at 3 the orders were given to end the search and head immediately to the ship. Originally we were all pissed but gradually we began to be concerned and I'm sure the guide wasn't at anxious to get back minus two peeps. That HAS got to be a black mark for him and endless paperwork. Ditto for the ship.

The driver took a few detours near the area where we had walked around and we were all noses to the windows looking for them. After 30 minutes weaving in and out of the traffic suddenly there they were, standing on a corner no where near our meeting place. Big sighs of relief from guide and driver and not a single word of apology from the MIAs! Points to the guide for giving them a proper scolding in English and God only knows what he was saying in Flemish. Went right over their heads. I guess they were just depending on divine providence.

Somehow the driver got us back to the ship just a bit after 5 and wouldn't you know that I got stuck behind that old geezer hobbling up the gangway. Ever so tempted to give him just the tiniest shove........

A regenerative cocktail as the ship left (immediately!), early dinner and then packing to get the bags outside our door by midnight. A stately speed of 10 knots will cover the 90 nautical miles to Amsterdam by early morning.