ePhrog

Well, okay this is going to be a quick post type variety. I don’t want to monopolize the only internet connected computer we have for too long.

Leaving for O’Hare was a flipping nightmare. There was a snow storm that hit SE/SC Wisconsin and Northern Illinois at exactly the time we were attempting to get there. Pete arrived in Madison at a reasonable time, and I had gotten into work a bit earlier in anticipation for the 4-6″ of snow we were supposed to be getting around the time we were going to be driving to my parents house.

I think we had the snow situation covered as far as driving went. We probably would’ve had enough time to safely drive from Madison to New Berlin and then on to O’Hare just fine, if poor Mom handed fallen so very ill. I hope she’s feeling better. Instead my poor mother felt like she had been hit by a truck and given my little sister’s strange eyes I wasn’t going to request anyone drive for 3 hours just to get me to my flight. Pete and I opted for the bus that was supposed to arrive at 6:10 at O’Hare. With our flight at 8:05 pm we figured that even if it was running late because of snow it really shouldn’t be too bad.

We got there at 7:10.

There being the wrong terminal.

Fortunately, our flight was running late for the exact same reason we were, even though the snow had stopped about an hour previous.

We made our flight with time to spare. I slept decently on the flight, and had asked a stewardess to wake me up about halfway through so I could take some more Dramamine. (Note to self: purchase something that’s not a phone with a timer for longer flights). I had a seriously upset stomach for about an hour after that unfortunately. I couldn’t tell if I was going to vomit or not, it just hurt, and then would stop, and rinse repeat for about an hour. I made it through the flight without incident, but I think for the return flight I’m going to make sure that I have a nice settled, fed stomach before flying. I think it was the combination of really no food since 2 pm plus medicine controlled motion sickness is what seriously annoyed it. Pete had a very hard time with the whole sleeping on a plane thing and being in a different continent/time zone, to not even mention sleeping in the same room with other people.

We arrived easily at the Tooting Broadway station where we ran into to Caroline. Traveling with a rolling suitcase has its benefits compared to traveling with multiple bags and feeling like a pack mule. Stairs are not one of those benefits. I felt like an incredibly annoying tourist, but in all I don’t think we blocked too many people or ran over too many toes. We all managed to get our bags in the back of Mat’s dad’s teeny car successfully and headed to Mat’s place we were promptly treated with Mat’s mom’s amazingly tasty lasagna and frittata and a nice hot shower. Afterward we headed out to catch our train to Brusells MIDI.

Sven, Ian and Yolanda all met us there and we took the train to Zottegem. Once the local time hit after 10 pm Pete and I finally allowed ourselves to doze. We were so very overtired. Poor Sven’s car couldn’t possibly fit all 7 of us all our travel stuffs so we ended up taking two trips from the train station to Sven’s. On his second trip back he picked all of us up some kabobs (gyros) that were fantastically awesome. Heck, everything tasted extra delicious simply because I could actually eat this time around. We all crashed out shortly after except Sven and Caroline that decided to go out and come back home ’round four.

Mat was supposed to leave his phone on so Greg could actually text him and Sven could come get him once he hand landed in Brussels, but spaced out and shut it off, so around 10 in the morning Sven headed out to pick up Greg (poor Greg). We all slept a bit more and eventually started functioning.

The next day (30th) we still laid low. I had a spectacular headache that liked to randomly ramp up and disappear again. Greg basically slept off his nice bit of jet lag. Sven, Caroline, and Yolanda took Ian to his train in Brussels while Mat, Pete and I hung out for a bit. We checked out the local hostel ran by Sven’s neighbor for some possibly more comfortable sleeping solutions. Mat went back to Sven’s afterward and Pete and I wandered around for a bit attempting to find the allegedly nearby town and thus an ATM so we could actually have some locally legitimate currency. We’ve discovered that in this group it’s actually rather hard to even attempt to pay your share of anything. We have devious plans to amend this.

Given the lack of proper beds to sleep 7 people, and the lack of heating in the hostel, Pete, Mat and I moved 4 mattress from the hostel to Sven’s upstairs while the rest of them went out (we weren’t really up for clubbing or the like). It’s really nice now, everyone has their own place to sleep complete with pillow and sleeping bag/blanket.

On New Year’s we headed out to Gent ’round 4:00 pm and didn’t get back until at least 12 hours later. Greg, Yolanda, Caroline, Pete, Mat and I wandered around Gent some finding some of the places Sven had shown Yolanda earlier that week while Sven took care of some stuff. We grabbed some pomme frite (I had the best freaking tomato curry ketchup & mayo with them) while we wandered about trying to find some place or something to do. Getting fries as a snacky type thing seems to be a very Belgian thing to do. I don’t know of anything analogous in the States to compare it to, but who cares, the fries were fresh and tasty. We eventually found this nice Irish pub that wasn’t too crowded, plopped ourselves down in the non-smoking section and started festivities. Next we headed to the Delerium Cafe - which obviously served Delerium Tremens. Delerium Tremens is a beer that’s 9.5% ABV with pink elephant on the label, the first place I had it was on the Terrace in Madison - quite tasty. They had a Delerium Christmas that…oddly, tasted of spaghetti, but it was quite amazingly good and at 10% abv, actually let you know you were drinking. Afterward I had an amazingly good Mango lambic ale, and something I have no clue how to spell but tasted of non-crappy apple pucker (plus some other stuff >_>).

We stayed there for New Year’s and wandered about when they were sitting off fireworks outside. There was an interesting elderly Dutch gentleman with a top hat, suit, a spitting problem and accordingly to Sven virtually incomprehensible Dutch that really was keen on ranting at Greg and I, which added a whole ‘nother interesting dimension to the evening.

After Delirium Cafe we headed out to some dance club and mucked around a bit. We started heading back in packs (again, can’t even attempt to think about fitting 7 full grown adults in Sven’s car) and all crashed out around 6 in the morning.

Today we’ve all just been laying low and bumming about.

Sven has been beyond awesome about having 7 strange people in his unfinished house. It’s been surreally smooth hanging out with 7 basically strange people. Belgium, from what I’ve seen is great. I’m going to start going out and seeing more now that my stomach and I are coming to a mutual understanding of food, liquor, fun and yogurt. Everyone’s been great, mutually polite, considerate, and we’re rather well coordinated for a group of 3 Americans, 3 Brits and a Belgian all living in an unfinished house with one bathroom that has no door. There are mis-hearings, miscommunications and giggles at words said strangely, but, we’re getting on very well. Cooking and traveling does require some time to iron out, and we’re all too laid back to get it quickly ironed out at times, but I’d rather that than some pushy jerk demanding to do what he wants.

We are so damned glad we came, made it through the snow and dealt with all the hullabaloo of traveling to be here. I find it to be very well worth it. I always think traveling is worth the headache to see people and places.

There won’t be any pictures for quite some time, we only have 3G through Mat’s card and I’m certainly not going to cost him even more money just to show you how beautiful Gent is now, rather than later.

We’re planning on going to Amsterdam tomorrow and a monastery later on in the week. I know I’m not going to be able to see and do everything I want to while I’m here, but I’m pleased to have the chance to even begin to try.

So, yes, we’re alive, well and enjoying ourselves.

Until the next time I commandeer the computer. *waves*

Edit: I like vacations like this where my theory that people are basically nice, decent human beings is continuously proved correct :p Take that, skeptics!

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