.
20140417 Thursday .... to Brussels ... PhotoLink

Intentions: Arrive London Heathrow, HeathrowExpress to Paddington, taxi to St Pancras. Eurostar high-speed train to Brussels under the Channel and the Hotel Ibis off the Grand Place.


Actual happenings: Today was a disaster. The flight was fine, we finally cleared immigration and took the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station. We grabbed a cab to St Pancras Station and talked with a Eurostar rep. He said we’d be at least two hours late; there’d been an accident with loss of life in Lille, France. We had a lunch (good). But there were hundreds and hundreds of people waiting for a Eurostar. The queue ran all the way up the main hall, back down the other side, and back up the middle. Nobody in charge.

The police were called in to keep order. Total chaos. Nobody was communicating at all. After a period of sitting way out in the concourse above the pit where the Eurostar customers were about to riot, D said we should just get a room here and try again tomorrow. So we went upstairs to the St Pancras hotel and took a room.

Our porter took us up and opened the door, motioning us in. D scurried in and (because there was a descending step not seen in the dark) fell, injuring to some degree her ankle, calf, and back. These may all be muscle strains or sprains. A person showed up soon with icebags and pillows to support the calf on the icebag, which she used for a while till it chilled her. An accident report was made up for the files.

She’s currently snuggled down in bed sleeping.

I don’t know what we’ll do next; possibly skip Brussels and go straight to Amsterdam.


20140418 Brussels Good Friday PhotoLink

Intentions: We’ll do the basic tourist walk around the Grand Place and to the mannekin-pis. Then the hop-on-hop-off bus, find restaurants & familiarize ourselves with the streets around the hotel and cathedral.

Actually: Still in St Pancras Hotel. We rested most of the day and D is feeling a little better - the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) regimen is working. Or maybe it’s the Ibuprofen with Codeine that you can buy over-the-counter (for a span of three days).

Yesterday’s Eurostar troubles made the major news on BBC UK last night. Fourteen trains were not allowed to run from here, 750 people per train. I think all 10,000 of them were in the queue on the main floor here while we were.

I’ve removed the Brussels map. We’ll stay here in the St Pancras Hotel (a Marriott unit) until Sunday noonish, then fly to Amsterdam to resume the tour. D feels she’ll at least be able to do the motorized tours and some of the short-walk stuff by the time we get there. We cancelled the Eurostar with full refund due to their flap that led us into going into the hotel where D’s injury happened. We cancelled with full refund the Thalys high-speed train Brussels to Amsterdam. We lost the money on the hotel there since it was non-refundable; perhaps we can get something back on the trip insurance or for this hotel stay.

D told me to take a walk to break up the boredom of waiting on her. So I hiked between St Pancras and King’s Cross stations through an alley called King’s Square to Regent’s Canal. The canal is a remnant of the 1700’s canal freighting system. The current “narrowboats” are owned by individuals as housing or for touring. Some rent them out; we’ve considered doing this but haven’t got a round tuit. Took pictures that should be put up soon.

I continued the walk across the canal into a being-redeveloped area called Granary Square, which houses part of the University of Art - London, and dorms, and will have commercial things in it. Then I walked along the canal, taking pictures again. Then I hiked back to the front of St Pancras.

There, I spotted an O’Neill’s. It’s a pub. With London Pride ale. So I indulged and watched the youngsters having a whooping good time.

Back to the room and D. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone came onto the TV so we watched it. It may be juvenile but it’s hard to dislike.

D felt she’d like to go down for dinner. So I grabbed the house wheelchair and took her down. On the way we encountered the evening manager, Mr Andrew Minnucchi; he was happy that D was improving. Into the house dining room, called the Booking Room because that’s where they sold tickets in the early days of this huge pile of stone.

I had a Gibson, then we each had pan-fried haddock with new potatoes and veggies. A good Australian Sauvignon Blanc helped. The food was very nice. I took D on a wheelchair tour of the mezzanine then back up to the room.

Now we’ll rest and continue recovery.

We’re trying to treat this as an unexpected adventure. We’re trying really hard to treat it that way.



20140419 Brussels PhotoLink

Intentions: TBD

Actuals: Still at the St Pancras Hotel. We’re spending this Saturday resting (still). At wake-up, when the Ibuprofen had worn off, D was able to walk to the bathroom with twinges and pains, but much improved. I may get out later, but it’s still going to be a quiet day.

I spoke with the concierge to arrange a car & driver to take us to Heathrow 5 tomorrow morning and reserved the front two seats on the 1320 to Amsterdam using BritishAir miles and few dollars (it’s only 1:10 gate-to-gate).

So far (1800) it’s been quiet. I took a break and went outside. There I saw a bus, which reminded me how easy it is to get around this town by bus. I pulled out my Oyster and boarded the 390 for Tottenham Court Road. I got off at the hotel we’ve stayed in before (Morgan) and walked around the corner to the Museum Tavern. I went in for old time’s sake and had an ale. None of the staff were familiar, and Graham the mad Scot wasn’t there, so I walked to the bus stop and came back.

I checked in with D and then went back out, across the street to O’Neill’s pub. I had an ale, and watched the crowd and the soccer (football) of Gloucester vs someone. Then the rugby came on (remember the saying - Give Blood, Play Rugby). So I watched the organized mayhem through another ale.

In the middle of the rugby, some dude with rabbit ears clipped on came in as part of a group. He had a small basket of chocolate eggs and hopped around the place giving the eggs to the ladies. Daft as a brush.

The Bunny and his friends had a round of beer and then hiked off to do another establishment up Euston Street toward the station.

I walked back to the room. D was doing her computer game, so I pulled up a Sandford book I’d been reading and finished it.

I went for the wheelchair and we went down to dinner in the Booking Room. D had a small steak and I had salmon cakes, both with appropriate sauces and wines. The food was good. The waiter was Hungarian and impressed when we responded that we’d been to Kalosca.

Then back up to the room to watch more British TV and prepare for the move tomorrow.


20140420 Brussels Easter Sunday

Intentions: Church in the St Michels cathedral (mixed languages) at 1000. See next page for Amsterdam.

Actually: Go to the next page.