The Unexpected Traveller\'s Blog
As I travel around the world, I marvel at the complexity and beauty of modern life and reflect on the fact that odd people are everywhere
Articles
Metro Art
2010-03-25 04:00:46
Art, like most things in life, is a matter of taste. I like the surrealism movement which is probably why I fit in well in Brussels. I also appreciate the art put up for us in the metro stations. It is not always to my taste, I have to admit. There are some items which I [...]
2010-03-25 04:00:46
Art, like most things in life, is a matter of taste. I like the surrealism movement which is probably why I fit in well in Brussels. I also appreciate the art put up for us in the metro stations. It is not always to my taste, I have to admit. There are some items which I [...]
The Unexpected Guide to Gare Du Midi
2010-03-22 04:00:15
Brussels Gare Du Midi is one of the first things many visitors to Brussels see upon arrival whether from the airport or from an international destination. Unfortunately, apart from being smelly and cryptic, it also can be confusing. This guide is here to help make it a little less unexpected. Arrivals Are you sure you want to [...]
2010-03-22 04:00:15
Brussels Gare Du Midi is one of the first things many visitors to Brussels see upon arrival whether from the airport or from an international destination. Unfortunately, apart from being smelly and cryptic, it also can be confusing. This guide is here to help make it a little less unexpected. Arrivals Are you sure you want to [...]
We Spell “Belgium” “S-U-R-R-E-A-L”
2010-03-18 04:00:55
A quiet day. The Soul Soother and I have a leisurely breakfast at one of the local bakeries and read the newspaper. We mentally prepare ourselves for an entire day of nothing to do. It’s hard work. We ignore the hands of the clock as they march on and eventually head towards our afternoon rendez-vous with [...]
2010-03-18 04:00:55
A quiet day. The Soul Soother and I have a leisurely breakfast at one of the local bakeries and read the newspaper. We mentally prepare ourselves for an entire day of nothing to do. It’s hard work. We ignore the hands of the clock as they march on and eventually head towards our afternoon rendez-vous with [...]
It’s Colder Than You Think
2010-03-15 04:00:28
I yawn. The day is progressing as well as can be expected but, despite my coffee, my eyelids are pregnant with a nap or two. I decide to go and meet the Soul Soother for lunch. I look outside. The weather is not too bleak but perhaps we will not able to eat al fresco either. My mind [...]
2010-03-15 04:00:28
I yawn. The day is progressing as well as can be expected but, despite my coffee, my eyelids are pregnant with a nap or two. I decide to go and meet the Soul Soother for lunch. I look outside. The weather is not too bleak but perhaps we will not able to eat al fresco either. My mind [...]
Jumping To (Belgian) Conclusions
2010-03-11 03:00:47
The Soul Soother sits quietly next to me as I drive. I aim the car along the road cutting through the forest that is close to our house when I brake suddenly. We are on our way to meet friends. We have agreed to meet for a coffee and a chat just outside Brussels at a [...]
2010-03-11 03:00:47
The Soul Soother sits quietly next to me as I drive. I aim the car along the road cutting through the forest that is close to our house when I brake suddenly. We are on our way to meet friends. We have agreed to meet for a coffee and a chat just outside Brussels at a [...]
Musically Enhanced Norwegians
2010-03-08 03:00:17
It is early. I have showered, changed and breakfasted. My laptop is in my bag and I am waiting, patiently, for one of the big blue trams to lurch its way towards me. Somehow, the place looks grim. Maybe I have not had enough coffee. Maybe Oslo is always like this so early in the [...]
2010-03-08 03:00:17
It is early. I have showered, changed and breakfasted. My laptop is in my bag and I am waiting, patiently, for one of the big blue trams to lurch its way towards me. Somehow, the place looks grim. Maybe I have not had enough coffee. Maybe Oslo is always like this so early in the [...]
Brevity Is The Soul of Twit
2010-03-04 03:00:50
I shrug my jacket on and button it up. Scarf and gloves – all necessities in the Belgian weather – follow the jacket and encase me in a protective cocoon of warmth. The Soul Soother and I get up from our table and collect our belongings before walking out of the café in Brussels’ fashionable [...]
2010-03-04 03:00:50
I shrug my jacket on and button it up. Scarf and gloves – all necessities in the Belgian weather – follow the jacket and encase me in a protective cocoon of warmth. The Soul Soother and I get up from our table and collect our belongings before walking out of the café in Brussels’ fashionable [...]
Springing Away
2010-03-01 03:00:27
I sit here at my desk. The cat is making itself dizzy trying to catch its own tail. Outside, the fluctuating thermometer seems to think that getting warmer is a good thing. Another month closer to Spring then. The Unexpected Traveller’s Blog is brushing the last of the snow flakes from its shoulders too. I’d like to [...]
2010-03-01 03:00:27
I sit here at my desk. The cat is making itself dizzy trying to catch its own tail. Outside, the fluctuating thermometer seems to think that getting warmer is a good thing. Another month closer to Spring then. The Unexpected Traveller’s Blog is brushing the last of the snow flakes from its shoulders too. I’d like to [...]
Gare Du Midi: Lost By Translation
2010-02-25 03:00:11
The Unexpected Parents are visiting. This is their first time in the land of the Belgians and while they are seasoned travellers in their own right, their French is weak and their Flemish is non-existent. I make sure they have my number before they go to explore on their own. All is well of course, and [...]
2010-02-25 03:00:11
The Unexpected Parents are visiting. This is their first time in the land of the Belgians and while they are seasoned travellers in their own right, their French is weak and their Flemish is non-existent. I make sure they have my number before they go to explore on their own. All is well of course, and [...]
The Unexpected Chapel
2010-02-22 03:00:18
Majestic, regal almost. It possesses a quiet dignity which belies its turbulent history. It dips below the tree line, almost as if it is coyly daring me to try to discover its secrets. It is the chapel that the rest of the world forgot. It is an ex-Satanists chapel. It was serendipity that brought me here. [...]
2010-02-22 03:00:18
Majestic, regal almost. It possesses a quiet dignity which belies its turbulent history. It dips below the tree line, almost as if it is coyly daring me to try to discover its secrets. It is the chapel that the rest of the world forgot. It is an ex-Satanists chapel. It was serendipity that brought me here. [...]