Bruxelles, Belgique

Chels on the Brussels metro. Our first move from Paris to Brussels was definitely a trip to remember. The train trip took 1.5 hours. The next 2 hours it took to get to our hostel involved getting stuck inbetween the ticket barriers, repeatedly, ending up on the wrong platform and sweating.

1. St. Goedele/ St. Michiels cathedral.

2. The 'Veggie' hot sandwich from L'n'M Soul Food; grilled eggplant, sundried tomatoes, salad, fresh tomato, zucchini and homemade tartare for 4 euros. The highlight of my stay in Brussels.

1. 2. Behind the Congress Column. An abondoned area that was built for 14,000 government workers and is now... a good lookout.

3. Botanical Gardens.

If you travel through Belgium, use USE-IT.  There are now several maps for an increasing number of cities in Europe, but Belgium has the most. They provide tourist information for young people, and are made my young people. That's how we ended up at Parking 58 with a panoramic view of Brussels, for free! And don't forget to buy a couple of beers from the supermarket for less than 2 euros each. 

Long story short, we ended up getting kicked out of the carpark because I convinced Chelsea it would be a good idea to climb over a spiked fence to join some Belgians who were filming a music video. My parents will be proud.

1. Alcoholic Winnie the Pooh
2. 3. Grand Place. Even better after a couple of beers!

1. Voila the Manneken Pis.. a little underwhelming... probably not worth going to see it. Even to just take a photo. Find Delirium bar to see the Jeanneke Pis, actually no, skip the squatting pissing girl and have a couple of beers at Delirium.
2. Cartoon Murals; Tin Tin on the left there.
4. Pissing Dog - out of all the pissing landmarks in Brussels, this was the most impressive.

Waffles the Belgian way at Mokafé - with a knife and fork and powdered sugar on top. Surprisingly light and sooo good.

Being in Brussels, beer was a must. And most know that I am not a beer person. But beer is different here, there are beers that aren't beers. Beers made from cherries, peaches, apples, cactus, honey...
1. Kasteel Red.
2. Floris Cactus.
3. Pink Killer, Floris Pomme.
4. Bourgogne des Flandres, free unidentified beer.
5. Delirium bar. No. 1 destination for tourists with about 27 beers on tap.
When bartenders in Belgium pour beer it's an art, they sweep the excess head off the tops of glasses like they were born to do it.

Flea Markets at Place du jeu de Balle.

Honestly, Brussels was a little underwhelming. It probably didn't help that we didn't know anyone and didn't know where to go. As two young females, we felt unsafe a lot of the time, even in the main tourist area. And no we were not traipsing around scantily dressed welcoming the staring and leering men. It was a lot more comfortable when we ventured to the southern end of the city but I'm not sure I would return to Brussels in the future.

However, everyone experiences everything differently and a day or two in Brussels is plenty and probably worth going just to see it for yourself. So don't take what I say and paint an ugly picture of Brussels. Go and eat at L'n'M and have a couple of beers and eat fries and waffles for a couple of days and then let me know what you think.

Australians in Paris

Meeting up with fellow Aussies during our last two days in Paris was a great breath of fresh air. I'd realised over the month I'd been in Paris that Aussie humour involves a unique mix of sarcasm, self-deprecation and paying out others involved. And only realised I missed it when I lived without it for a couple of weeks.

1. At Milord around the corner from our apartment.
2. The best falafel I have ever eaten. Forever ever? Ever ever? (Le Marais)
3. Salted butter caramel nougat.
4. 5. 6. Last day in Paris. Crêpes on Rue Lepic.
7. Tour De France.
8. Struggle street.

Some things I miss about Paris

• Running down to the boulangerie in the morning to buy baguettes, the smell of a french baguette and the way they crumble when you squeeze the crust.

• Cheese.

• Buying a glass of wine for 3 euros, or a bottle for 4 in an epicerie... the fact that it's legal to drink in public.

• Sitting down in a bar, cafe or restaurant and having a drink; no restaurant licences that make it obligatory to buy something to eat.

• How every Parisian quartier has a different feel, something different to offer.

• Knowing the language.

• Knowing my way around.

I think I fell in love with Paris.

To all those following my travels

I haven’t fallen of the face of the Earth, I’m still alive, just been busy.

I've been to three more cities since I last posted, haven't really absorbed that fact..

I’ll be updating as soon as possible, in the meantime here are two songs that remind me of Paris;

Paris-dise

1. Salted Caramel and Pistachio macarons from Ladurée

2. Chels, Marine and Inez

3. Gettin' frisky

1. Antique markets at Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen.
2. Wood-paved floors.
3. Corsets. Imagine having your stomach in your chest.
4. Crèpe au nutella et à la chantilly (the best cream in the world).

Dinner at Le Relais Gascon. 12EUR Salades GEANTES. Inez, Claire-Ellen and Marine. Chels asked for her face to be removed.

CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES

1. 2. 5. 6. The Gardens

3. 4. The best part of the day. The back part of the gardens; which turned out to be free....

7. Le Chateau

8. In front of the of the Golden gates of the Chateau

9. Map of the Palace. It's huge.

Turned out that every Tuesday (the day we decided to go) it is obligatory to pay to access the gardens because there's a muscial water show. This is what we paid 7.5 Euros for. I've saved you the trouble of paying to go see it for yourself and uploaded it here. You tell me if it was worth it.

This is the view from our apartment. Jealous? Yeah.

Sitting on the Seine eating dinner after a day wandering through the 6ième

How to be a T.O.U.R.I.S.T.

I don't understand why anyone would subject themselves to this. Okay you're away from home but you don't have to announce it in capital letters (stereophonic sound for my St Caths girls) to the world.

Observe how
1. Man is casually carrying around an ipad to take photos. But no that's not enough, you need 3 different angles, with 3 different cameras and probably 349857 photos just in case you can't perfectly capture the 3 boys splayed across the grass like starfish. In front of the Sacre Cœur. Please someone tell me why.
2. Woman has chosen to buy a rain poncho with Paris and an image of the Eiffel Tower on the back of it. There's another 2 in the background if you look closely. If you were at home and it started raining, tant pis right? What in the world possessed you to walk into a store and buy 3 plastic ponchos with the city you are in branded across the back? It's like me, being in Sydney, and deciding to buy a yellow and green plastic poncho with SYDNEY and a boxing kangaroo plastered on the back and strutting around Bondi. I really don't believe that being in a different place gives anyone permission to be a complete and utter nuthead.
3. Small girl is starting a new trend; clipping a brochure to your head to protect the head from UVA/B rays (as well as sitting in the shade).

It's like when people travel, it's cue to take everything you wouldn't wear and put it into a suitcase. Is walking in Paris more difficult than at home? Why are you wearing that polo and runners combination?

I am a tourist. But I don't feel the need to do this. Do you? I carry all the same stuff with me, plus a camera and a little extra cash. But really, why? Why does this happen? Please someone explain.

It's happening

On the 13th my travel buddy finally arrived! And it hit me that this is actually happening, it was like my trip was really starting. Within the next 4 months or so we are travelling to over 10 countries and many many more cities. In August we will mow through 4 countries, I can't comprehend that even now, but it's happening, it's definitely happening.

The first thing Chelsea makes me eat is: exhibit 1. a brioche smothered in butter and nutella. I personally am not a huge fan of butter and the idea of eating a combined mass of sugar and fat makes me feel sick, but I can acknowledge the sickly goodness of this and that it would be heaven if I were a massive junk food fan.

2. Home for 10 days.

3. Taking advantage of the good weather. For a few days the weather here was worse than it is in Sydney, and it's winter back at home. However it's cleared up since the 14th, so it's all good.

4. 5. feu d'artifice de 14 juillet à Place de la Concorde.
6. Chels, Marine and Churros
7. Barbe à Papa SUPER GEANTE; yeh it's about 5 times the size of her head

It's awesome to see a familiar face and refreshing to be able to speak English. However I still want to speak French because on est a Paris et il faut qu'on en profite! And now we have Marine to correct us so what a waste if we didn't!