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This time around London was just a pass through. My son and son-in-law have a beautiful Victorian house that has undergone a major renovation and although we have seen it in progress, this was a chance to see the almost complete version: fabulous! After one night at their house we all traveled, by car this time, to an area in the south of England known as The New Forest.                                                                                    We stayed at a beautiful country inn:

The grounds were beautiful, the rooms lovely, and the inside charming:

Boots provided in case the grounds are muddy:

Fun at The Pig:

 

Next stop: The port of Southampton.

Tip: Make sure you allow enough time at an inn or     B & B to enjoy its amenities.

so…..

 

We have traveled by car, bus, train, boat, and plane and all have advantages and disadvantages. For our connection between Brussels and London we opted for the Eurostar train (“chunnel train” – the tunnel under the Channel). It leaves from the main train station in Brussels and is comfortable and easy. We arrived early and stopped for coffee in the station. The croissants and cappuccino in the station cafe were really good. It seems that finding good bakery products in most of Europe is quite easy. American coffee/filter coffee is not as easy to find. Hence my acquired fondness for cappuccino. Here’s a picture of someone else who liked the cafe.

Proceeded through immigration and security and discovered a lovely cafe inside the waiting area! Now I know for next time. Perhaps one can check the website for the local station and find out what services exist.

The ride to London was fine – I wasn’t happy to be riding backwards, but promptly fell asleep so it really didn’t matter.

Tip: buy your Eurostar tickets in advance – they are cheaper and you get reserved seating.

So…

We were on the train from Brugge, returning to Brussels, and made a last minute decision to get off in Ghent. What a great choice! As we got off the train we were amazed at the bicycle parking lot:

This was later in the afternoon and there were still so many bikes parked. Maybe all the cycling explains how the Belgians can drink so much beer!

Speaking of beer, here is a picture of our appetizers for the evening: 2 different local beers in a sidewalk cafe.

Ghent is beautiful: similar to Brugge but on a grander more real scale. This is a city where people actually live and work and the locals sit in the cafes and enjoy the weather, scenery, and each other.

The Ghent canals are as pretty as those in Brugge and they have private boats in addition to the commercial canal tour boats. (No private vessels allowed in Brugge)

The castle wasn’t built for defense but to show the locals the power of the owner.

All the walking made us hungry and we realized it was dinner time…and what else would you eat in Belgium???

TIP: Make sure you get your waffle fresh off the iron – they need to be crispy and light and covered with fresh strawberries and whipped cream (or chocolate)

So…

 

When we went through passport control as we entered Belgium we were asked many questions about our plans. When we said we weren’t sure which city to visit one of the immigration agents transformed into a travel agent. He was so excited to tell us all about Ghent and its charms. He did mention at the end of his description that he was originally from Ghent and so might be slightly biased.

Our pre-trip planning included advice from many…and all agreed that Brugge (or Bruges) was the place to go. So, off we went. The trains in Brussels are easy to use and reasonably priced. The walk and tram ride from my cousin’s apartment to Brussels Midi Station was a very wet beginning and as we waited for the train it got even wetter. We were prepared with rain jackets and umbrella but were thrilled to find the rain almost stopped by the time we reached Brugge.

We took a bus into town, very reasonable price, and then started our day of walking. There is a beautiful bell tower on the central square which I’m sure Jeff would have like to climb, but I chose not to…let’s not push the new knee too hard so early in the trip. We wandered around looking at the beautiful buildings, admiring the street art, and just enjoying the improving weather. TIP: There are lots of canal boat cruises and they all seem to be the same, about 7 euros per person. The recorded narrations are in a few languages including English. This was a great way to get an overview of the city.

We went total tourist and had lunch in the Markt Square (that is not a typo). It was very expensive but very Brugge and we really enjoyed it. We watched a group arrive and take pictures in the square before their wedding in the Town Hall. We also stopped in to the Crowne Plaza to see the beautifully displayed early city ruins that were found when they were excavating for the construction of the hotel.

The rest of the afternoon was spent walking: saw my first wooden windmill! 4 of them along a high ridge on the edge of town.

We finally walked back to the train station for the return trip to Brussels…but on our return ride decided to get off in Ghent and see if the immigration agent was right.                                                                    Coming next: a quick stop in Ghent.

So…

 

What do you know about the most famous statue in Brussels?  I expected the see a good sized, old statue in the middle of a square. Silly me. The Manneken Pis isn’t big (about 24 inches tall), isn’t old or original (it is a recent replica of the original), and he’s mounted in a nook on a corner at about shoulder height.  Oh well.

Brussels is pretty with beautiful old buildings, a classic European town square (The Grand Plas), nice gardens, and a palace (Buckingham Palace has no competition here).

We had a great visit with my cousin and her husband and daughter. It was fun to really meet Cleo since our first face to face was when she was about 6 weeks old.  We went shopping at a street market for dinner fixings one night and ate at an outside cafe another. The food was great and we’ve been on a hunt for the wine we had. No success yet but we will continue our quest.

Tip: Check out the wonderful chocolate shops – buy a few pieces in each and choose your favorite.

So…

On our way to Europe. This is a combination travel: staying with cousins in Brussels and my son and son-in-law in London before boarding a cruise ship in Southampton.

We arrived in Heathrow an hour ahead of schedule. Not great when the overnight flight becomes a nap instead of a sleep. We figured breakfast would be good and then checked the departure board for our next flight: gate would post 40 minutes before departure. We had electronic boarding passes that said we would leave from the B gate area and so started walking the 15 minutes back to where we had arrived. Because we were on 2 separate tickets we had to go through immigration, reclaim checked bags, go to Brussels Air desk to check bags, go through security, and then go to the same gate area. When the new gate finally posted it said A gates! Back again, 15 minutes of rapid walking only to find our flight delayed.

We napped on the way to Brussels and arrived at my cousin’s beautiful apartment to start a lovely visit and plan our time in Brussels, Bruges, and Ghent.

So…

 

A “trip” is when you visit family. It could be for a family event (wedding, bar mitzvah, christening, graduation, birthday, etc) or just because you haven’t seen each other in a while. Business travel is also a trip.

A “vacation” is when you go somewhere because there is something you want to see or do: sightsee, sit on the beach, swim in the ocean, go to museums, learn about history, etc.

Can a trip and a vacation be combined? Absolutely! Why not? If you’re already spending the money to go on a trip why not add a few days, either before or after, and use that time for an added vacation?

Here’s a few examples of the combined travel we have done: when visiting Jeff’s daughter and her family in the San Jose California area we have gone to Napa and to Yosemite. When visiting my son in New Orleans (yes he really lived and worked there) we got to see much of the city as well as surrounding areas. My youngest son lives in London, which is definitely a trip with a built in vacation, but we’ve added Bath, Paris, Florence, and Barcelona on various trips across the Pond. The ultimate combination was when we visited my stepdaughter in Australia. She was living there for a year and we decided that was our cue to visit and see some of the enormous country.

So…

Online dating: a great way to meet new people when you are over 50, work with people much younger than you, don’t want to hang out in bars, and want some pre-selection of the prospects. Using websites to meet people can be daunting and time consuming; I’ve often said one needs to kiss a lot of frogs before the prince comes along.

Jeff (the prince) and I met on JDate.com in the spring of 2006 and we clicked right away. After dating for a few weeks he told me he had a business trip planned to the Far East in July and asked me to meet him in Beijing after he was finished working so that we could travel for a couple of weeks. I would pay my own way but he would plan our itinerary. I said yes and then went home and thought, “What in the world have I just agreed to?” Not only did we not know each very well but my first grandchild was due in July.

The baby arrived almost a week late; a healthy little boy. His bris was on his eighth day and that was the same day as my pre-purchased ticket to Beijing! The ceremony was at nine in the morning, the car service picked me up noon, and the plane left JFK at five in the afternoon. I guess my trip was meant to be since the timing worked out so neatly.

The China vacation could have gone 3 different ways: we could hate traveling together and part ways, perhaps before our plans were completed; we could become great friends and traveling companions; or we could develop a lasting relationship that combines friendship, love, and travel.

Maybe you’ve figured out it was door number three: Jeff and I have now been together for 11 years and married for 7. We both have had previous lives and experiences and our new life together doesn’t negate or ignore the past. We are building on the past and adding to our experiences and call this part of our lives Chapter 2 and travel is a big part of our lives together.

So…

My life plan was probably similar to yours: get an education, start a career, get married, have a family, pay the bills and save some money (if there’s anything left over), wait until your kids are launched and then travel.
David and I (and our sons) went on plenty of family trips in the course of 34 years together. (I’ll explain the difference between a trip and a vacation a little later.) The two of us were just starting to travel – we went on our first real vacation, a cruise in 2003, and both had a great time. We met a couple we enjoyed spending time with and agreed to meet up the next year for a trip together.
Then life took a turn I never expected: David died suddenly and there I was with the time and money and health with which to travel but no one to do it with.
I’ve heard different versions of the following: when you’re young you don’t have the time or money to travel; in your prime you have the money but often can’t find the time; after retirement you have the time and the money but may not be healthy or strong enough to travel.

So…

Gilda