Travel blog of a digital nomad.
In 2007 I was railing my way around Benelux when I passed through Liège-Guillemins station. The station was undergoing a transformative reconstruction that looked so out of the ordinary that I knew would have to come back to see the finished work. [Liège-Guillemins station] Before I even knew anything about the station one name sprang [...] Read more »
See four cities in one day and save on high speed rail reservation fees. One of the things I love about having a Eurail Pass is being able to jump onto almost any train and go. While there are some train services that require a reservation fee, this can be avoided by taking local trains. [...] Read more »
What is it with Brussels and their peeing statues? The city is famous (if you can say such a thing) for its little boy peeing statue (Manneken Pis.) In the name of gender balance there is also a little girl peeing (Jeanneke Pis.) I found this statue on Rue Des Chartreux. I’m going to assume [...] Read more »
[The Graslei, Ghent - Belgium] If you are looking for a picture postcard of medieval European street architecture, come to Ghent. The Graslei is a street lined with guild houses representing many centuries of building style. On my previous visit to Ghent I called it the best of Belgium in one city. Passing through Ghent [...] Read more »
To promote the new Brussels – London Eurostar service some advertisements have gone up all around Brussels which have caused a stir – the dream of every advertising agency. The one that has most tongues wagging is one of a football thug relieving himself in a cup of tea. [Eurostars cheeky ad campaign - London [...] Read more »
If I have learnt one thing about Belgium it is they have cornered the great Grote Markt market. Belgium has some of the best preserved Town Squares (Grote Markt) in Europe. [Grote Markt, Antwerp (Antwerpen)] [Grote Markt - Brussels] [Grote Markt - Mechelen] [Grote Markt - Leuven] [Grote Markt - Kortrijk] [Grote Markt Cafes - [...] Read more »
I found myself at the Grote Markt (Main Square) of Mechelen on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Much of the trench war of WWI was fought in Belgium. [Armistice Day in Mechelen - Belgium] Read more »
Belgium is a land where beer is taken seriously. There are over 1000 types of beer in Belgium. They even have beer in regular vending machines on the street. That would never work in any of the binge drinking Anglo-Celtic lands. [Vending Machine Beer in Ghent] Read more »
Halfway between Bruges and Brussels is Ghent (Gent). Like Bruges, much of Ghent’s medieval architecture remains intact. Like Brussels, it has a lively nightlife and arts scene. Ghent is like having the best of these two great cities in one, which is why I don’t understand why Ghent isn’t as well known as it should [...] Read more »
[St Petrus and Paulus Church] Ostend (Oostende) on a windswept November day is not the first place you would think of visiting, but these are the things you sometimes find yourself doing when you have a railpass. Being a major port it was bombed during the Second World War. Wandering around the streets you can [...] Read more »