So far, we are fascinated with Brussels. What am I saying? We seem to like every place!! Each destination has its own unique points.

We layered up with clothes and exercised this morning with a long walk through a park and then up and down cool streets just getting to know the lay of the land. Then we came back to the apartment, and made a little breakfast and simply relaxed for a while, getting caught up on email, the blog, and trying to figure out how to get around in this town. At early afternoon, we went out again and walked directly into a street fair where something like a big flea market was going on -- it was as if people from all the apartments along the streets just brought out all their junk and spread it out on the sidewalks and pavement for the world to go through -- and people did just that. There was music with several bands playing, food vendors, and all the little sidewalk cafes were packed with people leisurely enjoying their coffee or wine. All this activity was oblivious to the fact that the fickle sun would occasionally hide behind a cloud for a few minutes and allow a light shower. No one seemed to care, so we didn't either. We just kept walking and enjoying the sights.

We probably walked 5 miles all the way from our apartment to the Brussels South train station where we finally got the scoop on which metro line, which tram line and which bus lines we should use to get back and forth from our apartment. We are in business now! By then it was 5:30 and we were ready to eat something, but all the restaurants were open only for drinks--no kitchens reopen until 7 pm, uh-oh, new learning! We finally found a neighborhood bar where they served us big meatballs and French fries and wine. Because we were so tired and famished, it was scrumptious! The bar was one of those family-run places that has a regular clientele, all who probably have known each other all their lives and meet each day to chew the fat. Apparently, they don't have a lot of tourists in Brussels, at least not like in Naples or Florence, so we were the hit of the bar this afternoon. The owners found an old man there who speaks English to talk with us. He told us about his son who got his Ph.D from Berkeley and now is a professor at "an important" university here in Brussels. We chatted a long while, then he and the other patrons took turns asking us questions and making us feel welcome and glad to be here. What an experience! He told us we had made him very happy by talking with him and giving him a chance to use his English. We told him that he had made us very happy by spending such a nice time with us. Again and again we find that life and the mere fact that we meet so many wonderful people is purely incredible.

Tomorrow I hope to get a chance to write about our apartment here. It's really cute and in a very desireable neighborhood, but it is ancient! When I look out the window, I think I might at any minute see the chimney sweeps from Mary Poppins on the roof tops across the way. I plugged my hair dryer in tonight. It made a loud pop and blew a fuse. We can't find the electrical box and the landlord is out of town until tomorrow night. Fortunately, only a few of the lights were affected and thank goodness, it did not blow the circuit that serves the coffee maker.