Bitter Cold Day in Brussels...

Brussels, Belgium

December 20, 2007
N50°50.807
E004°21.151

After climbing out of bed we peeked out the window; it looked bitter cold outside. The sun was covered by thick clouds and fog was rolling through the streets. Over the past few days the sun was able to shed the clouds providing a little warmth for a few hours a day, but today, it appeared we would have to bundle up and bear it.

As we were pulling on all of our layers (t-shirt, long-sleeve, thin sweater, thick sweater, fleece jacket, Gore-Tex wind-breaker, gloves, scarf), I realized I left my favorite hat in Jef and Erna’s car when they dropped us off. I was more worried about taking a picture with them then having all of my stuff. Oh crap, I hate it when I lose things, especially when it is bitter cold and I need a hat!

After breakfast we headed out into the streets of Brugge and quickly found a funky, wool, Rastafarian hat in a little boutique to keep my head warm. With the mission accomplished, and my ears warm, we grabbed our bags and headed to the train station for a quick train ride to Brussels.

The sun, still hiding behind a thick layer of fog, peeked out occasionally, forcing you to squint for a few seconds before disappearing again. I stared out of the window at a canvas of white. Frosted fields, frozen ponds, and trees covered in ice, blurred together during the one hour ride. Marc and I talked about the possibility of having a true white Christmas for the first time. It wasn’t snow, but the ice and frost were so thick it gave the illusion of snow; blanketing everything in a brilliant white.

In Brussels, we walked uphill for a mile and a half before we found our hotel. The hike, with the weight of our pack, caused us to work up a little sweat, but as soon as we slowed down we were chilled to the bone by the zero degree Celsius temperatures outside.

After unloading our gear we ventured back out into the cold. We wandered through the streets of Brussels scouting out a few good pubs and restaurants for tomorrow night. Our good friends Shelby and Dustin arrive tomorrow and we’ll spend Christmas and New Year’s together; we figure a few drinks and a good meal in Brussels will be the perfect way to kick-off the holidays!