July 15 - Making a Change

(John) Here we sit in the Brussels Midi (South) train station - we are leaving town one day early. Frankly, Brussels has lost its charm. I knew there wasn't a lot for us to see here. The sites that we chose to put on our itinerary were all second tier attractions with one exception: Brugge.

We tried to see one of the sites two days ago (the Atomium) and it was closed for renovation. Brugge was wonderful, but Brussels has not been so great. It's been very hot (32C 90F), and of course, old hotels don't have air conditioning. Add to that the fact that we have found only one bank machine that accepts our ATM card, and it's been broken. So, short on cash, hot, and lacking interest we've decided to move on. We'll be arriving in Cologne early this evening, and we've chosen the stay at the Marriott Renaisance as a special air conditioned treat.

Overall, I've found the hotels in which we've stayed fall into two categories: very good and okay.

For the most part, the B&Bs in small towns and in Dublin were terrific. The rooms were of moderate size and beautifully decorated. The breakfasts have been wonderful and the service kind and always cheerful. The rooms, though lacking air conditioning, have been well ventilated.

However, things were different in London and Brussels. In those cities we've lodged in older hotels. They've all been clean and of decent decor, but the rooms were extremely small and poorly ventilated. One room in London did have a fan and that was helpful especially since the window was the size of a microwave.

As for the service in small hotels - it's been adequate - pleasant but not cheerful. It was as though our presence was tolerable but not embraced. We brought along Seattle postcards and coffee as thank you gifts. So far, we've left them only at the best B&Bs. The hospitality in all of Ireland and in Bath has been noteworthy.

So, this morning when we decided to move on to Cologne, we went to our old standby hotel nearby: the Marriott. They practically fell over backward to help us book in Cologne and clarify train info. In fact, their service was just like a B&B. So, now we will have a chance to see the Dom in Cologne - a significant site we lost from our original itinerary when we compacted the trip from 39 days to 32.

(Gene) Travel Light & Change our Travel

It has been so easy to manuever around since we packed light. Everything we have are in the 20lbs on our backs. I think I could have even gone lighter if I had not brought along my "Bite" sandals.

As for my feet, I should have brought a spare set. The blisters of course will be with me long after our return home. Every fews days we journey to a pharmacy to buy more moleskin.

Our current train ride to Cologne is extremely comfortable. I could not imagine it much better unless Amy was with us.

In Brussels we must have seen at least 40 dogs walking their owners. In fact, I saw 10 just at the train station awhile ago. I have yet to see a Schnauzer. Perhaps, now that we will be entering Deutchland soon, I might see one of her cousins.