Brussels

Tintin adorns the walls of Brussels Midi, standing on the front of a rushing steam train, ready to jump. I've just been to Waterloo to see some friends and eat some delicious Danish shrimps. On the way back a rowdy group of young Belgians are laughing at everything, cavorting in the carriage, making a real show of being well drunk. The ringleader is a girl who is half French and half Swedish, living in Belgium. "I think this has more vodka in it than orange juice," she boasts. We talk with increasing seriousness about the trip, until somehow, as we are nearing the station, the discussion has moved to whether there is a god and an afterlife. Her companions, even the one with the ukulele, are silently nonplussed.

Waiting to meet a friend from university off the Eurostar, I meet Pete, another friend from university who is also waiting to meet friends off the Eurostar. Pete is working in Brussels at the European Parliament but has found a little time to follow my progress. My slow updating means that my appearance in Brussels is something of a surprise. As we are chatting Nick appears with Anna and Vanessa, friends vsiting Europe from Canada.

On the way into town that night the taxi driver recommends a street to drink on but warns that it has a number of gay bars. However, when we ask what these are called he hastily responds that he has no idea what their names are. Methinks the lady doth
protest too much...

The bar we choose does not have the slightly suspect Latino heritage of some other venues in the area but it does have an Aisan barman who's only cocktail is a pleasant gin fizz. Outside, where we sit in decreasing temperature, it has a three legged dog, a four legged dog and their two legged master. The two canines begin a cautious courtship, presumably primarily concerned with whether sex on seven legs will be structurally sound. The single human being boasts loudly to two young women that his girlfriend is on her way. The dogs eventually decide to give copulation a miss as apparently does the girlfriend.