Re: Belgium trip information

[Guest guest]

Jim: as a long time Brussels resident (almost 10 years now...) I can

hopefully give some useful hints to all surfacehippies planning to

fly to Belgium from USA, or other foreign ountris.

Regarding Airlines to take from USA, I would suggest not to limit

your search to just flights to Brussels. Especially if you have to

fly from California, I think you should also look at flights to

PARIS. There's quite a choice of airlines flying from LA and San

Francisco to Paris and you know, where there's greater competion,

prices go down! Besides, doing things this way would give you a

chance, for example, to spend the pre-op weekend in Paris. Getting

from Paris to Brussels (and viceversa) by train is SUPER EASY with

the high-speed train " THALYS " (see: http://www.thalys.com/ for

schedule and prices). This train goes at 290 kmh, so the trip is

just 1 hour & 25 mins long. And they have stops at Paris-city, at

de Gaulle Airport ..and even at Disneyland Paris.

Another similar alternative is to fly from the US to London and then

take the Eurostar train to Brussels (see: http://www.eurostar.com )

However, getting from Heathrow airport to Waterloo Train Station in

central London is not exactly a piece of cake... and then the train

trip is 2 hrs and 30 mins long (it also includes 20 mins

underground, and water, in the " chunnel " ).

If, in the end, you decide to fly directly to Brussels, spending the

pre-op weekend there can be fun. Just get a hotel near the Grand

Place (Central Square), eath mussels and Belgian fries (with Belgian

beer!) in one of the many restaurants of the ILOT SACRE' (this is a

cute area filled with little streets crowded with restaurants which

is just in back of the Grand Place). One thing that I particularly

suggest, is to visit Brussel's Museum of Musical Instruments (see:

http://www.mim.fgov.be ). The art nouveau building where the museum

is located is already a trip in itself! They give you earphones and

when you get close to each instrument displayed in the windows, from

all different ages, you can hear its sound! And on the last floor of

the building, ther's a real cute cafe', where you can drink or have

a snack with a splendid view over Brussels.

After surgery, little day-trips to center city Gent, as well as to

nearby Bruges ( " The Venice of the North " ) I think can be very nice

both for the eyes and mind .....as well as for the legs!

Looking forward to personally meeting all the hippies who will have

surgery with De Smet during my same week (August 9-13).

Take good care of yourselves, everyone!

Al from Brussels

(LBHR - De Smet, August 10, 2004)

[Guest guest]

Jim: as a long time Brussels resident (almost 10 years now...) I can

hopefully give some useful hints to all surfacehippies planning to

fly to Belgium from USA, or other foreign ountris.

Regarding Airlines to take from USA, I would suggest not to limit

your search to just flights to Brussels. Especially if you have to

fly from California, I think you should also look at flights to

PARIS. There's quite a choice of airlines flying from LA and San

Francisco to Paris and you know, where there's greater competion,

prices go down! Besides, doing things this way would give you a

chance, for example, to spend the pre-op weekend in Paris. Getting

from Paris to Brussels (and viceversa) by train is SUPER EASY with

the high-speed train " THALYS " (see: http://www.thalys.com/ for

schedule and prices). This train goes at 290 kmh, so the trip is

just 1 hour & 25 mins long. And they have stops at Paris-city, at

de Gaulle Airport ..and even at Disneyland Paris.

Another similar alternative is to fly from the US to London and then

take the Eurostar train to Brussels (see: http://www.eurostar.com )

However, getting from Heathrow airport to Waterloo Train Station in

central London is not exactly a piece of cake... and then the train

trip is 2 hrs and 30 mins long (it also includes 20 mins

underground, and water, in the " chunnel " ).

If, in the end, you decide to fly directly to Brussels, spending the

pre-op weekend there can be fun. Just get a hotel near the Grand

Place (Central Square), eath mussels and Belgian fries (with Belgian

beer!) in one of the many restaurants of the ILOT SACRE' (this is a

cute area filled with little streets crowded with restaurants which

is just in back of the Grand Place). One thing that I particularly

suggest, is to visit Brussel's Museum of Musical Instruments (see:

http://www.mim.fgov.be ). The art nouveau building where the museum

is located is already a trip in itself! They give you earphones and

when you get close to each instrument displayed in the windows, from

all different ages, you can hear its sound! And on the last floor of

the building, ther's a real cute cafe', where you can drink or have

a snack with a splendid view over Brussels.

After surgery, little day-trips to center city Gent, as well as to

nearby Bruges ( " The Venice of the North " ) I think can be very nice

both for the eyes and mind .....as well as for the legs!

Looking forward to personally meeting all the hippies who will have

surgery with De Smet during my same week (August 9-13).

Take good care of yourselves, everyone!

Al from Brussels

(LBHR - De Smet, August 10, 2004)