Brussels

It was supposed to rain all weekend, but I forgot my umbrella. All in all, we had 3 drops of rain in 2 days. The Saturday trip was stressful as it was raining cats and dogs in Geneva and I was stuck in the streets waiting for a cab at 05:30am, for a plane leaving at 06:50am. Luckily I got another taxi company on the phone to rush me to the airport.

I also discovered the pride of the country: chocolate and beer. I was aware of the beer culture, with its fruit beer and monastery beer. It makes me smile how many abbeys are also breweries. I suppose they had to get high one way or another, those monks.

This time though, I nonchalantly asked where to get some good Belgian chocolates: my friends al offered different answers, but also pointed me to the right place to go shopping: place des Sablons.  Imagine the Place Vendôme in paris, where the big names of jewelries have their flagship stores. Well, the chocolatiers have their own territory around this little square on top pf a hill and between 2 beautiful churches: Godiva, Pierre Marcolini, Whittamer, Leonidas, Neuhaus were conffronting each other on that square. 

Of course, next to the old grand Place, there are a lot more chocolatier and touristy places to buy chocolates. But this was the place to get the grand cru of chocolate and to admire the easter season windows settings.

After much sampling and walking around, I also explored much of line 3, 2, 6 of the metro, crisscrossing the old town and doing antique on Rue Haute (Hoog straat). Getting lost int he old town and stumbling on pita street (a whole street of pita restaurants), seafood street (another one with only seafood restaurant, including Leon de Bruxelles), and italian street (yes, only italian restaurants) was fun, and although the country is very flat, the old town has some nice paved hills that made me earn those chocolate bites.

Springtime snowboarding

Indeed, to celebrate spring, the weather decided to go bad and be cloudy and rainy. It was the day my first snowboarding lesson was scheduled on. Despite the headaches, the coughing and the sneezing, we managed to drive up to Flaine resort, after running out of petrol halfway and returning back down the mountain to fill up the car. Undefeated, we adorned our helmets, jackets and apparels, hoping the rain would stop soon. The instructor grumpily told me it was the snow was in a perfect consistence for beginners, as it was softened by the rain and warmth. He also admitted though that the resort would be opened for another 5 weeks...considering there was hardly any snow left, i am still wondering if that would be true.

In any case, my struggle with the board and with my balance went on for 2 hours, as I kept falling backwards into the slope, and failed to avoid the huge freezing water puddles on the beginners' slopes. But after 2 hours with the instructor (not even handsome, more like a grumpy old sailor), I managed to do the backside turn and passably get off the chair lift without embarrassing myself. As to the frontside, I realize I still need lots of practice and concentration, and looked very tense in execution.

Next winter, I will definitely snowboard again, and hopefully would not be too sore after wards and walk like a crab...For now though, my cold has caught up with me and forcing me to go to bed while it is still day outside. But first, a hot bath to soak my thighs...

Strolling in Zurich

I had this great idea of going to Zurich for a barbecue on Saturday, and ended up waking u at 7:00am to catch a 8:14 train. I managed to pay 150% of the ticket price instead of 50%, and got into the empty train just in time. I was hoping for a nice quiet time for 3hours, napping and resting. But at Morges, 15minutes later, a whole regiment of teenage boys hopped on and filled every single carriage with babbling and noisy chatters. Of course they were going home after their military service, which is mandatory in Switzerland. I tried to block the noise with my headphones and loud music and catnapped here and there until Zurich. I was already in a  foul mood (not a single handsome man in the whole carriage, despite the uniforms),  but the city of Zurich promised some relief.

Firstly, I bought sore throat tablets form the pharmacy, as my throat was acting up. Then I walked down Banhoffstrasse to Bellevue to admire the magnificent view of the lake and the background snowy mountains. Along the way, the many little streets of the old city showcased the cute architecture, so much different than in Geneva.

 Eventually, it was time to go to the barbecue so I took the long red train-tram to Forch where my ex-colleague was actually having a housewarming as well. It was 30min away from Zurich and it was the first barbecue of the year!!! Instead of alcohol though I had to settle with cold medicine (yiikes) as it was getting obvious that I would not escape the cold.

After much torture making conversation to complete strangers in couples and with babies, I managed to drag away from the party and slept happily in the train, drying my hair from the pouring spring rain and digesting the smoky meat....