Mai Tai Tom's Journey To Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg

[maitaitom]

After quite a few destination ideas for our autumn 2024 trip were kicked to the curb by the group, we finally decided 18 days visiting Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Paris and Strasbourg would make for a fun and eventful excursion. We used the rail system to reach our destinations, which was a perfect way to travel and fairly stress-free (well, except for me worrying about getting to the train station on time). Join us on our latest journey. All aboard!!

 

[maitaitom]

With a few twists and turns and changes, we are finally off to Brussels ... and yes, we really did get to Belgium on a Tuesday.

Chapter One: If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Prologue: Another trip is in the books, and we successfully navigated throughout Belgium and France without many mishaps. Just like the great American folk singer Woody Guthrie (albeit we traveled on much nicer trains), Tracy...

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[maitaitom]

On our only (should have done at least one more) full day in Brussels we came across a giant ferris wheel, the largest building constructed in Europe in the 19th century, two parks/gardens, one of the most famous squares in the entire world, one church, one cathedral, one basilica, a tour of Brussels historic Town Hall, a beautiful art gallery containing a painting by my favorite artist and visiting a little guy who must have had a really good press agent to get him so much attention.

Chapter Two: Underrated & Underappreciated Brussels

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Two: Underrated & Underappreciated Brussels Day Two: Under Construction, Corner Park, Meeting Our Quotient, Fight Fight For Old Notre Dame, “Miraculous” Boat Ride, Missed Waffle Opportunity, Ain’t It Grand, A Port In The...

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[maitaitom]

Today, we make it to Brugge (Bruges), where we would spend three nights. We’d admire the lovely canals and town square, visit a church with mysterious relics, walk over a tiny bridge with a legend of love, see the only Michelangelo statue sold outside of Italy during his lifetime (not to mention stolen a couple of times), sample some Belgium brews, watch Tracy gun down predators by the dozens while I danced with some fried friends and end up having dinner at an excellent restaurant where a scene from a well-known movie was filmed. All that, and we still ended up “blue” after dinner.

Chapter Three: In Bruges

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Three: In Bruges Day Three – Wandering Aimlessly, Canal Zone, Dodging Bicycles, Old Relics (Not Us), Skipping The Palace, Eyes On The Fries, Tracy The Terminator, Beer Break, Please Don’t Stand On The Cow, Marry The First...

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[maitaitom]

Lots to see in Bruges. Don’t see it as just a day trip. Today we’d hit Groeningemuseum, Gruuthusemuseum and Sint-Jansspitaal (Museum of St. John’s Hospital), before enjoying a great Thai lunch. Then it was off to Minnewaterpark with cool views, walk by a 13th-century beguinage and enjoy a beer at a “shabby chic”castle, chat with the swans and rest up a bit at a canal side restaurant for for our own Happy Hour. It was back to Minnewaterpark for dinner, and finally a mad dash to see if we could catch some blue hour photos at the Rosary Quay.

Chapter Four: Bruges Is Much More Than A Day Trip

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Four: Bruges Is Much More Than A Day Trip Day Four: Get a Room!, The Flemish Primitives, A Home Attached To The Church, Don’t Dust The Unicorn, Not Your Average Hospital, Losing My Cookies, Using Our Noodles, Topless […]

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[maitaitom]

This was our day trip to Ghent to see the famous altarpiece at St. Bavo's Cathedral. It was even better than advertised, and St. Bavo's is a beautiful cathedral. Afterward, since it was such a nice day, we just ambianced through Ghent, walking along the canal and enjoying the vibe of this university town.. Ghent was certainly worth more than a day trip. We need to take longer vacations, but I don't think our pets will let us.

Chapter Five: Ghent Me To The Altar (Piece) On Time

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Five: Ghent Me To The Altar (Piece) On Time Day Five: City Of Bikes, Bravo Bavo, Take It On The Lamb, Hard Act To Follow, A Visit with St. Nick, Gravensteen Apple Of My Eye, Michael’s Bridge, Dinner […]

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[maitaitom]

I had forgotten that many of the museums I had wanted to visit in Antwerp were closed Monday, and since this was Sunday, we got on the move quickly to visit the three I really wanted to see. Upon arriving we found ourself at Antwerp’s ”Railway Cathedral.” Then we’d hit the first museum in the world to have been built entirely to house one existing collection. Afterward, it was on to an iconic printing building that is the only museum in the world to be designated a World Heritage site and finally check out some paintings at the beautiful, recently renovated Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten. We would end our day at perhaps the best restaurant we dined at during our nearly three-week trip.

Chapter Six – Gotta Hand It To Antwerp

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Six – Gotta Hand It To Antwerp Day Six – Spectacular Train Station, Gotta Hand It To You, Ripped Off, Construction Zone, Art House, Pressing On, Another Gutenberg?, The Masters, Don’t Straighten The Painting, Where’s Neil...

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[maitaitom]

Our last day in Antwerp … and Belgium. A cool cathedral with Rubens' galore to start the day, then passing by a castle to a closed church, on to a garden at a house that won’t be fully renovated until 2030, chocolate in a former palace, lunch at the previous evening’s fantastic restaurant, back to see what this stolen Caravaggio was all about, a quick waffle, dinner in quite the kitschy surroundings, plus a late night stroll through the Grote Markt made for an ambitious day.

Chapter Seven: No Resting In Antwerp

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Seven: No Resting In Antwerp Day Seven: Tallest In Belgium, Lots Of Rubens, A Boy and His Dog, ManSpreading At The Castle, “It’s Closed Today”, Who The **** Is Thierry Jaspart, Come Back In 2030, Sweet Dreams Are […]

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[maitaitom]

After a few delays along the way from Antwerp to Paris, we made it to our hotel, but not without a pretty funny Maitai misstep checking in. After lunch we attempted to get to the Place de la République metro station, which turned out to be quite an interesting (not in a good way) walk. After figuring out which Navigo pass to purchase, we took a short stroll along the Canal Saint-Martin before dining at what could be called a truck stop-style restaurant. Dinner got off to a rather inauspicious start, but fortunately a lovely young lady saved the evening.

Chapter Eight: Looking Carefully In Both Directions In Paris

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Eight: Looking Carefully In Both Directions In Paris Day Eight: “Forever”, Now We Know Where To Stand, “That’s Not Our Hotel”, Hell On Wheels, Navigating Navigo, Red Lights Are Only A Suggestion, Trucker’s Route For Dinner...

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[maitaitom]

On Day 2 in Paris, Tracy and I woke up early and visited Église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine. Before hooking up with Kim and Mary, we grabbed a quick bite at the opulent Café Lapérouse Concorde. The four us then toured what some call a "mini Versailles.”Hotel de la Marine is a neoclassical palace built in the mid-1700s, which just opened to the general public for the first time in 2021. Then we made our way through a garden designed by the man who designed the gardens at the Palace of Versaillesover to the Petit Palais, where we witnessed both old and new artwork. Unfortunately, we missed out on one museum due to bad planning by moi, but after an early dinner at a brasserie where Picasso and Hemingway frequented, we all went up to the top of the “ugliest building in Paris” to hopefully catch the “best view of the Eiffel Tower.”

Chapter Nine: Tours & Detours In Paris

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Nine: Tours & Detours In Paris Day Nine: Straight Out Of Greece, The Barefoot Contessa’s Favorite Breakfast, Emily In Paris Bed?, Neoclassical Splendor, Fantastic Audio Guide, Le Notre Strikes Again, Belle Epoque Beauty...

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[maitaitom]

In order not to replicate the 2014 Disaster In Paris, today turned out to be an abbreviated one for Tracy and me. It started off well with pastries on a famed market street and a visit to a church with a big head in front of it. We turned back the hands of time to see the oldest clock in Paris and followed that with a nice stroll to check on how Notre Dame was coming along with those renovations. But by early afternoon the previous day’s nine-mile walk plus, my slight cough, caught up with me, and we (really me) needed a little respite. On this night we would have one of our most forgettable meals in Paris. At least the restaurant had a gorgeous art deco interior.

Chapter Ten: A Paris Quickie, And Thank Heavens The Restaurant Is Pretty

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Ten: A Paris Quickie, And Thank Heavens The Restaurant Is Pretty Day Ten: Zombies!, Walking The Market At A Snail’s Pace, “Best Pastries In Paris”?, Staying A Head, The Oldest Clock In Paris, It’s Coming Along, Toucan Eat […]

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[maitaitom]

Back to our normal busy routine, we spent the morning in Montmartre checking out Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. Afterward, we explored the historic neighborhood on foot sightseeing, including a man walking through a wall, and getting a culinary surprise with a fantastic breakfast/lunch at a relatively new restaurant. Then we zipped off to the Marais and took an interesting trip through Parisian history at Musée Carnavale, with a wine break in its lovely garden. After a rather eventful métro ride, we dined at a vibrant spot near Canal Saint-Martin. In the middle of the night, we would be suddenly awakened by something we hoped would not end our trip … or our lives.

Chapter Eleven: Montmartre & Walking Through Paris History

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Eleven: Montmartre & Walking Through Paris History Day Eleven – You Can Take Photos Now, In The Pink, Losing His Head, Hitting The Wall, A Delicious Find, Lunch … It’s What’s For Breakfast, It’s Back!, A Raucous Ride, […]

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[maitaitom]

Fun final day in Paris. It was Journées du Patrimoine. Today we returned after ten years to see the gorgeous interior of the Paris City Hall, Hôtel de Ville. Wow! So many beautiful salons, including a gigantic one that patterns itself after the Hall of Mirrors at Château de Versailles. After lunch with an Eiffel Tower view (sort of), we visited a museum that had never been on our radar, Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine, which has dozens of actual sized plaster casts of many of France’s most famous structures built between the 12th and 18th centuries … and even the original sculptures from Notre Dame that didn’t burn. It was a great way to spend our final day there, finished off by a terrific Italian meal.

Chapter Twelve: Inside Paris City Hall & A Sea of Sculptures

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Twelve: Inside Paris City Hall & A Sea of Sculptures Day Twelve: No Place For Breakfast, Oh Baby!, Take Your Tickets & Go Away, This Is Some Hôtel, Versailles-Like, Psychedelic Ceiling, Watch Out For That Door, Trocadero...

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[maitaitom]

As someone who usually has an agenda for the day, Strasbourg lended itself to, what my friends Tim and Sheila call, "ambiancing." After nearly stampeded by marauding "Vikings, "we ducked inside the cathedral, but since it was Mass, we decided to come back tomorrow. We quickly made our way over to the magnificent Palais Rohan, and toured the lavish apartments and Fine Art Gallery. After a relaxing lunch (with my first-ever taste of Spaetzle) near the canal under a large Sycamore tree, we walked for a bit admiring the beauty of the town. A stunning Mausoleum of an 18th century French general and an organ played by Mozart awaited us at Église Saint-Thomas. I took a solo walk around town as the others rested, had dinner at a rustic restaurant where I got lost in translation, and finished with a beautiful view of Petite France, before a nightcap at our favorite hotel of the trip.

Chapter Thirteen: Cruising Strasbourg

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Thirteen: Cruising Strasbourg Day Thirteen: Gorgeous Hotel, Attack Of The Vikings, On A Carrousel, A Quick Trip To Church, Napoleon Slept Here, Striking The Right Corde, Underneath The Sycamore Tree, Schweitzer & Mozart...

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[maitaitom]

We actually took it easy on Day 2 in Strasbourg. Starting at the cathedral, where we survived the crush of a tour group (well, except for Mary). Then it was really a day of just walking around town, checking out some famous buildings on our way to a palace that was inexplicably closed. When a deluge hit, we ducked inside the nearby (to the palace) Église Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune. After a quick Happy Hour at our hotel bar, the previous evening's dining faux pas was forgotten as I enjoyed one of my favorite dinners of the trip. Only have one more full day in Strasbourg after today, followed by a day trip to a town I have wrongly maligned in the past.

Chapter Fourteen: A Leisurely Day In Strasbourg

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Fourteen: A Leisurely Day In Strasbourg Day Fourteen: Give Me Some Belly Rubs, The Crush At The Clock, Mary’s Encounter With The Vikings, Say Oncle, Walking In The Rain, No Palace For You, Romanesque Revival, Kir Revival...

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[maitaitom]

On our last full day exploring Strasbourg, we stopped in La Maison de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame, a collection of medieval and Renaissance pieces from the 13th to the 16th centuries, got fired up at a local Winstub at lunch, took a riverside stroll and, before a mid-afternoon wine tasting, discovered a tree had crashed through a roof directly across from our hotel. Since we had already seen the newest St. Peter’s, we decided to check out the oldest St. Peter’s, before a fantastico Italian dinner. Getting near the end of the trip, but still a day trip to come.

Chapter Fifteen: Branching Out In Strasbourg

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Fifteen: Branching Out In Strasbourg Day Fifteen: Any Pew In A Storm, Going Back In Time, Flambée Me, Watch Out For That Tree, Bureaucracy Failure, Wine Time, The Day Of The Living Dead, One Saint Peter’s Deserves Another, […]

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[daydreamer]

Thank you for posting the report. It gives me many ideas for sightseeing and dining when I am in France in a few weeks.

 

[maitaitom]

Today would be my third trip to Colmar, a place I rather disparaged in the past. After this trip, I take it all back. We loved Colmar, and truthfully I must have done some incredibly inept planning not to like it before. Strolling along the canals overflowing with flowers, lined with charming and historic buildings, the third time really was the charm. That, plus a museum highlighting the guy who created the Statue of Liberty and a former monastery with an incredible altarpiece made for a wonderful and enlightening day. Add a gorgeous blue hour evening back in Strasbourg, and the last day of our Belgium/France experience could not have been better.

Chapter Sixteen: My Sincerest Apologies To Colmar

Mai Tai Tom Stays On Track Through Belgium, Paris and Strasbourg Chapter Sixteen: My Sincerest Apologies To Colmar Day Sixteen: Third Time’s A Charm, What Was I Thinking?, The Flowers Of Colmar, Collegiate Church, Father Of The Statue Of Liberty, Relaxing Canal Side, Sweet Stalling, Art In The...

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