Robyn's Wanderings

“I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.” – Lillian Smith

Bermuda's Halloween with a pumpkin!

There were going to be no carved pumpkins, no candy corns and definitely no costumes. Why?

Because I was in Chile for October 31 and while I might be used to Halloween traditions like trick or treating, South America had a different way of greeting me during my trip around the world: Days of the Dead.

Perhaps holidays are not something you consider when traveling, but it’s amazing how sentimental I could get while on the road. Never one for Halloween (yeah, ok as a kid when candy was the game!), when I arrived in Chile I started pondering how I would spend it.

Well, the first thing to learn is that not everyone celebrates Halloween as Bermudians, American and Canadians traditionally know it. Originating from the ancient Celtic festival of the dead, Samhain, the tradition was/is celebrated as the time when strict boundaries between the worlds of the living and dead became thin. Ghosts of the dead could, therefore return to earth.

When the Romans conquered much of the Celts land in France and England, the Roman day of the dead at the end of October became incorporated. With the spread of Christianity, there was an attempt to subsume this into All Saints Day on November 1 and the festival the night before was Alls-Hallows. Anyone see where this is going?

Well, for the country where these traditions all started, Ireland, parties, bonfires and fireworks spread through the country on October 31; while, Dublin hosts its annual Halloween Festival and parade.

The UK? Well Halloween has taken to the mainstream throughout the UK too. Yep children are asking for candy and adults get lost in outfits and parties. But what is definitely a highlight is the London Zombie Walk where hundreds moan and groan through the capital while visiting twelve pubs.

Head North to the Scandinavian countries of Norway and Sweden and you will find that Halloween is relatively new holiday and there will be a few parties and themed events around the countries.

Let them eat candy for Halloween or.....Julebukk

What they do, do in Norway that is similar to our Bermudian Halloween is run around the neighbourhood between Christmas and New Years to ask for sweets. It’s called Julebukk and it hails back to the Viking era. No dressing-up is really required….well beyond the layers of warm clothes required! I can attest to this having taken part when I visited family friends when I was 13-years-old.

Moving further East to Russia and the rise of Halloween is not welcomed by all. In 2008, in fact, lawmakers here sent a bill to their lower house to consider banning not just Halloween, but also Valentine’s Day. Why? They are worried about protecting their “conservative ways”. So in place of Valentine’s Day, Russians would be able to celebrate the Day of the Family, Love and Fidelity. No word on what Halloween would be called.

While Russia might be turning away from Halloween, other countries have never celebrated Halloween, but have ceremonies that draw from the idea that spirits of their ancestors abound. The Malagasy people of Madagascar have one of the most unique ways to honour their dead. Though Halloween (as we might know it) is little celebrated on this East Coast of African island, they do honour their dead by ‘turning the bones’. This ritual, ancient it is, requires the opening of the tombs of the dead dressing the bones in fresh clothes and passing them around to dance with friends and relatives.

Um….I think I’ll head to Cambodia now, which is my favourite South East Asia country. Here, the whole concept of Halloween does not really exist! Instead the country focuses on the lunar calendar and the tenth month which usually falls in September. During this time the Cambodian Buddhists celebrate the Pak Ben, 14 days during which they wake every morning before dawn to prepare offerings of food and other gifts to monks living in the local pagoda and to their ancestors.

On day 15, Cambodians visit the Pagoda with sweet sticky rice (the best food in the world) and bean treats wrapped in banana leaves and other special foods to mark the P’chum Ben or festival of the dead. P’chum Ben also marks the close of Pak ben.

Do you see how it all comes around? Sweet rice or candy corn? Ok it’s a stretch, but this is why I love traveling: different countries have draw on the same ideas, but it translates for cultural understanding.

Let’s stay in Asia and head to Japan! If we go now, however, we would have completely missed their equivalent to Halloween, the Obon Festival. That’s because Japan does not celebrate Halloween, but they do have this mid-August Festival to honour the deceased and often ends with candle lit paper lanterns floating down a river which symbolize the departure of their ancestors.

Heading further East (from Japan of course) to Mexico and you’re also celebrating the Day of the Dead on November 1 and 2nd. Well, that is now. When it was celebrated during the Aztec years, the festival would last two months! With the introduction of Catholicism, however, the celebrations were whittled down to two days! During these days, it is believed here that lost ones return to the earth to celebrate with their families and friends. Visits to grave sites ensue where offerings of food, photographs and drinks are offered to the dead.

Moving to the South of this world and we hit Peru, which celebrates more than 3000 festivals a year and also finds time to recognize their Day of the Dead on November 1 and All Saints Day on November 2. These are days for Peruvians to honour their dead with Mass, bringing flowers to the cemetery and sharing food with the dead. It’s a tradition that stems back pre-Hispanic years!

All dressed-up to tackle Patagonia for Halloween!

And finally what did I do in Chile? Well let’s just say I looked like one of the scary masks in the Phoenix as I tried to hike for five days through the Torres del Paines National Park without a shower. However, with the natural beauty of glaciers, bright blue lakes and avalanches, I did not miss Halloween one bit.

Which brings me to one last point: yes, our holidays are fun, but use these holidays with days-off from work (yes, even Cup Match) as a chance to see what other places do. You’d be surprised how little you miss home as you become inspired by a new culture. Ok, enough for this week, ciao ciao!

Take it slow in Bali....or anywhere you go!

“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” – Moorish proverb

“Ok, we have 15 minutes at the Pyramids and then we have to be back here,” said an American-sounding tourist at the prime historical site of Egypt.

I could not believe my ears for two reasons.

One, I could not believe a guide would only give their guests 15 minutes to visit one of the marvels of the world. And two, because the guests were OK with it.

Me? I took a taxi from the centre of Cairo and, though I had to ignore more than enough camel salesmen, I also had all the time I wanted to enjoy the Pyramids.

What has this got to do with this week’s Rock Fever column? Well, actually, this is a column that has been waiting in the wings for some time, but also reared its head on my recent trip to the Netherlands and Belgium: traveling slow.

Perhaps you are more aware of the slow-food movement, which proposes actually taking the time to enjoy your food?

Well, I say it is time to start actually enjoying our travel and I think one of the best ways to do that is to: take it slow!

Which brings me to my first tip this week on traveling slow: slow does not mean long! What do I mean? Taking your time while traveling does not mean you need a year-off to see the places you want, but rather it require quality traveling. If you have a week holiday then take that time in one city rather than trying to stuff four cities in one week.

Because reason two is: traveling is not a contest. Sure I went to 23 countries on my trip around the world, but there’s no need to compete! I’m kidding. The point is, I was lucky to find a year to do that and even then I probably rushed through too many places. I think the best thing to do is to spend more time in one place and try to immerse yourself in the culture. It’s something I tried to do in Bali, where I spent almost three weeks (but really I needed years).

Seriously! Only 15 minutes?!?!

And that brings me to three and if you want to travel particularly slowly than mix business with pleasure: teach. Any teacher or someone with a strong background in a subject can find a job in private, English-speaking schools around the globe. I found a job teaching Biology (that’s another column) in Rome, Italy for a year directly out of college. Failing that and if you want to go the more traditional route then, you can also take the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course too. I completed this in Prague (after Rome) and then went to work in Istanbul, Turkey. The beauty is you make money while also experiencing another culture.

Which brings me to four and you never really start to know a country until you live in it (ask any expat living in Bermuda). I can tell you from my own experience that I would never have understood some of the intricacies of Turkish life if I didn’t live for five months in Istanbul (and again those five months only, really scratched the surface).

Tip five for keeping things slow on trips is not to bother signing-up for tours. These tours try to be helpful, but they also cram as much as possible into every waking hour. With that kind of schedule you will never meet any locals (any that aren’t trying to sell you anything anyway), you will get 15 minutes at the Pyramids, you will have to eat at “tourist spots” and you will never truly find time to enjoy the country you’re in!

So skip the packaged tours and listen to my tip six: travel independently and do your own research. Traveling independently is not as scary as you may think, even if you are in a country where English is a second language. And planning your travel really does not require much more work than booking a tour. In order to book a tour, you have to know what you want to see. Why not just go see these things on your own schedule? The bonus of going tour-free is that only you really know what kind of hotels you want to stay in, the places you want to eat and the sights you actually want to see. Need advice on what to see? Ask me at www.robynswanderings.com or post something on Facebook. Someone will be able to give you tips!

But if you do plan your own trip and if you have very little time i.e. a weekend, tip seven is plan three attractions you want to see and organize your weekend around them. A minimal amount of planned visits will give you leeway to “get lost” in a city while also ensuring that you also experience the places a city/country/town is known for.

And when should you plan your trip? Well, I will let you in on a secret….I rarely planned more than a day in advance, the entire year on the road. Why? Because there was no point and it was more important to be “Present” for tip eight. If our lives require us to juggle work, Facebook, emails, Blackberries, computers, kids, homes, etc… why not take your vacation time to actually focus on what you’re doing rather than what you will be doing next? Hotels do not need to be booked months in advance anywhere in the world (well, unless you’re going to Octoberfest) so chill-out and enjoy Amsterdam when you’re there.

Enjoying a long lunch in Brussels!

Lack of forward planning also helps if sickness, late planes, broken trains or general travel mishaps occur! My tip nine is: rather than get stressed on your HOLIDAY, leave “carved-in-stone” plans aside. Example? I got sick in the Hague and because I had not booked any further plans, I could rest in a hotel for three nights and recover! I did not lose any money, nor did I worry I was missing anything.

Which brings me to the last tip for traveling slow: you can always come back! I remember when I managed to fool my parents into sending me away for the summer on a French exchange trip and worrying that would be the last time I would see Paris. I’ve been back at least twice. The point is, be an optimist and rather than feeling like you have to cram everything into two days, take your time and actually enjoy your holiday. Just don’t go home more tired than you arrived. What would be the point?

Lists while teaching English abroad?

There are a number of ways to inspire your travels. Some people talk to friends, other watch TV and then our wanderer this week, Nicola, enjoys her travel websites.

This week? Nicola continues her wondering and wandering through travel websites:

Many hands make light work – correct? Why not lasso up all the things we are interested in and arrange them in coherent, readable lists? Websites, blogs, and articles are riddled with such options for you to save, favourite or bookmark things you like:

follow it. like it. tweet it.link it. youtube it. soundcloud it. vimeo it. flick it. stumble upon it. tumble it. blog it.

…do people still email it?
…or even, snail mail it?

So without further ado, I’ll share with you the websites I like, Travel and “travel” themed.

Here’s my list for “Top 10 Travel Websites of Interest“:

**Disclaimer: “travel” in the unconventional sense – adventures, memories, personal journeys, and the like**

1) http://abiglife.wordpress.com/
- Finding a blog whose tagline is “From Sydney to Germany via a Greek Island“, I knew I had hit the jackpot. As my tagline might read “From Canada to a Greek Island via France“, this blog makes me reminisce of all things European. Enjoy!

**Of course, with a weak spot for Greek Islands, I must also mention this blog: Oia Santorini. Sunset paradise.**

2) http://fiercewarrior.blogspot.com/
- My friend J. shares some special yet unconventional travels… her journey through eating disorders, mental health issues and things to cherish in life. With a stretch of the imagination, we can all be considered fierce warriors journeying through life.

3) http://travelintwo.com/
- What happens when 2 Bermudian sisters travel through South East Asia? They blog about it, of course! Meet Eloisa and Arantxa:

“We are two sisters, Eloisa and Arantxa, from the tiny island of Bermuda who are passionate about travelling. We plan to blog about our six month journey through South East Asia, getting off the beaten path, hiking mountains in Indonesia, cycling through Bali, exploring Beijing, and meditating at an ashram in Kerala, India. Join us on our fun-filled adventures!”

4) http://www.blogto.com/
- For anyone living in/visiting/exploring/deliberating about/enjoying Toronto… this is an excellent blog to follow on the exciting TO lifestyle & culture, especially the ‘best of’ lists… most importantly, for food discoveries!

5) http://1000awesomethings.com/
- Do you want a pick-me-up? Think about all things awesome. Some will resonate to your core, make you laugh and remember “that one time when…”. Travel back into the memories, friends, and enjoy. Bonus? Written by a Torontonian, Neil Pasricha, to boot. Check out his TEDxToronto video here.

For example? Finding fun ways to photograph the coastline in Durban, South Africa. AWESOME!

6) http://dearphotograph.com/
- Time travel, anyone? From another Canadian creator, hailing from Kitchener Ontario, comes Dear Photograph. Tagline: take a picture of a picture from the past in the present. Who doesn’t like old photos, paired with a modern twist?

7) http://www.drawastickman.com/
- Creativity. Whether creativity sneaks into your life as part of your studies, your job, your hobbies, or every fiber of your being… this exercise and the adventures that ensue challenge us to use our imaginations… they are not just for children and storytellers! Create your own story, and your own stickman.

8) http://dadsonvacation.tumblr.com/
- Because my own dad travels in a kilt these days. Because Hawaiian shirts are just a no-no. Because you always see that one tourist… that one guy… who is just in an awkward situation. These holiday dads make your vacation just thatmuch better.

9) http://thetravelpresse.com/
- Like attracts like, so when I met a fellow Bermudian frequent flyer/young professional living in Toronto, I knew I would be a fan of her travel blog. Throw a glance in this direction, too, and jump into the writings of a passionate traveller!

10) http://wonderopolis.org/
- Wanderers should also wonder… so here are some questions to get you wondering.

**Bonus** If you are into art history… you may also be into this website: http://www.smarthistory.org/

I will forever be wondering & wandering - Jageshwar, India

And in the words of Porky Pig, “Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-… That’s all, folks.”

Amsterdam I have arrived!

“You were out late last night. I did not think you would be up so early.”

“Uh……”

My summer trip was turning into a comedy of B&B’s! In Bruges, Belgium I met an owner who threw a tantrum when I asked about the garden and now in Amsterdam I found myself transported back in time.

I was 18-years-old again and my parents questioning my whereabouts the night before!

Only difference? Well, two differences. I wasn’t 18 and I was paying my “mom” for the questioning.
As you may know, I have been traveling around Belgium and the Netherlands for the last two and a half weeks for my Rock Fever Column.

To start this summer trip, I had flown into Amsterdam, but I decided to wait to experience the Netherlands’ capital when I was joined by my travel buddy a week into my three abroad.

Now with travel buddy in tow and four days left on the continent, it was time to experience the city well known for coffee shops, canals and boisterous pedal bikers! First on my list?Escape my Dutch mother.

Amsterdam is the perfect, little city that is filled with water, quaint houses and with a laid-back atmosphere, that might fool you into thinking you are sitting in St. George’s, Bermuda. That is until you encounter a gang of pedal bikers who play loose with their bells! At least they’re not flying by you on motorbikes!

Sailing through Amsterdam's canals

Which brings me to reason one for visiting this sinking city: there is very little traffic. With the large network of canals and pedestrian streets, the locals appear to take to their boats or bikes or trams to navigate the city. It helps that the city is relatively small, so it takes little time to get from one place to another and made it perfect for the last four days of my trip to Europe with a travel buddy.

My favourite way to “see” Amsterdam, however, is on-foot because the wandering through random little streets and happening across the grand, green expanse of Museumplein offer all sorts of unique finds like an open-air concert or a hole-in-the-wall sumptuous lunch. So here’s reason two: small, Amsterdam may be, but filled with little crevices of finds for you to discover, this city is perfect for the independent traveler. Take the chance to wander through the Jordaan neighbourhood, which has transformed from working class into one of the most sought-after residential neighbourhoods filled with all the necessary restaurants and cafes. After we left “mom”, though, me and my travel buddy found a free, five-stage open-air concert on Museumplein!

Reason three is located next to Museumplein and is one of the busiest locations in Amsterdam: the Van Gogh Museum. Four floors of this colourful artists’ work will keep you entranced for hours and definitely make the entrance fee worth it! A helpful tip: pre-purchase your tickets online otherwise a long line will wait for you!

And really reason four (which really should have been an all-encompassing three) should have been Amsterdam’s museums. Once you finish with Van Gogh, there is a stunning modern art museum with glass walls and the infamous Rijksmuseum that offers architecturally as much as the Dutch art that fills it, nearby. Brace yourself for other museums like the Sex Museum and the Hemp Museum, which are nowhere near Museumplein, but you are likely to pass! The Heineken factory is also based in Amsterdam and a €15 ticket will give you a tour and a free beer at the end!

It's a factory for...beer!

Finished the museum tour? Then take a chance to stretch those legs and fill your lungs with fresh air with reason five, Vondelpark! This park that dates back to 1864 posses more than 100 species of trees, a rose garden, a bandstand and miles of paths for walking, running or riding. It’s the perfect place to lose those cobwebs.

Following the park-run it was time for reason six, Anne Franks’ house, where we were offered a sobering, historical view of Amsterdam. The house on Prinsengracht is where the Jewish, Frank family hid for two years during the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands. In 1944, betrayed by Dutch collaborator, the Frank family was arrested and sent to concentration camps. Only Otto Frank, Anne’s father, survived and he decided to publish his daughter’s diary, which depicts everyday life during those difficult years. The book and Anne Frank Museum have since turned into symbols of fighting oppression and racism in particular.

It would be hard to walk out of Anne Frank’s house and not feel the weight of what happened during the Holocaust. Her diary and the events that transpired there, however, have provided inspiration for the likes of Nelson Mandela.  A tip for visiting, the lines can be intense, but the museum is open until 9 p.m. in summer months and 7 p.m. in the winter, so plan your visit for the evening when the crowds dissipate.

Afterward, walk to the canal edge and jump onto one of the many tour boats for my reason seven to visit Amsterdam. Enjoy the historical tour in French, English and Spanish as you rest your legs from all of the walking and get a chance to see the three main canals: Herengracht, Keizergracht and Prinsengracht, which were dug in the 17th century and are lined with rich merchants’ homes!

Reason eight is then you need to eat! And if Amsterdam knows anything, it’s how to eat, drink and definitely be merry. With everything from Indonesian food to Peruvian and everything in between, this city is filled with choices. One of my favourites was the Cafe De Jaren (Nieuwe Doelenstraat 20, Amsterdam) which is located in an old bank building! With amazing fish, meat and salads as well as a beautiful view over the Amstel Canal, it was a perfect place for dinner.

Yum Yum!

Of course after dinner it was time for the night life which is reason number nine. I would start at Leidseplein, which used to be the end of the line for those traveling from Leiden. Jammed with bars, jazz cafes and restaurants, Leidesplein is crazy and chaotic, but also Amsterdam’s best. I would be remiss if I did not mention the city’s red light district, which is part of the night life for far too many bachelor parties. For others..well it’s interesting/sad wandering through this seedy part of town, where prostitution, which is legal, is flaunted in windows. Of course the other Amsterdam-draw for some are the coffee shops and no, these are not Starbucks. What you will find behind the counter is a list of hash and grass, but it is illegal to advertise cannabis, so hence “Coffee Shops”.

At the Heineken Music Hall!

Taking no part in these activities and after a dinner it was time to head to reason ten: the Heineken Music Hall and one of the best concerts I have ever attended: Arcade Fire. Of course that was just one concert, but this state-of-the-art music hall holds a variety of musicians all year round. Even better? It is only a tram ride away from the centre of Amsterdam! And the Heineken Music Hall is not alone. Amsterdam is filled with music venues and even has two, major orchestras!

Canadian band enjoyed, we returned to mom, spent one last night in Amsterdam and boarded our plane back to Bermuda. Of course I have missed parts of this city that is crammed with markets, more museums and restaurants than I could fit here. So, if you want more information I suggest this website: www.iamsterdam.com/.

Until next week, ciao.

Nothing like October leaves in Ontario

Tomorrow marks Canada’s Thanksgiving day and for Wanderer Nicola Arnold, it is also marks a new experience. As a Bermudian, Thanksgiving (at least the Canadian one) is not really celebrated. At least it’s not a public holiday!

So how is she going to celebrate? Here’s Nicola:

Whew, it’s here – the weekend. Here in Canada, we have extra reason to celebrate. It’s a long weekend: Thanksgiving!

Growing up in Bermuda, we tend to celebrate American Thanksgiving which falls on the fourth Thursday in November. As I attended a school on the American system, every November we’d whips out our crayons and colour in pictures of turkeys, pumpkins and pilgrims… high school was such great fun!! Ha ha, I mean grade 2, of course.

It was a quick switch coming to Canada. Thanksgiving in October? Before Halloween?! And if you are lucky… no early snow flurries. I’m very ucky to have had a true taste of autumn/fall/thanksgiving (affectionately referred to as T-gives, or Turkey Day) with different Canadian friends and their families.

Eight hour from Toronto to Northern Ontario: The drive to celebrate Thanksgiving with my friend's family 4yrs ago!

So far, friends have treated me to Thanksgiving activities such as:
- apple-picking in an orchard
- go-carting on a racetrack
- international student potluck dinner
- driving 8hrs north of Toronto to the boonies… I mean, northern Ontario (temp. only slightly above freezing)
- a long weekend in the Ottawa Valley (a hop, skip and jump from Quebec province)

When spending Thanksgiving in the Ottawa Valley... you can hop on over to Quebec to sit on a French-Canadian dock!

Here’s some trivia for you:

Trivia 1: While most Canadian provinces have a public holiday on the Monday of Thanksgiving, the provinces in Atlantic Canada including Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia do not regard Thanksgiving as having provincial holiday status.

Trivia 2: The Canadian Parliament proclaimed Thanksgiving as a holiday as of January 31, 1957, stating: “A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.”

Who said pumpkin is just for pie?! Don't forget pumpkin spice ale and pumpkin ice cream... yum!

For now, I am off once again to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends. I’m going to throw Bermudian into the mix at my friend’s family gathering of Canadian/Scottish/Australian nationalities. Pumpkin pie, here I come!

Bermuda in black and white

this photo taken? It’s Friday and I decided, after a number of weeks being MIA, to restart the photo of the day for Friday.

This week, the photo comes not from Patagonia. Not even the Alps! Nope, this black and white photo is delivered to you from my travels to Horseshoe Beach in Bermuda on a stormy Saturday.

Hurricane Ophelia was passing our shores, so I decided to head to the beach to see what crazy surfers might have taken to the waves or tourists who thought they could take-on the riptide.

While there is seemed perfectly worthwhile to play with my brand-new camera and capture Bermuda’s stunning countryside. The result? Robyn’s Wanderings’ photo of the day!

Want to see the picture in its coloured form? Here you go:

Horseshoe beach in colour!

No more chocolate....Bacon or otherwise

After wandering around Bruges for three days and before I had to book a second seat on the flight home (thanks to the chocolate), I decided to move-on.

It was time to head back to where I started: Amsterdam.

Yes, it had been three weeks since I first landed in the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, but I decided to make Amsterdam the last stop.

Why? Because for the last few weeks the Rock Fever column in The Royal Gazette (Bermuda’s daily paper) has been following me through the Netherlands and Belgium (I thought I saw that shadow in Bruges) for this years summer holiday. But why Amsterdam is going to be the last stop? Well I like to save the best for last and the truth is….I had to wait for my travel buddy. So with travel buddy in tow, we  boarded our train from Bruges to almost-Amsterdam.

Almost-Amsterdam? Sorry I’m just going to have to keep you waiting because we couldn’t resist the chance to stop along the way in Brussels.

I love how small Belgium and the Netherlands are! Train rides are a flash in the eye and a quick change to afternoon plans are as easy as arriving in Brussels. This week it took us only about an hour and a half to arrive in Brussels’ Gare du Nord from Bruges where a quick visit to a locker storage unit saved our backs from our bags and the convenient metro to the city’s centre meant we had an entire afternoon.

A perfect place to eat mussels in Brussels!

We decided on an afternoon in Brussels because I had been to the city before, and though I had been told otherwise, I personally think Brussels is an afternoon stop in anyone’s travel plans. Yes, the capital of Belgium is trying to pull-in designers, the young and hip, but I struggle with the lack of personality that is so rich in both Bruges and Antwerp (two of my previous stops).

What was more jarring, perhaps, were the greetings in French after two weeks of Flemish!

Belgium is a funny little state that divides itself along a line that bisects Brussels and essentially leaves Flemish speakers up North in Flanders and French speakers or Walloons in the south or Wallonia. Brussels, I guess, had to decide and went with French.

We had to decide what to do with an afternoon in Brussels and what could be better than mussels (besides my tummy was grumbling)?

No mussels for me! I'll take some shrimp, thanks.

So to start my top five things to do in Brussels (for an afternoon) are…..Number one: Eat mussels or moules frites as the locals refer to this dish! Even better? These shellfish come with a side of fries and a white sauce with parsley! You can find them at every restaurant in the city so sit down and savour them in Rue de Flandre, which attracts a happy hour crowd, as well as, plenty of restaurants.

Guildhouses in Brussels' Grand Place

After we filled-up on mussels in Brussels, it was time to walk to number two and the Grote Markt or Grand-Place (depending if your Dutch or French). It’s the main square in Brussels and it is busy with tourists, traveling Norwegian families playing music and others selling flowers.With the Gothic backdrop of the Hotel de Ville (town hall) and the gilded facades of the guildhouses, most tourists never know this space was actually marshland. In the twelfth century it was drained and by the middle of the thirteenth century it was covered in markets. In another transformation and during the religious wars of the sixteenth century it also became a place of public executions! With all that history, the Grand-Place echoes with a need to be seen.

Manneken Pis!

From the overwhelming and historic it was time to add a little humour to our lives with a walk to number three and a statue of a little boy peeing…water don’t worry! Surrounded by an iron fence, the Manneken Pis attracts crowds of tourists all the time even though when you arrive, the size of the tiny statue might make you wonder why you bothered. The Belgians, however, love this little guy and often dress him for the seasons; a Santa outfit for the Christmas holiday for example. When he is in an outfit, here’s a fun fact, he actually pees beer! Why is he there? No one knows for sure, but the most likely explanation was that Jerome Duquesnoy cast the original bronze statue to capture the city’s irreverent spirit.

The Manneken Pis visit only takes a minute, which left us time to enjoy number four on our Brussels visit and that is the chocolate shops. Yes, I know Bruges was packed with these sweet treats, but did they make their pralines by hand? Ok, then you know you have to visit the shop, Neuhaus, which sits on the Grand-Place. Sure it might set you back on your exercise routine, as well as, your pocket-book, but how can you resist their handmade Caprices (pralines with nougat, fresh cream and soft-centred chocolate). If you have time, there is even a chocolate museum sitting in the same Grand-Place that can give you a bit of a history lesson.

My final suggestion for your visit to Brussels is the bus tour. What!! Yes, I said a bus tour. How can I call myself a travel writer? Well, because the one thing I do find interesting about Brussels is the fact that it was the founding place of the European Union and is the currently the administrative centre. It also has some beautiful buildings, but they are spread-out, could take some time to wander too and most do not let you in for a tour. So if you only have an afternoon (well, you might even run out of time like us) you will want to jump onto a bus tour. With a history lesson of this interesting town and a decent view, it’s a nice way to wrap-up Brussels.

And once we threw the wrappers away on our last chocolates, it was time to return to the Gare du Nord, find our train to Amsterdam and take two hours to arrive at the beginning of the trip.

Next week? Next week I promise to deliver on Amsterdam. I mean all good things are worth waiting for, right? Until next week Au Revoir.

Edward Monkton says it best every time

Our wanderer Nicola turns 25 today! What better way to celebrate her birthday then navigating the world of Nicola? Well she couldn’t think of one either so here is Robyn’s Wanderings wishing her a very special birthday and a quarter of a century of Nicola’s travels:

A quarter of a century has come & gone, my friends. For me, at least.

For the third year in a row, I celebrate my birthday in Toronto, Ontario. This weekend coincides with two other big events in Toronto and throughout Canada - Scotiabank’s Nuit Blanche all-night art festival, and CIBC’s Run for the Cure.

Everyone is celebrating for one reason or another! Therefore, I deemed it appropriate to write 25 Things About Me. Birthday and travel-related, more or less.

1. I took my first flight at 4 months old and we moved to Bermuda… I slept the whole way
2. As a child, I was little enough to sleep on blankets on the floor below my family’s airplane seats on overnight flights.
3. I celebrated my 18th birthday in France, enjoying champagne and strawberry shortcake with my host family.
4. Two plastic figurines join me on travels: a California Raisin & Simba from the Lion King [Looking at that link for California Raisins, I found out that "Ben Indasun" is my toy!]
5. The first Broadway show that I ever saw was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
6. Katie and I saw snow for the first time when we were visiting family in England one Christmas.
7. My first winter sport experiences include 2 middle school ski trips to Colorado, and ice skating in Rockerfeller Center in NYC.
8. I saw the movie Lion King at the cinema in Africa, while spending a summer with my grandparents in Zimbabwe.
9. …Speaking of Disney, I’ve been to Disneyland California, Walt Disney World Florida, and Tokyo Disney… I have yet to conquer  Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland & Shanghai Disney!
10. While visiting Japan for 3 weeks, I rode bicycles, developed a love for corn chowder, and dressed up as a meiko for a day [The meiko blog link is very similar to my own experience. I wish I had photos to post of Japan, but sadly they are in Bermuda, tucked away in an album... I took 6 rolls of film on that trip!]
11. Once, I fell asleep in my soup at a hotel restaurant and my parents & sister have never let me live it down.
12. While taking a home-video at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Katie and I danced around singing “We are space aliens, we are space aliens”. Oh, the good old days!

If you are reading this sentence, then congratulations – you are almost halfway through the list!

Your birthday: a day when you are allowed to wear the crown.

13. On my 10th birthday, I open a cereal box (nice gift-wrapping!), and dug through it to find 2 plane tickets to Oklahoma. My best friend’s family had recently relocated there, so it was my dream trip. We kept in touched, reunited in Europe & Bermuda, and are still best buddies today!
14. My week-long high school French trip to Paris served as a taster for the 3 times I would live in France as a student – in Lorraine, in Paris, and in Savoie.
15. Both sets of my grandparents moved to Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) post-WWII – one half from Croatia, the other from England.
16. Give me a window seat on an airplane any day.
17. The top 3 countries that I’ve been to that hold a piece of my heart are: France, India and Greece.
18. The longest flight I have been on so far is 13hr from New York to Tokyo.
19. After graduating university, I was treated to a First Class, overnight flight – champagne included! [A rather big step-up from sleeping on the floor of the airplane seats... re: #2]
20. My dream islands to visit are the Maldives… one day, I hope.
21. My 21st birthday turned out to be an awesome surprise party, although I had planned to do homework that evening…
22. When we visit my grandmother in Croatia, we go for 6am walks including a morning swim in crystal-clear sea – much chillier than Bermuda waters.
23. … Despite my affinity for Croatia, I must hark back to my adoration for Greece. Islandy. Laid-back. European. And f-e-t-a! [In fact, I'm celebrating this weekend by going out for a Greek feast... OPA!]
24. Hurricane Felix hit Bermuda in 1995, and we got our dog shortly afterwards from the SPCA. We changed his name from Felix to Chipo.
25. Lastly: Katie and I share this birthday month (October 17th and 2nd, respectively), and we are family friends with two sisters in Bermuda who have eerily similar birthdays (October 17th and 1st). We were meant to be friends!

Here's for a sweet treat... or 6.

Who knows, perhaps if I eat my vegetables and walk everyday I will make it to 100. If we still write blogs 75 years from now, perhaps I can write my “100 best travel experiences”. For now, though, back to the cupcakes!