europa 2010: the end is near...

on may 27th i boarded a plane from whitehorse bound for frankfurt... today, june 27th, i boarded a train from brussels bound for frankfurt and in only two more sleeps i'll be back to whitehorse... i cannot believe my trip is almost over and at the same time it really does feel like i've been away from my life for a long time... tuesday morning when i head to the frankfurt international airport will certainly be a bittersweet experience...

it's been an incredible weekend... i took a break from the regular sightseeing routine and got up bright and early to head out of northern france to belgium for a day of canoeing and kayaking... we got to the lesse river by about 10:30, hopped on a train to the start point and were off... we cruised down the stirring river, admiring the view of large rock formations, castles and luscious belgian nature at every turn... the blue sky and sunshine made for the perfect weather and a little splashing fit never hurt too... i was out numbered as the only anglophone in the bunch, which made for a relatively quiet day for me... i mostly just tried my best to pick up on anything they were saying or poking francine for the answers... a picnic by the shores of the river at the end was just what we needed after a long day of paddling... by the time we got back to the house we were so exhausted that we could only find strength to make it an appetizer dinner that was easy and lazy...

this morning i repacked my backpack and got everything in -- considering all the shopping i've done, i didn't know if it were possible... we threw our stuff in the car after a breakfast of fresh french pasteries and hit the road for brussels... there we wandered the city, exploring the landmarks and feasting on delicious meals and chugging delicious beers in the hot sun in the main square... it was definitely a hot one today as temps hit around 30 degrees, but nothing a little beer couldn't fix... and i cannot get enough of the delectable belgian beers... mort subite and karmeliet are my faves... and from france, 3 monts did the trick the other night...

by 6:00 p.m. i was standing in the train station searching for my platform after saying goodbye to francine and benoit -- the most incredible hosts EVER... i dropped my luggage on the train and fell asleep almost immediately as we pulled out of the station... now i sit drinking a huge pint of radeberger pilsner with thoughts of hitting the pillow at my hostel... tomorrow, a last day of some relaxed exploring, maybe take my last stab at shopping, beer, pretzels and packing... then a 10:15 a.m. flight on tuesday and it's all said and done... wow.