Yesterday was exactly three months since I came to Brussels.
I am really back now.
If you thought, like me, that my first journey might have been a little... hhmmm.... complicated and that all my troubles had ended then, I can tell you this: no! That was actually only the start. Now I shall mumble about the rest of my trips.
28 December
Expected departure - 14.25
After Christmas and spending a couple more days with the family, it was time to fly back to Brussels, also because on the 29th in the morning I had my train trip to Hannover, to spend there New Year.
When I was getting ready to go to the airport, while putting my bag in the trunk with my father's help, he dropped the car keys and we closed the trunk. Turns out, the rest of the doors were closed and the trunk automatically sealed after a few seconds. No keys and my luggage trapped inside. We had to call assistance. We waited and waited.... I eventually called the flight company to ask if it would be possible to get a later flight. Gladly, there were still seats on the 19.40 flight, same fare as the one I had booked, so I only had to pay an extra 50€ for rebooking.
A couple hours later, assistance comes and takes the keys out, no sweat. I said: I don't mind, take me to the airport early and I will just wait there (just wanted to be close to my plane, lol).
Actual departure: 20.10
It was quite stormy on that late evening in Lisbon and several planes in line for lift off, so we left a little later than planned. Nevertheless, we arrived in Brussels on schedule, ca. 23.30. The airport can look quite long at that time, if you ask me. They changed the belt where the luggage was suppose to arrive twice, on the second time they didn't even put a warning on the screens, there was no one there to give information, nothing... Left the airport almost an hour later, no bus and surely no more trains either. Took a cab home, another almost 37€, but at least I got home really fast. Unpack, repack, going to bed, couldn't sleep for about an hour... Probably fell asleep around two in the morning.
29 December
Departure: 7.20
Woke up at 6.00, still quite tired and with an upset stomach (unfortunately a situation that became quite common during my holidays with all the crazy travelling).
Got to the Midi/Zuid train station on time, got myself a big bottle of water, one fresh bread (simple) and a coke (which saved me, lol, made me feel so much better) and got my train on time, no problem.
However, during the trip between Lièges and Aachen we had technical problems and were running with a 20 minute delay. Got to Köln, had to run to get my connection, but it ended up working out. Arrived in Hannover on schedule.
In Brussels there hadn't been much snow on my street and when I arrived to Hannover it all looked quite clean. The following day it started to snow and it snowed quite a lot. In those situations, all I want is to stay at home where it is warm :)
(View from our balcony)
(close to home)
It was the first time, in all these years, that I did not spend New Year's eve in Portugal. It was a different experience, but fun. We had raclette for dinner, something I had never tried before:
And at midnight people go outside with fireworks and all I can say is that it's quite noisy and I was a little afraid of those things flying in the wrong direction and some accident happening. I think in Portugal those things are even forbidden, so it's quite normal that I am not used to it at all.
It was a short period in Hannover, but it was good to be back. Even managed to go to my CD shop and leave there some money. My new aquisitions:
Theatre of Tragedy - Forever Is The World
Within Temptation - An Acoustic Night At The Theatre
Paramore - brand new eyes
Adding to the other album I had bought after that night out with my friends:
Editors - In This Light & On This Evening
and
Muse - Absolution
which was a Christmas present (yes, I collect cds).
3 January
Expected departure: 16.31
Expected arrival: 21.35
With one of the lightest bags I have travelled in the last few years, I was of course ready to get on my train back on time. Unfortunately, because of the constant snow, most trains were delayed. It was cold and I waited....
Actual departure: 17.03
The time I was suppose to have in Köln until my connection was only thirty minutes, so I got on the train with a slight heavy heart, considering my options... There was no other connection to Brussels that night, so DB would have to provide me with a room and put me on the first train in the morning. But all I wanted was to get home and I needed to be at work at 9 in the morning...
During the trip, many times the train had to slow down or even stop, so our delay was no longer those mere thirty minutes, but sixty-two... No hope for while... Until they told us that the connection to Brussels (which originally departed from Frankfurt) was waiting for this train to arrived. Instead of leaving at 19.43, my second train left at around 20.30.
Actual arrival: 22.35
No problems to get back home gladly and no more holidays.
After all these trips all I felt I needed was, of course, some time off to relax, but no.
Got back to work this week; it was difficult to get up in the morning.
I think yesterday it was -9º when I woke up...
It's been snowing in Brussels, but I think things are under control for now.
Last night I went to a party (organised by a friend of mine among others), but I actually only stayed for a couple of hours. Got a new stamp:
Today I finally went to see Avatar. I had been planning to see it while in Portugal, then later in Hannover on 3D, but it didn't happen, so today was finally the day. UGC De Brouckère again - it is very awkward that, because there are not booked seats, people go early and sit on the floor outside the room and as soon as people from the previous session start leaving, they get up and go in asap, to try to get the best seats. And you know what this means? It means that the rooms aren't cleaned between sessions, so no wonder there's still popcorn lying around. When I went to see New Moon (on the big El Dorado room) I saw people cleaning up, but not today on this smaller room.
Here are a couple more pictures from the snow in Hannover.
(2 January)
(3 January)
Less than two months to go and still my first trip ever to Ireland at the end of this month.
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