This was the first time I have flown Lufthansa and it wasn’t really that bad of an experience. I got to the airport a couple hours early and check in was not that long. I got through security fairly easy too. The guy at the x-ray machine commented that it looked like I had done this before. Inside the terminal I was able to get a seat at O’Brians and have a couple beers and a works burger. The bartender is still the same girl that has been there since I started using terminal E and she remembered me and treated me well again so I was happy with that. The flight was basically full but boarding wasn’t bad and I had plenty of overhead space for my backpack so that worked out well. I sat next a kid a few years younger than me and at the window was an older Russian gentleman from Moscow who had a good sense of humor. We talked a fair bit amongst the three of us. He was one of the better neighbors I have had on a flight. The meal was a choice of chicken and rice or vegetarian pasta and I chose the pasta. It wasn’t bad but the pasta was a bit mushy (I guess to be expected for stuff sitting in a reheater forever). I had 2 glasses of wine with the meal. The Russian guy thought it was the worst wine he had had. I told him it was better than the wine I had in first class on the way back from Chicago to Boston on the last trip (because it really was). After dinner the movie came on. It was a 747-400 so only the overhead displays. They were showing The Green Hornet. I talked with the Russian guy for the first 20 minutes or so then started watching it but I passed out during it and slept the majority of the flight quite nicely. I was able to sleep right up to landing almost though it is certain that seated sleeping is not as restful for the body as laying down sleeping (at least for me). Frankfort is a big sprawling airport with little aesthetics so I tried my best to get through it quickly. Unfortunately I had to go to passport control and rescreen security to get to the flight to Belgium but I guess it was fairly quick. After a 20 minute wait they started boarding which was a ride on a bus to the plane in a remote location. The flight was not full at all. I was able to sleep through the majority of that flight too. After landing clearing passport control was very fast and then getting luggage was a bit of a wait but not terrible. After securing a cab I was able to be at the hotel by 10am.
Unfortunately they did not have my room ready so early and I had to either wait in the lobby of the hotel or hoof it around to kill some time. I chose to do the latter, carrying my backpack with both laptops strapped inside. It was easily over 80F today and I was tired and sore after the wandering. I walked down towards the center of town and found that Brussels was having some sort of festival starting later in the day. I walked for a couple hours then headed back to reach the hotel around noon. By then they had a room ready for me and I was able to check in (I had left my suitcase in their storage room). I was desperate for a shower and that was basically the first thing I did. With the heat and the sun and the extra weight of the backpack and the fact I felt like I needed to shower when I landed I was very happy to get it. I took my time so I could feel a bit better and maybe wake up a bit. After cleaning up and putting on some shorts against the heat instead of jeans I went shopping for groceries for the coming week around the corner then after dropping them off headed back to the downtown area. By the time I was on my way there it was past 1pm. I decided to eat a quick lunch at the McDonald’s (I know, very lame) but I wanted to keep moving and then concentrate on dinner later. So I walked all around the festival that was happening in town and doubled back on myself several times in doing so. I was not going for efficient as much as what can I find that is interesting. They had many stages placed around the area and each had different types of live bands or DJs. Most of the bands were ok and I listened to a song or two from each. After I was able to sit on a store windowsill for a while I rebuilt my energy level and found a band at one of the stages that I quite liked. They were a Belgian ska band named The Jammin’ Troopers. I know, the name sucks but they sounded quite good. I am still a closet fan of ska from before it became big in the 90s and I can still admit that. They had a black girl singing who was very good and I liked their horns (even though it was only a trumpet and saxophone duo). After watching them finish their set I headed back towards the city hall and decided to get a beer and dinner at the outdoor seating for The Rose Blanche (which I had eaten at indoors last trip and enjoyed). I had a couple Grimbergen Bruns and the vol-au-vent which was also very enjoyable. It was not fine dining basically being a chicken pot pie, but it was tasty and quite filling. After dinner it was moving on to 7pm and I decided I should head back to the room. I was exhausted from flying and had to teach on day 2 so it was best to just call it a night even though I was having a good time. I sort of wish I had gotten in on Saturday instead. Then I wouldn’t have been so tired, plus the festival appeared to start on Saturday as well. Anyway, I had a very good day considering the exhaustion level I was at.
The pictures from day 1 are located here.
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