MP3 Track of the day: 1812 overture
Today I woke up bright and early (I think, much to the annoyance of my room mates) and got ready. The shower was err ... interesting with part of the door missing and hair on the floor ... but still plodded on.
At around 8am I went for breakfast; In theory my plan was to fill up on breakfast (as it's free) so I wouldn't need dinner. However reality shoved a great big rocket in that plan; the rocket being the breakfast menu with only bread (not toast ... bread) and cornflakes ... I gulped hard and had as much as I could bare. The only saving grace was that there was hot chocolate... I tell you, next time a European comments on our food ... you get fed better in prison.
Once this was out of the way I headed to the central railway station, which was surprisingly easy to find. So was purchasing the rail ticket and boarding the train to Waterloo (which was late ... ha to you European trains always being on time). Once there I tried to find my way to Wellingtons HQ (in 1815 ... not now you understand). I headed on a road ... and then turned around only to find a local who said I was originally heading in the right way (rule one: Always trust your instinct).
The museum at Wellingtons HQ was brilliant and I felt I was really in history. Did you Know: That some Belgium units joined Napoleon. To find out more about the Battle of Waterloo click on this link
For €12.00 I got entrance to this museum, the battlefield museum and Napoleon's HQ ... bargain. Once I'd finished around Wellingtons HQ I decided to walk to the battlefield (5km away). I decided against the bus for a couple of reasons:
Firstly there were hundreds of school children waiting (and I mean hundreds).
Secondly I'm tight
Thirdly I was hungry and I fancied finding a pastry shop on the way.
As I was walking I realised I was probably following the same route Wellington took from his HQ ... what was he thinking? Was he nervous? It was like being in history though there were quite a few differences between my walk and his ride ... cars .... tarmac ... traffic lights .... pastry shops (though if they were around at the time they would of made a bomb!). Half way I stopped at a lovely pastry shop for 2x 'pan-oh-chocolate' and a bottle of coke.
After an hour of walking I had made it to the battlefield ... It's quite easy to find as there is a massive Lion on a hill protecting a globe. Did you know: This monument was created in 1826 and the lion protecting the globe was to symbolise a new found piece in Europe.
Once in the battlefield museum I went up the 226 steps up to the Lion ... the view was amazing and the fact the battlefield had been protected meant that you could visualise where battalions would of been placed and cavalry charges happened. After this I watched two films about the conflict and then I decided to take a 'battlefield tour'. It cost €2.50 (should of been €5.00 but I got a discount with my ticket) and it was very interesting. As the battlefield music blared out my initial thought was "... I bet after a day the driver is fed up of this job..." but the tour was really, really good ... being driven around the battlefield not only saved time, but you had English commentary and you were right up driving along the British, Dutch and French lines; you were driving past fields in which 10,000 French cavalry charged the British lines ... and you could feel it. After this (and looking around another three buildings) it was 5:00pm; it became apparent that I wouldn't make it to Napoleon's HQ in time (as it was another 7km away) so I decided to wait for the bus.
After 20 mins it still hadn't arrived and so I decided to wait 30mins before I walked ... 28 mins into my wait along came a yellow bus ... only to find it wasn't going to the central part of Waterloo. As it pulled off and I started the 1 hour walk back, I thought "How stupid ... I major tourist attraction and only one bus ... like every 40 mins or so..."
As I started walking back I reached into my pocket to find that I hadn't eaten the second 'Pan-oh-chocoalte' ... result, that cheered me up. Again, as I walked back, I wondered what was going through the head of Wellington heading back to his HQ, to write his account of the victory that day; with the loss of nearly 10,000 men from each side I'm sure it was a very mixed feeling (as Wellington was renowned for being upset when he read casualty lists).
Once back in Waterloo I got the train back to Brussels ... I was starting to get hungry and so I decided, after only having 2x pieces of bread, 1x bowl of cereal and 2 'pan-oh-chocolate' I better have a decent meal (or else my mum won't be happy); I also wanted a 'Belgium waffle' so I thought I'd check out the Hostel meal ... however I was too late (besides it was a mussels anyway ... yuck). So I headed into town.
Seeing a city at night is a wonderful experience ... all the lights, sounds and smells. After getting lost a number of times I found a nice pub in which I ordered spaghetti bolognase ... it was massive and I couldn't finish it. Still my objective had been fulfilled; a good meal and now I'm stuffed (and no room for a waffle).
Looking back over the first three days of my hols I've spent around €90 which isn't too bad ... with another 16 days to go that should be round €450.00 for the whole thing ... way below my total possible spend ... umm maybe a few nights in a hotel wouldn't go a miss.
So what do I think of Belgium? Well I'm a little gutted I didn't get a waffle or see Napoleon's HQ ... still I might pass through Belgium on my way home. The public transport is rubbish (however the 'double decker trains' are made by Bombardier ... A little bit of home). Also I've mastered crossing roads; if there is a green man sign ... wait for the green man! If not just cost on the zebra marking things.
Tomorrow I plan to get up early and have breakfast (yummy) and then find a post office (I have some leaflets to post home and someone asked for a postcard) then I shall board my train to Berlin ... wish me luck!
Toodle Pip!
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