The Mussels ... I Mean Parrots of Brussels

This weekend we had several adventures. Saturday was absolutely gorgeous so we took the dog for a nice long hike around the town of Larochette. He will be spending almost a week at the dog hotel while we're in Paris so we felt we owed him a hike instead of a bike ride. An impressive castle overlooks the town of Larochette and the surrounding hills are covered in hiking and mountain bike trails. You can purchase a guide to the "wandering routes," rails to trails, and the cycle paths at most book stores. They are invaluable for keeping track of what trail you're on. Luxembourg is certainly not lacking in outdoor activities, and it's easy for someone unused to the signage to get confused.

Yesterday, we took the 7:40am train to Brussels to meet up with a friend from Akron there for business and our other friends who live in Leuven, about 30mins outside the capital. They were our tour guides for the day and took us outside the tourist center to see the European Parliament area (Brussels is the administrative capital of the EU) and to get a nice lunch for a better price than the tourist traps near Grand Place. I had a delicious stew with a side of pomme frites and, of course, a Belgian Trappist ale. It was cold, grey, and wet so there weren't many opportune times for photos, but it was nice to spend time with some highly missed friends.

Here's a fun fact about Brussels. It is overrun with tropical parrots! According to our friends, Brussels used to have an enclosed aviary. Eventually it went out of business and the owners released the birds. This time of year is the best for spotting the bright birds against the bar trees. It's really quite the sight!