Day 13

Delirium cafe, originally uploaded by Ryan Runs Europe.

Off day.
I woke up early and started running some errands in Brussels. I desperately needed to do some laundry (when you have only one real change of clothes, you always desperately need to do laundry), so I went to a nearby laundromat and threw all of my stuff in. I sat barefoot while all my things washed. Then I dried everything (this is the real reason for using a laundromat, as when I have time and place for things to hand dry, I just do the washing in the sink). Belgian dryers have to operate at very hot temperatures...because after ten minutes the load was not only dry, but also so hot that I couldn't touch it. I had the added bonus of everything I own becoming slightly smaller and pressed full of wrinkles. Neither was bad enough to make a serious difference though.
I left smelling fresh, apart from my backpack and shoes, which are begginning to smell pretty foul. If I was back at school I would just spray some Frebreeze on the, and call it a day...but alas, those days are over.
I spent a couple hours wasting money at an internet cafe trying to figure out where I was going to stay next, to no avail. I wandered around for a bit, and ended up at the new (opened the day before I think) Magritte museum.  Luckily I was there on the first Wednesday of the month, where museum entry is free.  The museum is wonderful...Magritte has some incredible stuff.

I met Nora, a local who graduated from Columbia with me this year, in the Grand Place at 7.  It was my first interaction every with a fellow 'alum'...and it was the first time that I had seen a familiar face in two weeks.  We got some dinner and headed to the Delirium Cafe, a bar that is famous in Brussels for having over 2000 beers.  I didn't drink too much because of the coming day, but the bar was awesome regardless.

Nora went home, and I spent a few minutes talking with a chocolatier on the way back to meet Klaas.  I left with a bag of awesome chocolates, but was disappointed to find that the grossest one was also my last one.  I generally like to end my chocolate eating experiences on a high note.