So from London I transit to Brussels. I arrive in Belgium on the eve of their Fête Nationale or Independence Day (actually it’s July 21 but I’m late in posting this entry) and there’s a festive mood in the air. I land around 6:30 pm, which theoretically is the best time to acclimate myself to the local time zone. Because then …
Nature’s Art
 So I’ve unpacked one of my suitcases and downloaded most of my photographs to my backup PC at home. Unfortunately one of my memory sticks forgets how to work so it looks like those photos can only be viewed from my camera. In reviewing my pics, though, I realize that I haven’t blogged about that one perfect snow day I had …
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Jingling Oranges
 Mardi Gras usually conjures up thoughts of heavy partying and debauchery, but this year, I find a whole new way of celebrating in Binche, Belgium. With a population of about 33,000, Binche is a Walloon municipality most famous for its carnival, listed in 2003 by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in …
Vive Le Carnaval
 The carnaval season kicked in last week but the real festivities are just now starting to pop up all over Europe. On Sunday I head to the town of Stavelot, which I blogged about earlier, to check out the famous Blancs Moussis.  As soon as we pull up into the cobblestoned parking lot, I spot them in their …
How NOT to Ski
 I’ve blogged about my fear of heights before, and I blame this on never having gone skiing. Ever. Yes, opportunities have come up at Big Bear (practically in my backyard) and far more exotic locations like Portillo, but the dread of the ski lifts always followed with an excuse to back out of ski trips. So when I was …