Tuesday & Wednesday, Oct. 9 & 10, 2007 - Leaving BUSSELS, BELGIUM

     Midday on Tuesday the 9th Peg & Keith took the train from the lovely town of Brugge to the big city of Brussels.  The convenient underground Metro would bring them back to Patrick & Karen's home.  We would be busy packing up, getting ready to leave the next day, and saying goodbye to our "grandcats."  However we would have time to take a break for all (except the grandcats) to go out for one last Brussels evening meal together.  The choice would be our favorite Lebanese restaurant.  The next morning, the 10th, Patrick took us to the nearby Brussels airport Zaventem.  Having extra time, and hating to leave beautiful Belgium, we stopped for a most pleasant walk in a park to relax before entering the frantic and frustrating world of modern air transportation back to the States.
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 An evening photo of our favorite Lebanese restaurant in the Etterbeek neighborhood of Brussels - Not a large place, but great food & friendly staff
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Peeking in the window you can see some of the delicacies. On far right is that traditional Middle Eastern vertical rotisserie (shwarma) off of which great slices of meat come.  
3

For take-out or to eat here, this prominent deli case is filled with classic & inviting Lebanese favorites - e.g., humus, moutabbal, tabouleh, dolmah, ++++ !!! Yummm .. Great choices!
4

After our meal Keith & Patrick willingly pose by this photo of Beirut's famous Pigeon Rock - with fond memories of their 2002 visit to Lebanon. We decide to also send this to dear friend Nada who made that trip possible.
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Back home, Patrick tries to get Rufus comfortable with his new pillow bed that arrived when we were off playing in Brugge. 
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Rufus is not sure this will do, but apparently he will give it a try. At this time we are all packed & ready to fly home the next day.
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Rufus seems a little reluctant to see us go; Mao wouldn't even come out of hiding to say goodbye. We will miss both our grandcats.
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On Wednesday morning it was time to leave the Etterbeek district which had started to feel like a home neighborhood away from home.
9

We bid farewell to our landmark fountain in the traffic circle at Montgomery Square (Square Maréchal Montgomery).
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Having ample time to get to the Brussels airport, Patrick wants to show us this spectacular Brussels park not too far from his home.
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Peg checks the informational map of Parc de Woluwé or Woluwepark. We had driven by several times, but never stopped.
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Peg and Patrick enjoy the wide walkways and pleasant scenery of green lawn and weeping willows.
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Water features with accompanying fowl add interest and delight. We could imagine this area as a winter playground with snow and ice.
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Fall is clearly here. We begin to wonder how our riverside home in California has fared with the turn of the season since we've been gone.
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Only a few folks were out and about on this weekday morning, but it is doubtless a popular place for walks.  
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A strange shaped tree caught in a shadow with fall colors in the near distance. It reminded Keith of some of the trees in Norwegian artist Lars Hertervig's paintings. 
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A mother brings her baby to enjoy a close up view of the water and birds .
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These ubiquitous geese are of a breed with which we are not familiar.  We keep saying we need to look up what kind they are.
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This pleasant tree lined boulevard leads back into the cityscape and towards the airport. We still have ample time for our departure.
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Well, we're off to a poor start - our flight has been delayed by 2 hours.  This was just the beginning of a rather difficult flight for us. Maybe we should have booked a flight on this biplane instead of US Airways.
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Our plane arrived late at the tarmac under a barrage of fire truck waterings. Terror alert? - contamination? - fire??  We learn it is the way retiring pilots are welcomed on their last flights.  Whew! But who is going to fly us across the Atlantic - the OLD guy - or NEW guy??
 
Well, Rufus, we did make it home to California after 3 uncomfortable flight legs & a less than cordial TSA greeting in our home country. 
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& Thank you Europe for a most interesting visit !

 .
We miss you Ruf. Please tell all your family members there in your pleasant European home that we greatly appreciate the hospitality during our stay.

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