Kevin and Tim getting high, would this happen again in a couple days?
Then we descended into the valley of doom
We stopped for an early lunch, hearing the Frenchies leaving as we arrived. They were discussing the parallels between 16th Century French Impressionism and the 7th season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. After that stop, we made our very last climb of the hike, about 200 meters up, before raising our tray tables and putting our seats in an upright position.
Above our morning stop
The very last stop, yes, the Frenchies were there, discussing the contrasts between the reign of Louis XVI and Ron Washington's coaching tenure w the Rangers
As we neared the La Pissa bus stop, we caught the Frenchies and rain began to fall, perfect timing. They actually helped us by flagging down the bus, as we didn't know it was ours, Mucho Gracias Frenchies! We arrived in Belluno, grabbed a celebratory beer and waited for our ride.
That night, we vaped into Venice, during an intense thunderstorm, braving the angry waters. Venice had a special greeting for one of our traveling party! Upon return at midnight, the cab line was about 40 people long with cabs arriving at the pace of a three legged Albanian sloth. We got to bed about 1am, rising at 5AM for our flight to the land of waffles, sprouts, chocolate and beer.
Friday was spent dodging rain, seeking food and trying as many Belgian beers as possible. Amsterdam and Brussels were similar in the fact that they don't have an discernible national food, so we were left to seek out providers from other regions of Europe, S. America and Asia. We hit the Belgian trifecta of beer, chocolate and waffles, but didn't find any sprouts. Brussels' leading tourist attraction is Mannekin Pis, this Piss Boy. We found a great spot to work our way through many Belgian beers while watching the Piss Boy's corner. Thousands came by for pics, a band came by to honor him and they had the ceremony to change him out of his outfit. And you thought Arlington was the "City of Bits"?? Beer presentation rocks, exclusive glasses for every beer and distinctive pouring. Beer and Piss, a natural combo, harmoniously existing in Brussels. That city can party, when we got up at 6:30 to catch our train, that last stragglers were clearing the streets.
A pleasant train ride left us in Amsterdam to close out the trip. This was a HIGHlight of the trip for some of us. The Amsterdam baked goods are a must sample. Its really impossible to convey the bike culture in Amsterdam, there are 3 bike for every person and parking structures like this at the train station. We sat for a couple hours at this curve, the confluence point for thousands of bikes, public transportation and a few cars, only one mishap despite the volume. Everyone rides - fashionably dressed Dutch hotties, parents toting kids, Uber eats, the Clergy and tourists, the scariest of all. Kevin and Tim aquacruised the canals, while I embarked on foot, hitting a few cheese shops, galleries and some interesting Karaoke. We did of course make a crowded stroll through the Disneyland of prostitution, the Red Light district. Its such a tourist spot now that it holds no seedy allure. The girls hang out in the windows, dressed in skimpy outfits, while thousands parade by in curiosity. Surprisingly, Walmart hasn't tried to open a mega-dildo store right in the middle of it. I'm sure if you did wanted to transact business, it would be quite stressful picking a girl (or guy, or both) while thousands looked on and critiqued your choice. Hence, the trip was a wrap, another great adventure, thanks for coming along.
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