Belgium February 2006 - Don't book that flight yet

In case you were thinking of coming over to see the Waterloo battlefield. Ho hum. Now that’s not to say I’m not glad I went. It just wasn’t really that spectacular – not ANYTHING like our Gettysburg. (Johhny, Marlene – remember our trip there – what was it? 7 inches of snow!!!!! – but that was a lot of fun that weekend).

Anyway, the battlefield site had a film, a panorama, and a wax museum. The film was kind of macabre – it was about some modern day school kids on an outing to the battlefield – two of them have visions of actually being at the battle – it was really kind of bizarre. The panorama didn’t even move – you had to walk the circle. The wax museum was pretty decent.

Of course the main attraction – and it was worth the trip just to see it – is the Lion Mound. It’s a 28 ton cast-iron lion at the top of pyramid shaped mount commemorating the place where the Prince of Orange – Wellington’s chief in command – was wounded. It’s 226 steps to climb to the top. I started up – it was actually a pretty easy climb – but I only went 75 steps. My fear of heights kicked in at that point – the stairs are not inside like the Statue of Liberty – they are on the outside. Plus, they were wet – it rained last night and it’s been wet and rainy all day.

I was disappointed not to see Napoleon’s headquarters – for some reason I thought it was right in that area, but it is about 2-3 km away which would have meant calling the driver to pick me up, take me there, then come back for me later. (Now, one nice thing is that my client told me they will pay for my cab fares when I want to go anywhere – and it’s very convenient – they use a local car service who picks me up at the hotel and the charge just goes on the hotel bill). They will be taking me to Brussels tomorrow.

Oh, they played the French National Anthem during the film – I don’t know why but whenever I hear that, it makes me cry – particularly in the movie CASABLANCA. Now I’ve mentioned that I don’t remember a lot of my high school French, but for some reason I still can sing that anthem all the way through!!!!! (Just ask the two people who were in the movie theatre with me).

And I did have a nice lunch at a little tavern there – there was a fire going in the big stone fireplace and lots of people sitting around drinking beer and wine. I had a sandwich and a Belgian waffle (first one this trip). I had bought a book at the gift shop and just sat there for a while reading and enjoying the fire and the other people conversing around me.

I think this is going to be a really good book…..it’s not about Napoleon….it’s about the other side – Wellington and the Allied forces. And really, it’s not even about the war per se. I guess it’s more of a love story – about a young Scottish American couple – he served under Wellington and was wounded at the battle. She came over from America and nursed him for ten days until he died. Then she wrote a “narrative” about her love for him (they had only been married a month) and those ten days. It was widely published in Europe and the US in 1906. Now the author of this book has written a novel around it – tracing both their families back several centuries.

I did see that Swedish church I mentioned earlier. It’s not where I thought it was. It would be another cab ride over there and back tonight for the concert – given that and the cold rainy weather I may just stay here at the hotel and work and read. I am going to be spending the day in Brussels tomorrow.

Here’s a link to a site about the battlefield.

http://www.collection-schlumpf.com/waterloo/decouverte/us_decouvertes-butte.htm


Oh – I will be home a few days earlier than planned – February 12. Client has decided to extend project so I will come home for two weeks and then come back here for another 3 weeks!!! The good thing about that is that by the time I finish the 2nd phase, it should be warm enough to enjoy the week’s vacation I will take at the end.

AND – I got a call last week from a bank in the UK wanting to know if I was available for a project for them in Japan. Am supposed to talk to them again on Monday, but now that THIS project has been extended, I probably won’t be able to do it – they were wanting to kick off early March. But, it’s kind of exciting to know that I’m getting an “international” reputation!!!! Actually, I just have a pretty good network of other SOX consultants and they know I’m willing to travel so they pass my name around.

Oh, MA, – I got a lead on a good place for lace in Brussels – will go there tomorrow.

And JS – yes, I do always carry my passport with me when I go sightseeing – put it in a flat pouch strapped around my waist under bottom layer of clothing. And, in addition to phone numbers for hotel and client and police, I carry the address and phone number of the US Embassy with me.

Now, I have a question of any of you who have traveled internationally. How does it work with duty and customs declarations? I know you have to declare stuff that you buy abroad and some things you have to pay duty on and others you don’t, but I don’t have a real good understanding of that process. And does anything I buy have to be in a carry on bag or can I pack it?