Ieper to Luxembourg (Belgium to Luxembourg)

Had a nice sleep in this morning, and it was raining when I got up at 8.30 for a shower.  The B&B had provided the biggest, fluffiest towel I have ever seen.  It was almost too big to use.  Almost.  At 9am we went into the dining room for brekky.  There was (per person): half a kiwifruit, slices of ham and cheese, yoghurt, croissant, choc-chip roll, plain bread roll, butter and strawberry jam, freshly squeezed orange juice, tea and coffee.  Wow.  Trains left every hour, so we chose the 10.38 to allow time for a leisurely breakfast.  Erik drove us to the station and helped with the luggage.  We had another three-legged journey, with quick changes in Brussels and Arlon.  It rained lightly the whole way, but I still enjoyed looking out the window.  Birdwatching tally:  pheasants - 4; owls - 1; emus - 1.  I think it was an owl, but I'm dead certain it was an emu!

Caelli and I managed to grab some food during our 8 minute stopover in Brussels, so we were set for the afternoon.  We arrived in Luxembourg around 3.45pm.  It was grey and cold, but at least it wasn't raining.  We caught a bus to the youth hostel.   They gave us a 4 bed room on the first floor all to ourselves, which was really nice.  It has two bunks, a small table with two chairs, a separate toilet and a bathroom with a basin and shower.  We took a packet of sheets each to make up our beds.  Phil wanted a top bunk, and Caelli and I happily settled for the bottom two.  Fortuitously, we have wi-fi in our room as it is directly above the lounge, which is supposedly the only place where you can have internet access.

I wandered downstairs to have a look at the youth hostel's restaurant and to see whatever else there was.  Vending machines selling hot chocolate for 60c, 250mL cold milk for 50c, 250mL chokky milk for 60c, and 330mL vanilla, coffee or banana milk for EU 1.20 looked good.  We decided to eat first, though.  I had a child's meal of spaghetti carbonara (and I ate it all - there's a first!), Caelli chose spaghetti Napolitana and Phil chose fish fingers with rice.  All meals came with soup (choice of lentil or tomato), salad and dessert (and the child's meal came with a lollipop and a lot of laughter!)  Grand total of less than 25 euros.  Not bad, eh?

After tea we went out for a bit of a walk.  It was still raining.  The whole way.  And the river here is also running very high and fast, just like the Loire, Cher and Seine.

MAMMAL WATCH: wild boars (a family of five).