One of the upsides to traveling is spending time with friends who get to play tour guides with me. And as you know, you never really see the touristy parts of your hometown until you have guests, so it’s new to all parties involved. On this particular occasion I meet up with old and new friends at their flat …
Stavelot-Malmédy: Hairy Cows?
 On the way to the Nature Reserve at Botrange we passed through a few charming German towns.  The architecture is immediately different. On the way out of Botrange, however, we drive through Malmédy.  The hilly, narrow roads are great if you are not the one driving. From the passenger seat I get to soak in a bird’s eye view of …
Winter Wonderland or Wonderhell?
 I remember standing in my sunny kitchen in Pasadena last month, thinking to myself that once you pass the freezing point, you probably can’t really tell how cold it is anymore. This has turned out to be partly correct. Every day that I’ve been here, I’ve told myself it’s the coldest day I’ve ever felt. Gloveless in Brussels yesterday …
Brussels: 5 Museums and a Boy
 Brussels is not such a foreign city to me anymore, but I’ve never really had one free day there to wander around all the museums and sights at leisure till last Friday.  From my friend’s flat in Namur center, I take a 3-minute walk to the train station and head back to Brussels. A one-way ticket costs 7.70 Euros. …