I started this travel journal on my electronic agenda on the 17th but since i had my daypack stolen on the 20th and that it took a few days to do paperwork and so, it's only today that i start again.

As a first step I will try to write back what I wrote then as best as I can, there can be some mistakes.

Tuesday, may 17 2005, the trip begins.

Main impression:
Last minute preparation Rush contrating with the waiting before take off.

Odors:
The smell of new plastic from my new folding keyboard on wicht I type this text (yes, I know, I'm writing this text using a pen and a notebook but it's what I wrote originally). It's small and will need a bit of adjusting but it's better than to type all using the stylet on the AZERTY screen keyboard of the Ipaq (I know, I could have written all by hand but I don't like it).

Colors:
Red and biege, red like the last minute preparation rush, beige like the walls of the airport while I wait.

Flavors:
Absence of flavor... I'm thirsty and can't find a water fountain, I went near two restroom without finding one.
Finally, I found one five meters from where i was typing this text.

Sounds:
The motors noise's, the difference that Sony Noise Cancellation headphones bring. Yes, another gadget but it works! In fact it workd only for low frequences but the difference worts the trouble of wearing them for the duration of the flight, it's neattly less agressive for the ears so i finished the flight less tired.

Texture/sentation:
The impression of putting your hand in a can of worms... The Dorval airport have become the opposite of "User Friendly", Climbing down from the car an exterior sing show that Air Transat counter is at one extremity of the airport but in fact it's at the other extremity. Furthermore, no maps or plan give any indications, I had to ask to two employes before finding it, I even passed in front of it without seeing it. Finally there is no place where you can watch the planes realing or arriving in the whole airport

Day summary:
This mornig I finished my luggages and still had to exchange some €uros before leaving. Saddly, I didn't understood at what time my sister had to go to work so after changing some €uros we had to get her to her job.

My brother in law had to fring me to the airport but before entering the airport i took a tour with him to show him the way he will have to take to get out of the airport zone because he isn't at ease to drive alone in a place he don't know and the airport's roads are far from easy to navigate. It was early enough so this detour didn't bother me.

In the airport I started to play the old children game "hide and seek", the Air Transat counter was not where the exterior informations told it should be. The refections of the airport caused the moving of the counter but the indications are not yet ajusted, what an organisation. After 20 minutes of this game I finally found the counter with the help of two airport employees. Finally I can register.

I have almost three bours before taking off, I take the occasion to take a last beer from Quebec before leaving, a Unibroue's "Blanche de Chambly", one of the only non mega-brewery available at the airport. After i found a relax spot to start writing this journal.

Finally we are taking off, I am close to the tail of the plane and the noise from the motors is quite loud but my Noise Cancellation earphones are working quite wel in the low frequencies removing a part of the auditive fatigue. The main problem with those earphones is the same as all who have a mount on top of the head, if you have glasses it pinch the ear between the earphone and the branch of your glasses, it's Ok if you wear the headphone for not too long but after a few hours it gets inconfortable. I watch the movies and try to sleep a bit without success, when we will arrive in Brussels it will be one o'clock for me but 7:00 o'clock local time.

Wenesday, may 18 2005, arriving in Brussels.

Main impression:
The lack of sleep!

Odors:
Waffles smells, it seems to, whereever you walk, you find a little shop making waffles. What is strange is that the majority of those small shops worker are immigrants. Did Belgium let one of its culinary emblem pass to foreing hands?

Color:
Gold, the Grand-Place golds.

Flavor:
Léonidas Chocolates, they are not the best in Belgium but that have been a while since I was transported in heaven like that by a flavor.

Sound:
Miles Davis, Kind of Blue. Wow! It seeems to be even better during a trip.

Texture/sentation:
The sentation of the down filled conforter on witch I lay for an hour before going to visit Brussels.

>Day summary:
Arriving in Brussels, I went to leave my luggages where I will stay. I lay down for about an hour before going to visit the "Grand-Place" and do a tourist bus tour of the city. Those bus may seem a bit old style but it's a good way to orient yourself in a new town and to know some of the more important places.
The first thing that I saw was that the moving escalators in the subway only moves when you pass in front of a magic eye or if you walk on a sensitive plate. It would be good to implant this system everywhere, how much energy is lost to make escalators move all day long when thare is just a few people using them except during rush hours?
An other interessting fact, the subway stations don't have gates! Everyone pass, a few people validate their tickets but no one check. They told me that peoples have monthly passes so they don't need to validate tham each trip, myself I bought a card good for ten trips.
After a fast visit of Brussels the jet lag make itself known so I go back home early. I buy a take out plate in a lasagneria close to the place I stay. I follow that by a Rochefort 10, my first beer in Belgium.