Up bright and early watching the sun flood the valley and listening to the cows with their bells we had a buffet breakfast with all the trimmings. Today is going to be a big day of traveling. After packing our bags, taking more photos and enjoying a lasting look at the gorgeous view we made the decent by cable car to Kriens. Now this was an experience. If you have a spare few minutes YouTube 'Mt Pilatus cable car' scariest, yet most fun cable car ride we've been on. First was a standing cable car to franmuntegg then by seated cable car (a space equivalent to smaller than the charade) to Kriens. We then had to catch a bus to Lucerne. All in all a trip from Pilatus to Lucerne in under an hour. With some of the most breathtaking views we've seen.
It was sad to say goodbye to Pilatus but the holiday isn't over yet!
From Lucerne we dodged the swans and headed for the train station to board our connection to Zurich (a town we had only seen in the dark two days before). It was nice to see the city in the daylight. Not long to admire the view though and we were on our next train to Brussels/Bruxelles/Brussel depending what language you wanted to use as we travelled through 3 different countries.
From Zurich to Brussels it is an 8 and a half hour train ride and we were on a train that had no bar or restaurant car. I mean, seriously what kind of train goes that distance without offering food?? We've been on hour long trips where the train has everything!
Thankfully we had bought some cans of drink, water, a packet of chips and a mars bar at the station as snacks. They quickly became rationed so we could make the distance. To make it worse our connection to Brugges was only 20mins after we would arrive in Brussels. Not well planned but hey, we survived.
From Zurich we travelled through Switzerland into France. Then north through Luxembourg. Chris and I were planning a day trip to Luxembourg when we were in Paris but that day was replace by plane delays and catchup sleep. From Luxembourg it was on to Brussels. The train had us worried because we arrived one way and left the same way so we weren't sure we were on the right train. It seems that french people are really rude on train. Once the announcer has said the announcement in French they start talking, loudly, so you can't hear the English. We started getting sick of them doing it so we gave them some of their own medicine :) petty I know.
Arriving in Brussels, not the most prettiest town, we actually had half hour till our train so we quickly tried to find some food. Stepping out of the station to find a shop we were met with the sight of rowdy teens and a guy throwing up. Nice. Welcome to Brussels!
Hurrying back into the station we raided a vending machine and hoping to then find something in Brugges at 10pm.
Onto another train, watching the cute little houses pass us by. We eventually arrived a Brugges. I had known we would get in late so our hotel was right by the station. Thankfully. Checked in, bags off, now to find some real food!
First the cute little restaurant opposite the station. Kitchen closed. But the owner gave us directions to another two restaurants round the corner. 10pm at night, not knowing our surrounds we headed off. We found the restaurants but unless you were in the mood for a massive steak, rabbit or goose liver, it wasn't ideal. Admitting defeat we walked back to our hotel, raided their vending machine for a nutritious and healthy choice of a packet of plain chips, into our room and then off to bed. Yes dad I am looking after myself :)