I took a flight from DFW to Chicago and then from there to Brussels. After a 2 hour long wait to clear immigration*, I caught a train from the airport to the Brussels North station ( where I grabbed an American sandwich - a baguette with ham, brie, chopped tomatoes, olives, and sliced hardboiled eggs - skipping most of the bread was sad-) and from there to Maastricht via Liege. Switching trains in Maastricht for a local to Sittard got me in before noon and I was met by Ms. Sarah, the lead engineer on the project there.

This is all of Brussels I ever see. Some day I'll get to visit Wim.



I don't get to see a lot of Liege either.

After a day work, I got a ride to the Hotel de Limbourg, a nice place on the square. Sittard has a lovely active square





and brick streets



with surprising amounts of old brick, stone and iron work the frame lovely vistas.



After a walk in the rain, I ate at a restaurant, having this lovely dish of very rare beef with sharp cheese, olives, bacon and greens as a starter. I was supposed to have the duck but they messed up and served me a meat we decide was from a horse. Just to make ben happy, I ate it.  Smothered in a light sauce with sauted vegetables, it came with frites and mayonnaise. It was the perfect meal for a cold wet day.  I cheated a bit on the diet, ate a few and have a trappist beer... All of dinner was excellent but the starter was the best part.




*Hmmm, who do I know in Belgium who would get me in trouble with the police?