I have the Benelux Tourrail Pass and we plan on visiting Brugge, Antwerp, Amsterdam. Our home base will be Brussels and we will be there for 1 week over the New Year.We cannot decide if we should give into our inclination to pop over to familiar Paris for the Day or visit Cologne for our first time. I know Paris very well and my husband and I were engaged there 19 years ago. We took our kids there a couple of years ago and they loved it as well. They're teenagers now. The other consideration we have is to perhaps visit Luxembourg. I know that Paris is sure to be wonderful because it always is. But we've never been to the other mentioned cities. Of course, we could visit the Hague or Delft or Ghent. Anybody have any opinions? Thanks, Kathleen

Hi Kathleen,<BR>I live in Brussels, so feel free to email me with any questions about the city (this is a real address). A trip to Delft would be pleasant, but not on Sunday when things will be closed. Paris of course! A day trip is very easy to do. I do that often and I find the best train combo is to catch the 8:40 am Thalys down (arrives about 10 am) and the 20:55 back (gets you in about 10:20 pm, so no worries that the metro, etc., won't be running even if the train is a bit late). Another day trip I recommend is Leuven--I much prefer Leuven to Ghent, but Ghent has its fans here as well. Leuven is only 30 minutes from Brussels. The WWI museum in Ieper is mesmerising, even if you're not a military fan. A superb, completely interactive museum.<BR>There are some "secret" places here you should visit that never make the guide books, for example, if you like cats, you must take a stroll through the Parc Tenbosch, aka Brussels Cat Park. The Canterbury cafe/restaurant by the Ixelles lakes is a wonderful place to sit by the fire and enjoy a bottle of wine or coffee and pastry. Of the cafes on the Grand Place, our favorite is La Chaloupe d'Or (the Golden Boot); less crowded than some of the others and from the second floor, you get a wonderful view of the Place. Fireplaces on both ground and upper floors. The Chateau de la Hulpe, set on 500+ acres, near Brussels is a favorite place for locals to stroll, stop in the Folon Fondation (museum), watch people riding horses or driving carriages (free entry and reached easily by the #366 bus). And so on...wear warm coats, bring gloves and hats and umbrellas...it's been chilly the last few days...make sure you check the weather forecast just before you leave!<BR>BTilke (Brussels)

Thank you, BTilke for your response. I'm leaving tomorrow for Florida to see my mother but I'll be checking periodically for updates on my posting.We leave for Brussels on Dec 29th. Please,if you think of any other sites of interest, pass them on. My son as well as my husband are very interested in military history so Leuven sounds like it's worth considering. Between Paris, (which we know) or some other place that we've never seen,, (we were thinking of Koln), is there any reason to even think of anything other than Paris as a side trip outside of the Benelux area? Thanks again, Kathleen. P.S. I speak French...<BR>Is that good with the Belgians, or is there such a division between French and Dutch that I should be cautious regarding where I practice my French? Mes amities, Kathleen

Kathleen,<BR>Leuven (Louvain)has one of the most magnificent examples of architecture in all of Europe. The Stadhuis,dating from the mid 15th century is a riot of late Gothic style and well worth a trip.<BR><BR>If military history is a subject of interest, you might want to consider Clervaux, Luxembourg. It's a charming village in the heart of a German-Luxembourgois National Forest and was an area heavily impacted by battles during World War II. There's an 11th century castle in the heart of the village that has a small military museum and a fine exhibit of Edward Steichen's "Family of Man" photographs. The latter should entertain you while the men in your family tour the military exhibit. Clervaux has a small, charming pedestrian mall with shops, hotels and some fine restaurants as well as a tiny toy museum.

Wes, Thanks for the suggestions. The military stuff sounds great for the masculine half of my family. also appreciate "Family of Man" exhibit,the toy museum and the pedestrian mall to satisfy our gentler side. My daughter will not feel "gypped." (sp?) I'll begin mapping out that day with my newly arrived train schedule. Do you think I can get to Clervaux on the train? Also I know that there's an American military cemetery around there somewhere. After that I think we'll need something very soothing like...chocolat! Yes, that'll<BR>be the prize upon our return to Bruxelles, after, of course des moules et des frites!

Kathleen,<BR>You can get to Clervaux from Brussels by train via Liege. The trip is slightly less than three hours, however. <BR><BR>The closest military cemetary that I know of is Henri Chapelle, an immensely moving site in a lovely setting. I have absolutely no idea how to get there other than by car.