Brussels

With a long train ride ahead there was plenty of time to create a few masterpieces. We were a little bit worried about how Ronja would cope with the journey, but it was no problem. The unexpected change in Cologne due to a broken train probably help to keep up the excitement, and of course there was time for lunch and an afternoon nap along the way.

Matt tried to find a restaurant he remembered using only his hazy memory and Google maps. Alas, he mistakenly came up with the wrong one (Birgit should have been worried when Matt noticed that he didn't remember any laterns, whilst looking at the website, which talked about the splendour of the 100+ laterns, but only that there was a photo on the wall, which seemed familiar, so, err, that must have been it). But fear not, this is not a disaster story, in fact a happy mistake. We can recommend Kasbah's Morrocan cuisine, on Rue Antoine Dansaert, No. 20.

The low tables are great for children. Just a warning though, if you've got a young child, watch out for the candle - Ronja was rather surprised to learn that its actually quite hot. We did a quick walk round the old city centre of Brussels, gazed longingly at a few chocolates, and headed back to the hotel for some sleep.

The next morning we had actually planned to do some more walking through various parks, the EU institutions, but it was cold and damp, so we opted for the "Atomium" instead. Yes, a tourist magnet (how many photos can you make of yourself inside, around and beside the giant "Welcome" letters!?), somewhat expensive, but still impressive given it was built in the late 50s, and lots of interesting stuff inside. Although, the highlights are probably the staircases and escalators through those incredible tubes...

Ronja is now enjoying a massive sleep, giving Matt time to write this, perched in the back of a Eurostar (minding Ronja in her buggy), on our way to Belfast (yes, with a change or two in between).