The big trip

(note: this post was actually written & published on 10.Aug - but I back-dated for timeline consistency)

Without much more hassle than the typical airport departure (and excess baggage fees), we arrived in Brussels largely without incident. After enduring a 6-hour layover in London-Heathrow, the entire family fell asleep before the plane to Brussels had even left the gate.

Baggage claim in Brussels gave us a brief start - our 4 checked bags were no where to be found! Huh. How does an airline lose the bags of a customer who paid a premium? Nothing to do but find the hotel and get some sleep.

We stayed at Thon Hotel Brussels Airport. A little expensive, but we had connecting rooms and the staff were quite gracious and accomodating. Baths and dinner for all and we were off to bed. I woke with a start at midnight, thinking I should be somewhere else. The kids were up from 1-3 am, both needing bathroom breaks, water, and really important whispering sessions.

Internet connection was hugely expensive – so we skipped it. Too expensive and we were sure we’d find connectivity somewhere else along the way.