Southampton/Bruges

July 18th-19th
Southampton/Bruges

Southampton was a much needed internet day. After getting off the ship around noon, I made my way to one of my usual internet cafés and got to work. Following that I simply hung out in the city at the market sampling cheeses and buying bread (a really nice Mediterranean style loaf). Then it was off to the grocery store and followed by the bookstore, which left us just enough time to get confused about the bus pickup point and make it back to the ship just late enough that we didn’t get in trouble. The rest of the day went as usual.
For Belgium, I was really excited for a beer tasting tour that I was first on the list to escort for, but then found out the day before that the tour was cancelled. So instead of what would have been an awesome tour, I ended up going on a tour to Bruges which was only kind of awesome. Bruges is a lovely city, which became accented in our minds by the chocolate distributed to us in the bus on the way into town. The tour was mostly a walking tour with a boat ride through the canals thrown in, which was great. I saved some of my chocolate especially for the canal trip, I figured what could be more appropriate on a canal in Belgium than eating chocolate?
Anyways, the tour was all going according to plan until the last hour where we began walking towards the bus pickup point. We were going to have about an hour to shop around on our own before being taken back to the ship, something I was looking forward to, that is until someone had something else in mind. With about an hour left, as the group followed along behind the tour guide, I noticed an older couple slowly getting left behind. I slowed my pace to keep an eye on them, when suddenly, the elderly man flat out fell on the road. Concerned, I ran over to see that everything was ok, and as the man stood up with some assistance from his walking cane, told me “yeah, this happens all the time.” Yeah right that happens all the time and he’s ok! Like an 85 year old man walking with a cane who just collapsed onto a cobblestone road is going to be just fine. So I told the couple to wait there and that I’d be back, at which point I ran ahead to catch the guide and inform her of the situation. Seeing as I had a map of the city on me, I told the guide I’d walk the couple to the bus while she went ahead with the group, then returned to my “OK” old dude.
It was pretty obvious he was shaken up by the fall as he’d lost the color in his face and now walked with a concerning uneasiness – but at least he was walking. I honestly can’t believe he got up and kept walking after that fall, and considering his slight embarrassment, it seems the only thing injured was his pride, of which he was determined to regain by making the trip (haha, a pun) to the bus. So we started walking, slowly, and I navigated my way through a city I’d never visited with a map I’d never studied, and with a couple that never should have gone on that tour. They were really a nice pair though. The wife, who was younger and in better shape, was supportive and patient with her husband, and each were pleasant to talk with. We had a nice walk back to the bus, considering the circumstances, though I was in a state of nervousness just waiting for what seemed to be his next inevitable fall. But after a few stops, many shuffled steps, the city, park, and a bridge, we arrived at the terminal where we were to be picked up. They then thanked me for my help and I ran off to enjoy what little time I had left to explore.
In this small amount of time I happened to run into my friend Patrick who had taken the train into the city. I believe I’ve written about him before, the piano player, I probably described him as a bit weird. Anyways, we run into each other just as the rain starts; I have a broken umbrella I found on a bus a few tours ago, he has a hood. A sudden gust of wind comes up and blows an open umbrella from a shop door right to Patrick’s feet. We look at it and consider the oddity of this rogue umbrella landing at his feet, and after a look around for witnesses, Patrick picks it up and puts it over his head. I then directed him into the city and he walked off with his new accessory. I thought it was hilarious, mostly just because my friend is such a character, but also just out of the coincidence that this open umbrella flew right to his feet. It was time for me to get back to the bus though, so I turned and headed back.
Nothing more really happened with the tour from that point out. The old man was alright for the trip back and everything else went smoothly. Back at the ship, I met up with the tenor player, Ben, and decided to get off the ship again to make a quick trip to Zeebrugge. After being disappointed about not getting on my beer tasting tour, I had talked Ben into taking a trip into the city with me to buy some beer of our own (because I wasn’t leaving Belgium without some authentic beer). We bought about $30 of various beers, all of which will be enjoyed slowly over the next month.
At the set that night, I asked Patrick about the umbrella he walked off with. In true Patrick fashion, he expressed “I hate umbrellas” and let me know that he had left it randomly somewhere in the city. I guess, it was the zen thing to do, leave it where it came from for someone else to find, like an umbrella that is now just one with it’s community. I guess I’m satisfied with that answer.
Lastly, we had a nice treat in port today. We shared the dock with the Queen Elizabeth II, for what would be the last time the ships met. It was a bit of a historic moment, celebrated with huge water guns, a band, and a long exchange of whistle blows at sail away. I stood at the front of the ship on deck 9 to see the farewells, which was surprisingly sentimental to someone indifferent to which cruise company he works for. I guess that’s just the romantic in me. Anyways, it was a lovely sail away and great experience being there to wish the QE2 farewell before it’s retired toward the end of this year and sent to Dubai to become a floating hotel. So that’s about it for Belgium, thanks!