Woke up several times thinking the sun had risen but upon looking out
the curtains, saw it was the bright streetlamp just outside our window.
Finally rose at seven. We had an 11:30 AM departure so we got dressed in our
good clothes (as per Continental policy for employees and whoever travels
with them using "buddy" passes), packed up all our stuff and left Elephant
Street in our wake. Brussels like Philadelphia has a lot of public art and
some of it is pretty neat. They have this statue of about a 15' cop being
tripped by a crook who is grabbing his foot while reaching out from a
manhole. We thought that one was different. Found the ring road and still
got lost looking for the airport. At a tunnel a sign said to take the tunnel
for the airport but there were three exits from the tunnel and none of them
said airport. It's really exasperating sometimes. Sooner rather than later
we found the 'port but went to look for a gas station as they have the same
deal over there about ripping you for gas when you return a rental car.

     We drove through several small towns but no gas station. Finally we
spotted one right in the middle of a parking lot for some stores. We filled
with diesel and in a short while we were at the airport at Zaventem. Close
to full circle if you can forget Paris. But we'll always have Paris. We
drove to the rental car return, parked in a spot near the office and I went
in to do the paperwork while Zeke and Tony loaded a couple of luggage carts
with our stuff. We had cleaned out the car in the parking area of the hostel
before leaving in the morning and were all set to catch our flight. If we
could only find someone to return the car to. The office was empty and there
seemed to be no one around in the garage. I hollered but got no reply so I
walked behind the counter and into the back room looking for the attendant.
Nobody home. As I was coming out of the back, the attendant, who had
apparently just appeared out of thin air and was the second rude Frenchie we
encountered on the trip, (not bad), shouted at me. "YOU, wait for me THERE,
(indicating the customer side of the counter), not THERE (indicating where I
was standing, behind the counter). He took the keys, the agreement and went
to inspect the car. He wasn't fazed by the millions of dead bugs on the
front but he was livid at the little beer mug sticker we had stuck to the
rear bumper. Outraged he scraped it off, returned to the office, rubber
stamped the agreement, gave me my copy and dismissed us with the wave of a
hand. Glad I don't have his blood pressure.

     So we made our way to the Departure Terminal and the first thing we see
when we walk through the door is a guy with a shrink wrap machine. Just what
we needed for our cases of beer. It came to about $7. to have the cases
wrapped. A bargain, we thought. Now, if only no one asks us to open them. We
located the Continental check-in desk easily as it was all decorated with a
big arch of blue and white balloons because the first direct flight from
Brussels to Newark was today and it was our flight. We had a lengthy
interview with security about our luggage. Had we ever let it leave our
sight since we packed it and that kind of thing. It took like 15 minutes but
these days anything they do to keep the plane from blowing up from under you
is OK by me.

     After our interview, we checked the baggage. Nobody had to look at the
beer. It was Belgium and they understood why Americans would want to bring
their beer home. After all it's the best in the world, is it not? Well isn't
it? Tony was asking the girl at the counter if we could get bumped up to
first class. She made some phone calls and said that it isn't Continental's
policy to upgrade people flying on buddy passes and although Tony could get
into first class, Zeke and I would probably have to fly coach. Well Tony
didn't give up and he kept at her for all three of us to get the upgrade.
She said she would keep trying but that we had to proceed to the gate and
she would contact us there. So we took a walk.

     On the way to the gate I saw a large chocolate kiosk. Neuhaus was the
name of the chocolates. I had never heard of them but as this was my last
chance to bring back to my lovely wife the only thing she had asked for in
return for letting me go, I figured I'd better buy some. I got a nice
assortment and got rid of most of my Belgian money at the same time. Not
that they were expensive, they just weren't cheap. I was to find out later
after we both had had a chance to eat a few that these were probably the
best chocolates in the world. The best Marylou or I ever had anyway. I'm
salivating just thinking about them. Mmmmmmm, what was their web address?

     Before we even got to the gate we knew that something special was going
on. The gate was the last one at the end of the terminal. There were more
balloons, and music! It was like, a party man! Hors d'oeuvres, flutes of
champagne, a jazz band, and giveaways promoting the Inaugural flight. Cool,
now if we can just get that upgrade.

Next time - Endgame

Pictures - Negotiating an upgrade - Party Time