Shall we run the marathon before we go.

When we were in the taxi taking us from Paddington to the hotel at St Pancras the taxi driver reminded s that we were lucky to get a room as it was the Marathon the next day and most hotels were full for weeks.
We checked into the Pullman hotel and went to collect our tickets for the Eurostar from St Pancras.

Then in a taxi to the Clarence for supper.

Grandpa stayed at the Clarence and had dinner there on his night in London. It is no longer an hotel but a VERY lively pub in Whitehall. We had booked a table fortunately and we had supper which was great. Then a bus back to the hotel. Tracker Barron found which bus and it took us straight back. A glass of red wine which we took to our rooms. Grandpa says in his diary that he had met up with his friends and that they yarned till 2.30 but he was younger and had not had the lunch with wine etc that we had had so our 11.00 bedtime may seem tame but not to us.

21st April. Up at 6 and breakfast at 7. The dining room was FULL of Frenchmen in tight lycra (it quite put me off my breakfast if I am allowed to say that!) eating piles of bread and bananas and presumably about to run the marathon.  We decided against joining them as we might miss our train.

The train was fantastic. Lots of hot coffee and we were the only ones in our carriage so really quiet. I started to write my diary. I have copied Grandpas diary into my journal on the left hand page and am writing my own on the other side. 

We must make sure we are not telling you all so much that we miss something!

Brussels Sunday Market is huge. Right by the Station so that the taxi driver had steam coming out of his ears as we sat in the traffic.

Hotel close to the centre.

Walked to the Grande Place and had Moule Frit and a beer in a little café off the Place. Went to the museum walked and walked and are now back in the hotel. It does feel odd to be on our way to China but as the trip progresses we will get used to it.

So far it is everything we had hoped. Tomorrow Cologne!