Thurston Blogging

I have joined the ranks of the Elite

This year, I've spent a little time in Europe and a lot of time in the Detroit area for work.  Today, I was rewarded for my achievements.  Not with a raise, or a bonus - but with Holiday Inn Priority Club Elite Status.  Whoo-Hoo!

Photos of a Sunday stroll in Gent

Took walk in downtown Gent on Sunday afternoon.  The weather was a total mess early Sunday morning, which was sure to confine me to my room.  The sky opened up, the sky became blue, and The Jay left the Holiday Inn.

Here are the photos from the walkabout:

My Mercedes

Last week, I got my rental car from National.  When the counter-jockey gave me the keys and told me that it was a Mercedes, I was excited.  Then, I realized that it was a Mercedes B Class, one of the most boring Mercedes on the market.  It's the Charles Grodin of Mercedes.

My hotel room in Belgium

I'm renewing an old segment - my hotel room.  Here is a video from my hotel room in Gent, Belgium.  Submitted for your approval.

What do Colin Farrell and I have in common?

Colin Farrell and I have both been In Bruges.

Today was a nice day in Belgium.  Waking up at 11:30 AM is something that I can get used to.  While I missed breakfast, I stopped at the Carrefour yesterday and grabbed some fruit.  I had bananas and blackberries for breakfast, and washed it down with blood orange juice.

This afternoon, I drove from Gent to Bruges.  My Garmin GPS and Mercedes B Class got me there with no issue.  Like Gent, Brugge is a town filled with canals, great beer and amazing architecture.  First stop was to the Half Moon Brewery.  Had a beer there and proceeded to walk around town. 

The smell of horse poo permeates throughout the city, as there are horse-drawn carriages that cart lazy tourists through the streets.  You get over it when you start looking at the amazing buildings and churches. 

After a few hours, I decided it was time to see something else.  So, I drove to the water.  I’m not quite sure if I was at the North Sea or the English Channel, but I went to a town East of Bruges called Blankenberge.  Dipped my toes in the water, grabbed a few sea shells for Audrey and I called it a day.

Here are some photos of my day:

Belgium - More than just Waffles

Sunday, I fly to Gent, Belgium for two weeks.  Over the past four years, I've worked in a few European countries, and none I've liked more than Belgium.  The people aren't pretentious, rude, demanding or emotional - like their counterparts in Italy, Germany or France.  The food is good, and you can find a few channels in English on television - other than CNN. 

What really is tremendous is the beauty of the cities.  Gent really is remarkable - canals flow through the city, which is lined with neat row buildings and churches that are a hundreds of years old.  Oh, did I mention that they have great beer?  The Trappist style is a high alcohol, powerful brew which you don't find brewed in the States.  I'll be sure to import a few Leffe back with me.

This is one of my favorite photos of Gent, if not one of my favorite photos I've taken. 

Name this Bar

In honor of The Black Out Tavern having the the first keg brought in, I thought we'd play a game.   Okay, the BOT has had other kegs, but the first keg to be brought on-line in the new (to me) Kegerator.  Leinenkugel Red is ready to be tapped. 

On to the game.  The game is similar to Name that Tune.  "Thurston's Name that Bar" will feature a bar, and you users tell me where it is located and its name.  Here is the photo.

What do you win?  I pour you a tall, cold one from the keg your next time at The Tavern.

 

This ain't no trip to Cleveland

Mrs. Thurston Blogging and I love to travel.  A few years, ago the little lady asked me if I'd like to take trip for my birthday.  I chose Cleveland.  Cleveland did not compute with her.  I wanted to go to the Rock Hall and Great Lakes Brewery.  She obliged, and we hopped in the Thurston Blogging mobile and were on our way.

Other than the typical fight about who can navigate worse, we had a wonderful time.  Cleveland has great sites, food, beer and people.  It's a close trip and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a little getaway.  Here are a few photos from that weekend that I recently came across.

A view from my world

Here's a quick photo from outside of my office here in Torino.  The Alps still have snow on the caps.  It's amazing to fly over them and see snow in October.

It's been a little while since I've made a post, but the damn Internet connection in the hotel hasn't worked all week.

I do like seeing the mountains every day, but I sure won't miss this place once I leave next week.

Italy.  The place where nothing is taken for granted, and no one seems to care.

Italian Alps

Since I'm suffering the effects of the time change  from my sixth trip to Italy this year, I was thinking of how beautiful the Italian Alps are.  Every time I fly from Frankfurt, Germany into Torino, Italy I see one or two fellow business travelers pull out their silver, shiny digital cameras and snap a few photos of the Alps.

Hard to blame them.  I've driven through the Italian Alps one weekend, and could easily see why Italy was chosen to host the 2006 Winter Olympics.  The scenery was simly amazing.  Dramatic, snow-covered moutains with small villages nestled at the base of them.

When I was having some photos developed at Costco recently, I came across this one, and it reminded me of the Sunday afternoon trek through Sestriere.