Thanksgiving Weekend in Belgium

We exited the metro at the Heysel/Heizel station and I got my first look at the Atomium. This huge structure was all lit up and seemed to float in the nighttime sky. Traci and I started walking towards it but became a little confused as to how to actually get to there. There were sidewalks, gates, and a tram station. I could see there was some drama unfolding along one of the paths. There were two guys next to a motorcycle engaged in a heated argument. It looked like something was about to go down and we did not want to be around when it did. We headed along a different sidewalk hoping it would lead us to the Atomium without having to walk by the confrontation.

As fate would have it, the path we chose actually led to a pedestrian bridge that would have led us away from our destination. We had to turn around and head back towards the drama. By the time we turned the corner, the argument had escalated into shoving and hand-grab deflections. A lady with super-model looks was begging them to stop. Her pleas seemed to work as the two men came to a tense stand-off while taunting each other. Traci and I scurried passed all this commotion and headed to the Atomium as the shouts from the argument faded into the distance. They say that French is a romantic language but it can sound downright evil when used in an argument such as the one we witnessed.

We arrived at the entrance of the Atomium and encountered our second hiccup of the evening - the doorman could not find our names on the reservation list. more...