brugge
tue 19-jul-05
cafe - brugge - 18.jul.05
Well, here it is 0500 hours in Burgge, Belgium. And I am wide awake. Have been since 0200 hours. Have played cards with the little computer, read a book on the little computer and listened to tunes on the iPod. Also, watched the BBC. And, laid in bed with eyes closed. None of those things put be back to sleep. Oh well.
First the good news. No trouble with the flight over. No trouble with finding the trains to Brugge. Great weather when I arrived in Brugge. Which was good because I got royally lost trying to find the hotel. I am glad I had a pack not a wheelie suitcase - because the cobble stones - not to mention the stairs at the train station do not seem to be wheel friendly.
Anyhow, I found the hotel. It is a wonderful funky little place. The room has a flat screen tv, a chess board table (with chessman), two chairs - for playing chess I guess. And fish. Two big fat happy gold fish. I hope they don't croak on my watch. That would be bad karma.
There is a bar frequented by what appear to be locals. The bar is graced by a HUGE marijuana plant that enjoys a place of honor under a skylight. There is a computer for everyone's FREE use in the bar. And that is were breakfast is as well. And they put an apple in your room when they clean it. The apple is important.
The apple is important because I have no money. No money is not good. With no money you can not ride the bus, take a boat ride, have an inexpensive meal, go into a modest museum or use the WC. All you can do with no money is walk.
Why do I have no money? Damn poor planning on my part. That is why. For some reason I presumed that I could get money out of an ATM machine in Europe using the card that I use in the USA. So, I came over here with $160 American and my ATM/Debit card and a Visa card.
Upon my arrival at them Amsterdam airport - I pounce on the ATM machine. It assures me that I have "insufficient funds" to get 150 euros. Nor will it let me have 100 euros. Finally, it agrees to let me have 50 euros. I take the money and am a little concerned because my ATM card will only let me take out 10 ATM transactions per month. But, I figure this limit is just some scam to make tourists pay more transaction fees. I don't think much of it - spend some of the money on a little lunch and get the train to Brugge.
Spend Sunday afternoon in a daze wandering around Brugge. Spending a euro here and there. By yesterday (Monday) afternoon, my cash was down and I was going to take a boat ride - or maybe rent a bike - being tired of walking.
I knew where the town's three ATM machines were located. Went to visit one. Waited in line. Everyone getting money. My turn comes. I stick my card in, select "English", enter PIN, tell it I want 150 euros. It goes away for a long time and comes back saying "We apologize, but your card is not authorized for the system." I go to another ATM machine (but, it looks just like the first one). This time I try requesting 100 euros. Same "We apologize, but..." message. Go to the 3rd machine - same company's machine - ask for 50 euros. Rejected again.
Decide that I should not risk spending 6 euros on a boat ride. Wander past a money changer - they will convert my $160 into 115 euros. I haven't spent much and have 40 euros left. Meaning, if I can not get any money out of any machine - which seems like a very real possibility - I can scrape up 145 euros. To last 20 days. That is like 7 euros a day. 7 euros is a nice coffee, a small roll, and a short bus ride. No roll if I want to take the bus back. And heaven forbid I need to use the WC. That would be 50 euro-cents.
Back in my room, hope springs eternal. Maybe - my card works off the Cirrus system. Maybe - maybe the machines in this town are not on the Cirrus system. Surely that is it. Back out to the ATM machine. It says Cirrus and Master Card. All the right things. "We apologize, but..." You apologize. You apologize. I am F-ing screwed. Oh well.
Decide that I need to try my credit card - what it it doesn't work. That would be a real travel 911. So, I head out again. This time look for a light supper at a place that takes credit cards.
This will be a problem. Most places seem to have a 25 euro minimum on credit cards. I don't want 25 euros worth of dinner. I end up a Pizza Hut. Yeap, Pizza Hut. Where for 9.80 euros I get a very nice glass of beer, a very good little pizza, and barely OK salad. (I don't guess that these are Salad People. I think I made a cultural blunder when I said I wanted pizza and salad. The other choice was pizza and chocolate mousse. The idea of pizza and chocolate mousse didn't do any think for me at the time.) But, my credit card was accepted. SO, at least I can pay my hotel bill and eat at the more expensive places.
I am thinking of maybe routing my train trip to Haarlem back thru the Amsterdam Airport where maybe I can pickup another 50 euros.
So, my hotel is great. Brugge is charming. My cash position is critical.
Benedictine Nun walks past dove cote - 19.jul.05
It is 8PM now 2000 hours to the Europeans - cash problem unchanged. Problem might be worse. The bank is "really sorry, but everything is OK at our end". The card that got pizza last night was rejected today at the grocery. So, I spent my alloted monies for the day and most of tomorrow on 4 slices of cheese, 3 rolls, some pasta salad, 2 yogarts and a lemonade. If I had known the card would be rejected, I would have gotten a beer - beer is cheaper than lemonade. With the hotel's breakfast and daily apple - this will last me until tomorrow evening. Everything has been eaten except 2 rolls and cheese. Will make sandwiches to eat on the train.
I am hoping that the other credit card works. It can not be used to get cash - I just hope it will pay my hotel bill. If not, I am in real big trouble.
But, I had a great day. Walking around taking pictures. A lovely day. Tomorrow - if I manage to pay my hotel bill - I go to Haarlem using my train pass. And will attack the Dutch money machines again. Remember, I got 50 euros out of one on Sunday. Hope springs eternal.
