In Brussels!!!

[MrMark]

You are a Russian, brought up on beetroot and weevil broth, in Brussels, one of the gastronomic capitals of the planet, unable to find a place that serves decent food.
Ye Gods. You must need instructions on how to exit a phonebox!!

What he said.

[AtW]

Stella

Stupid metro ticket kiosk won't accept our credit cards ffs

General perception so far - England is better...

[Mich the Tester]

Stella

Stupid metro ticket kiosk won't accept our credit cards ffs

General perception so far - England is better...

Go to a BANK (place which stores money for people) and use an ATM MACHINE (machine which provides money from your bank account when you put your card and PIN code in). Get some CASH (notes of promise of a certain value written by central banks) and use that for buying day or week tickets for the METRO (undergroundy trainy thingy). Or use a TAXI (car with driver for short term hire by the public).

And don't be so surprised that Belgian pubs sell the best selling Belgian beer. Brussels isn't really a beer city anyway; go to Antwerp or Brugge for that. Brussels is basically French in outlook, so many people drink wine.

[AtW]

I've got cash, but the machine wante coins - luckily we had them from drinking evening before, point is machine accepted some kind of card to pay but not visa/mastercard, and there was a queue for human operators and they took numbers to wait.

I am at the big ICT conference at Brussels Expo now - it looked outside just like Soviet Expo in Moscow, rather depressing, inside buildings a bit tulipy - nice french speaking girls though

[Mich the Tester]

I've got cash, but the machine wante coins - luckily we had them from drinking evening before, point is machine accepted some kind of card to pay but not visa/mastercard, and there was a queue for human operators and they took numbers to wait.

I am at the big ICT conference at Brussels Expo now - it looked outside just like Soviet Expo in Moscow, rather depressing, inside buildings a bit tulipy - nice french speaking girls though

Oh I see, they've gone all modern and you need a public transport card. They're doing the same in Holland; umpty gazillion euros has been spent to build a big public transport paycard system and it's failing as only 5% of travellers use it.

Anyway, there's a nice oyster bar outside Brussels Midi railway station; convenient for a piss up before getting on the eurostar. Or indeed before not bothering to get on the eurostar.

[AtW]

Anyway, there's a nice oyster bar outside Brussels Midi railway station; convenient for a piss up before getting on the eurostar. Or indeed before not bothering to get on the eurostar.

Blue oyster?

The machine did not accept notes - only coins and hole was very well hidden ffs.

[Mich the Tester]

Blue oyster?

The machine did not accept notes - only coins and hole was very well hidden ffs.

Oh ffs, I mean a bar and restaurant serving oysters, champagne and other treats to discerning gastronauts. Get your bloody act together man.

[AtW]

Oh ffs, I mean a bar and restaurant serving oysters, champagne and other treats to discerning gastronauts. Get your bloody act together man.

I'll just look to get fish and chips, talking of which I have not had lunch yet

@Paddy:

[MrMark]

I'll just look to get fish and chips, talking of which I have not had lunch yet

@Paddy:

Is AtW really Karl Pilkington?

[MarillionFan]

Look. If you're having problems, locate a Policeman, tell them you're Russian and that you haven't got any ID, coins or a passport.

They'll look after you. It's the Belgium way.