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Europe > Belgium >
Antwerp > 24 Hours
of Beer Festival
Belgium
Today Newsletter, 3rd edition.
24
Hours of Beer Festival: Sat/Sun Nov. 3/4 -- details at http://www.24-uur.be/en/index.htm
TIP
O' THE WEEK
When your significant other questions you blowing cash on
a Belgian Beer Bash, respond thusly: "FEDERAL TAX REFUND,
HONEYBUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!!" Can she say "Spa Day?!?!"
MONEY
SECTION
Okay, how much will this cost? I don't include it myself,
but consider Pre-trip costs: if you don't have travel equipment,
include luggage, and if you are making plans with friends
at a bar, add that to the total for tax write-off purposes.
Airfare:
$300-425 or less for airfare from NYC, $540 from Denver, $504
from Phoenix
Lodging: $40/night hotel – this will depend on
which way we go here (mini-bars or mini-beds). I expect lodging
to be approximately $54/night in Antwerp.
Food/Events: $30-40/day for food & events is plenty.
Again, this depends, but it's not that expensive, really.
This includes drinks, food, and usually an attraction a day
(read: museum or culture event).
Entertainment/Gifts: This includes special considerations
such as an expensive show, or time spent in Amsterdam brown
coffee houses or what not. Assume $35-50 extra per event added.
Then there's Dan, who buys gifts like it's a Blue Light special
in Europe. Add $100-$500 for such extravaganzes, I add about
$15 for postcards and stamps and that's it – memories
on flimsy paper cards are often just as good as expensive
goodies or joke-gifts.
Travel/Taxi:
$25-50/trip for train/taxi travel. I'm assuming about 4 such
excursions during the stay. This is for getting to/from Brussels
airport, and any inter-city transport such as to Bruges or
Amsterdam, etc.
That's
about it! The IRS Refunds should help cover most of the airfare
-- see the Tax
Refund Schedule for more info on when you'll receive your
refund!
MORE
ON PASSPORTS
See Travel.State.Gov
for great info on renewing, getting a new passport, etc.
AIRLINE
UPDATES
Steve Urban found great NYC-BRU (Brussels, Belgium) fares,
must be booked by August 6th. Must Fly Monday-Thursday and
have a Saturday night stay on-line booking required.
United
(Lufthansa) $248 + some taxes
Continental $252 + $88 in taxes
Thousands
have asked when everyone is going. Please email dates you
are thinking of and I'll add to your profile below. In terms
of airfare, it's best to depart on Thursday and return the
following Mon-Thurs or Sunday. For example, The BilFish is
going over Nov. 1 (Thursday, arr. Friday) and returning Nov
11 (Sunday). Dan, Erich and Steve are also considering extended
stays of a week or more. Also give info. on where else you'd
like to go. Amsterdam and Bruges have been mentioned so far.
FYI
-- Cheap Season for airfare from the US 2 Europe begins, luckily
enough, Nov. 1st, so I wouldn't suggest traveling before that
date.
&
FiNaLlY... The BilFish is booked, itinerary below. I arrive
in Brussels Friday morning, leaving the following SundayX2.
Thu,
Nov 1, '01
UA 0962 DEP 10:30 AM DEN and ARR 3:36 PM IAD (Washington Dulles)
UA 0950 DEP 5:35 PM IAD and ARR next day 7:10 AM BRU (Brussels)
Sun, Nov 11,
'01 UA 0951 DEP 11:50 AM BRU and ARR 3:00 PM IAD
UA 1017 DEP 4:30 PM IAD and ARR 6:13 PM DEN
BELGIUM
- I EAT THEE
There
are 3 words that should come to mind as you consider culinary
Belgium:
Chocolate.
Mussels.
Beer.
Oh, and Frituurs/Fritures*.
Ummm, and, waffles.
Okay,
so 5 words. But they all spell YUM to me! I feel a Poem:
Chocolate is for the ladies back home.
Mussels are for the ladies who roam.
Beer is for that which is mine.
Fritures is for my waistline.
And waffles from street vendors are for my morning after gloam.**
*
A Frituur or Friture is a french-fry shop, ubiquitous in Belgium.
** Gloam is part of a movie title starring gimp Superman actor
Chris Reeves, and rhymes with roam.
ATTENDEE
(Commitment) / LENGTH OF STAY (LOS) / SNORE QUOTIENT BilFish
(Definite) - Nov ATTENDEE LIST HAS BEEN MOVED
TO THE WHO PAGE, FIND IT THERE!
Congrats
to JayBaer on the birth of his new baby boy last Friday, way
to go, 2 down, 11 to go for that Baker's Dozen! If you decide
to go to Belgium, we'll buy you a round at the festival! Please
send all content you have directly to the list, I ain't Yo
Damn Mama!
Cheers,
BilFish
Editor
Belgium Today!
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