Training story

Natasha waiting for the Train

Good story from monday...
So we had to get on the train from the Brussels airport to Tielt, the day we arrived. So we're pretty tired from the flight and delays and such. We barely manage to buy the tickets and get the bikes in the elavator and then we almost get on the wrong train, but we get some help and get on the right train.

So the train was empty, I thought this was great, we throw the bikes and bags in one corner and then then sprawl out

across a couple seats (that's a pic of the bikes in an empty car on the train). Not three minutes after we started what looked to be a doldrum of a train ride, doesn't half of Brussels then get on the train. Well then at every approaching stop our baggage that was in a corner of the train seemed to disappear in front of our eyes.

Generally speaking I am a pretty paranoid person, multiply that with jet lag and lack of sleep, add in that I have no clue what the people on the train are saying, well, this makes for a pretty paranoid Canuck on the the train.

The guy standing closest to the bags, the guy that looked pretty shady to begin with, his cell phone goes off...yah his ring tone...the sound of a bomb dropping. I decide that acting cool is no longer an option, I pretty much jump over the guy that was sitting beside me and grab the bags and then sit on them for the rest of the ride. That is until we are 5 minutes from our stop. We have only 60 seconds to get all our stuff out, so we eagerly move it between cars, then we mangage to block two exits from the train and get a lot of funny looks from all the Belgians going home from their office. We give them half smiles as we feel shame and embarassed that we look like total amatures, we bow out at our stop and thankfully Bernard is there to greet us and takes us to what will be our home while we are in Belgium.
Good story from today...
Natasha and I went for a little ride into Oostkamp today to pick up some essentials that we forgot to get yesterday. Apperently I bought Kammelmilk, which apparently is the product you get when you beat milk before you make yogourt. So not really that great in coffee. Also I did have some dreams about walking in the sand? Anyways Tasha went into the Delhaize to buy some non Kammelmilk, we got it right this time.
We then had to go to the local ATM, where NATASHA felt the urge to say extremely loud "I took out the maximum amount that it would let me", as she tucked the Euros into her jersey pocket. I know blue collar crime is low in Belgium, but I think this pushes the limit of how do you say "asking for trouble" in Flemish.
Close call, lucky the two guys in back of her were probably just staring at her Steven's tights which are now probably thining.
So one more day of training before the first race in Antwerpen. So far among the people staying at house, there is ; Barb Howe from the US, Wendy Simms, Nathan Chown and his wife Leslie. Future Jet Fuel teamate Kevin Hazzard will arrive tomorow and one more American is arriving later. So we will be getting some great support at the races and we should be all taken care of with support crew and mechanic as well. So looking forward to getting smacked around a little.