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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday July 19, 2008 - 17 Chocolate and history can be savoured in Brussels CELEBRITY EQUINOX When Celebrity Equinox, the second in Celebrity Cruises' newest class of ships, sets sail in 2009, it will sail a short, but unique season in Europe, featuring new ports and several overnight stays, before transitioning to the Caribbean for the rest of the year and the first quarter of 2010. Celebrity Equinox will make its maiden voyage on 08AUG09 with a 10-night "Best of Europe" itinerary from Southampton to Rome, calling on ports in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Gibraltar. The ship will then sail a series of 13- and 14-night "Ancient Empires" cruises featuring two new ports of call -- Haifa and Ashdod, Israel. These voyages also include an overnight stay in Alexandria, Egypt as well as calls in Italy, Greece and Turkey. On 05NOV09, the ship will sail a transatlantic voyage to Fort Lauderdale to begin a series of alternating 11- and 10-night "Ultimate Caribbean" voyages. The 11-night voyages will stop in George Town, Grand Cayman; Cartagena, Colombia; Colon, Panama; Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Roatan, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico. The 10-night sailings include calls on Charlote Amalie, St. Thomas; Basseterre, St. Kitts; Bridgetown, Barbados; Roseau, Dominica; Philipsburg, St. Maarten. www.celebritycruises.com. T he heart of Europe is a lovely old city called Brussels, capital of Belgium. This 1,000-year-old city is home to the European Commission and Council of Ministers of the European Union (EU). Brussels' location makes it a melting pot of German people from the north and Latin from the south. Signs are in Dutch and French, and in the delightful cafés you'll hear both languages from the locals who come from French-speaking Walloons (80 per cent) and Dutch-speaking Flemish (20 per cent). You can now fly direct to Brussels with Air Transat, so I jumped at the chance. Brussels is a cosmopolitan city where many different cultures live together and where different languages can be heard on each street. This liveliness and international flair is, of course, intimately related to its role as a crossroads for all of Europe. Guide books don't exaggerate when they rave about the centre square called Grand'Place. It doesn't cost a thing unless you eat or drink at one of the wonderful cafés. We chose lunch at Le Paon, which came highly recommended. Yes we all ordered Patats Frites with a mayonnaise garlic dip. These are French fries as you've never tasted before. They are addictive. No café seemed to object when visitors lingered over one of the excellent beers, a famous hot chocolate, or a Belgium waffle. This historic market square with its splendid guild houses and the impressive Gothic beauty of the Town Hall, is never empty -- the "music and light" shows take place in summer, accompanied by classical music, at noon the tower of the Maison du Roi plays golden carillon chimes and the square is an important market place, just as it was in the past. Tuesday to Sunday there's a flower market, and on Sunday a bird market. Markets are a must. There are many every day, with a good antique market Saturdays and Sundays. Brussels is known for its lace, and you'll find lace stores in all the narrow streets near the Grand'Place square. You'll also find chocolate stores on every street. Naturally you need to work off some of these calories. There are 250 public bikes in 23 stations around the city. Just use a credit card to unlock one and have fun. To join is $12.50, and then the cost is about $1.00 per hour. We wandered through the Musees Royaux des BeauxArts, stared at the Atomium, the symbol of Brussels built for the 1958 World's fair and gawked when the Queen of Belgium drove by. For me, walking the old, narrow cobblestone streets lined with antique stores was special. The European Parliament is the largest parliament in the world, representing 492 million citizens in 27 member states and operates in 23 official languages. It is a mini-city within the city, and you can visit behind the scenes. We stayed in the Apart'hotel Citadines Toison d'Or close to the Palais de Justice. It helped the budget and was a great home away from home. All the city's Royal attractions and museums were within walking distance. The modern apartment build- ing with 153 fully-equipped studios and apartments is perfect for families. Air Transat has a package that is perfect for people looking for city experiences. You spend your first three nights in the cultural riches of Brussels before travelling by train to Amsterdam for another wonderful three nights, then get back on the train to finish your holiday with three nights in Paris. You fly home from Paris. Prices, including transfers, train, breakfast, hotel and flight start at $1,559 plus taxes. There are lots of package getaways with Transat's Europe program, but you can also book air, hotel, and transportation separately for more flexibility. For more information, visit www.transatholidays.com. Sam Ion can be reached at sion10@cogeco.ca. "ELECTRONIC REHAB" The Fairmont Chateau Whistler is cracking down on Blackberry users, as well as those with cell phones, laptops, pagers or any other electronic gadgets, with its new "Electronic Rehab Getaway." Upon check-in, guests must relinquish all electronic devices and sign a waiver allowing the hotel to "lock 'em away" for the duration of the stay. With their newfound free time, guests can enjoy all that Whistler has to offer - play a round at The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club or take a paddle down the River of Golden Dreams, ride a horse or ATV, hike or bike the trails of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains or simply relax at the spa. The Rehab getaway starts at $358 per room, based on double occupancy, and includes buffet breakfast and a $200 activity credit. ROCKY MOUNTAINEEER SAVINGS Rocky Mountaineer has extended the booking date for its Fairmont Gift Certificate promotion until 05AUG08. Guests reserving a minimum 5-night GoldLeaf Service Vacation package will receive a $600 per couple Fairmont Gift Certificate and guests booking in RedLeaf Service will receive a $300 per couple Fairmont Gift Certificate. The Fairmont Gift Certificate can be used at any Fairmont Hotel and resort worldwide for accommodations, meals, spa and golfing charges or purchases from the Fairmont Gift Store. www.rockymountaineer.com Visit McTavish At: www.mctavishtravel.com Voted Best Travel Agency Best Cruise Company Best Travel Agent Thanks Oakville! Hopedale Shopping Centre 1515 Rebecca Street, Oakville Relax... you're with us 221 Lakeshore Road E. (905) 827-1100 fax: (905) 827-4982 e-mail: travel@mctavish.com 905-337-2228 www.hookedoncruising.com To advertise in the travel section call 905-845-3824