Back in 2010, we had an early, very cold and snowy winter. My human was living and working near Paris, while her husband was living and working in Brussels, Belgium. Don’t ask. Humans stuff. Complicated.
Anyway, they would visit each other during weekends and when I got to stay alone, my human’s Mom was visiting me or pet sitting me at her home. During the Christmas/New Year holidays, they usually spent one in one country and the other in the other (aren’t humans a bit complicated?)
But back in 2010, when my human was going to Brussels for Christmas, it had snowed A LOT just a couple of days before and traffic was bad and chances were my human’s Mom wouldn’t be able to come visit everyday. She had no other pet sitter. Yet she had to go to Brussels for other matters than Christmas too. She knew I’d rather stay in the comfort of my home, but she decided to take me with her because there was no way I was staying alone for a week, of course.
It was very cold outside so she put lots of blankets in my carrier and we went to Brussels together. She had upgraded her ticket to a First Class ticket so that she could easily have the room to take me on her lap all the time. There were not too many people in the train so I even got my own seat.
I hated train though. I am really calm in cars but I fought to get out of my carrier during the 1 hour and 20 minutes of our train trip. My human did her best to comfort me but I didn’t like it at all. It was noisy, moving all the time… Hated it. I know she felt bad about it but once we got out of the train it was okay.
We arrived safe and sound. And I got to visit my half-brothers who had been living with their human there for a couple of months.
The apartment was an old apartment with a lot of decorations made of wood. Also you can tell that, er, my human wasn’t living there because, er, it’s a bit messy. Plus the three of us, I have to admit, added to the mess a little.
Below, this is me behind a cat door. Because one of the rooms was not well heated, keeping the door closed was better. But the cat door made sure we could get there if we so wanted. We don’t like closed doors.
Striking a pose on an old, out-of-order chimney…
Cat chatting with Grouik…
It’s tiring to be a globetrotter cat…
And enjoying local drinks. Yep, just the empty bottles (you should see the humans get all nostalgic now at the sight of a bottle of Serafijn Grand Cru beer…).
You probably expected to see me photographed with the Manneken Pis, but we never went out, it was too dangerous out there.
BUT, just for you, I asked my human to make a bit of an effort to help me for once and thanks to the magical Photoshop tool here we are!
Wishing you all a great week!
My goodness, what an adventure! I don’t think I would like that train ride either!
ohhh Texas…I just think you are the bestest mancat furriend a ladycat could have…luvluvluv ya Texas…and so glad you survived the train trip…they would never have even put me in the PTU…just sayin’…Paw hugs, Savvy
***purring loudly***
They don’t allow pets on the Amtrak here. I am kind of glad about that!
Thanks for sharing your memories with us, Texas!
Love, Sundae
Wow, what a trip! I dont know if I’d like a train either..
Why hello, Texas! It is nice to meet you. Thank you for coming to visit me today! I think you have hadded a MUCH more interesting life than I have–I never go anyplace–well, except last week I went to the vet, but that was no fun at all.
How come your name is Texas? I would think it might be Brussels!
Or Serafijn ;-)
Thanks for your visit! I was glad to find your blog =^.^=
Well, you know, the important thing is to be with your family that loves you. I’m just glad we found humans that would not dump us because they move. So many humans do that. Ours o the extra mile to do the best they can for our comfort.
My name is Texas because my human loves the U.S. and the moment she adopted me, she could see I had character and Texas came to mind. Like don’t mess with Texas ;-)
Purrs
Texas, you are definately a globe trotting kitty! We don’t even like going the 10 minutes it takes by car to our vet’s office.
I’m actually okay by car but I don’t like going to the vet either.
Thanks for your visit.
Purrs
Sweet Texas you are the most traveled kitty we know. We don’t like to be in anything moving so we would not have enjoyed that train ride at all. The picture of you napping is adorable. Hugs and nose kisses
You have convinced me Texas, if I ever travel it is first class all the way and as I am a Tibbie who hates closed doors and carriers, I would need my own seat.
If I don’t get that, I’m not going.
Me….stubborn? Who said that?
MOL
Hail fellow traveller! You did get around. Was that the first time you met Grouik and MIlou?
Oh no. I met them the day I was adopted. But I had not lived with them for a long time when I saw them again in Brussels.
Hi Texas, that’s a great memory. Thanks for sharing. You are a very, very, cute globetrotter! :)
Globe-trotter pas félin ça ! Faut être maso comme un bipède pour avoir inventé un truc comme le train ! Mais, ça te fait des souvenirs à raconter pour notre plus grand plaisir ! Tu as fière allure auprès du petit pisseur grassouillet!
Merci =^.^=
*** Ça ronronne, ça ronronne***
Wow what fun Texas..I’s wouldnt like the train eithfur :( but I would like to go on a big adventure like that :)
Have a great day xx00xxx
What an adventure!!! Was it a belgian Train with this funny seats? My mom failed with the seat in such train… she pushed the button, suddenly the seat slipped in laying position and my mom landed between the legs of a man who did sit across from her….
MOL
It was a French-Belgian train I think.
Wow! You went all the way to Belgium! We’ve never left our home, let alone gone to another country! =O We’re so jealous! But I don’t think I would have liked to go on that horrible train.
Piggeh kisses,
Clover and Poppy
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
no it is not nice when you have to travel…but also you did not want to be Home Alone at Christmas…so your person loves you enough to take you with her….what a lotta love!
Some poor pussies do not have a home at all and they would have liked to go by train just to keep warm.
So you are one very lucky , very loved pussy! xxxxxxxxx
Yes, it is true I guess.
Purrs
Pfft, I don’t know, my cats would freak out if I had to fly with them. :(
But Belgium can be pretty nice. :)
Well, actually I don’t freak out by car, I didn’t by plane, but I did by train.
In any case, I’m better in the comfort of my home =^.^=
Purrs
Oh Texas you adventurer you! I guess by now everybody knows that I’m not one for any “moving” vehicle so travel is OUT for me but I do admire you for being a world traveler and seeing so much. These are great photos but that one of you snoozing is my favorite (although the last one is the most “interesting” !!!!).
Kitty Hugs, Your Friend Sam
Did you parents ever see the Manneken Pis when they traveled? It’s an important attraction in Brussels, apparently…
Purrs
No they didn’t BUT I can see why it’s one of those things you can’t resist visiting!! LOL
Sam
Sur quel ton faut-il qu’on leur miaule, à nos humains, qu’on n’aime ni les déplacements, ni les petits nouveaux, ni tout ce qui dérange nos habitudes ? Ah ! Humans will be humans !
Purrs.
Ça c’est bien vrai !
Purrs
OMD! Three of you have travelled a lot! Train ride…airplane…hmmmm…probably space shuttle next…? My mom has been to Brussels from Paris several times by Thalys as she has friends both in Paris and Brussels but didn’t know that it was so cold in Brussels in winter!!!! You, Milou and Grouik did deal with the coldness very well! Bravo! :)
Well it was especially cold this particular year because of the snow and everything.
And it was the Thalys I took with my human =^.^=
Purrs
well better that you took a train than driving after you drank that booze! MOL!!
MOL!
My poor Texas ! I have never traveled by train with Dayak, but when I see how sea-sick she is in a car, I don’t feel at all like trying !
PS : Even with Photoshop, you’re much more beautiful than the Manneken Pis ! :p
Awww… thank you!
Purrs
Goodness, Texas, you are well travelled! My staff knows Paris quite well, but Brussels not so well! Me, I only go up the road to the v-e-t once a year for my shots, and that is very traumatic!! Kudos Texas :)
Thanks!
I don’t like to go to the vet either!
Purrs
Tiki : tu as pris train comme ma grande sœur Liousha. Et dit pas glop. Moi, je veux pas essayer. Graous graous.
Liousha : Bravo Texas, même en première, je n’aime pas train. Ne veux plus le prendre. Graous graous itou.
Moi aussi j’espère ne plus le prendre ! Apparemment on ne peut pas ici de toute façon !
Ronrons
Oh dear Texas… you were in my neighborhood! You missed an opportunity to meet Bowie (and me)…
But what about ‘Westmalle’, a famous Belgian beer I recognize in the picture? Did your human liked it?
Westmalle Tripel is in our top 10, for sure. The thing is, there are soooooooo many beers in Belgium, including sooooooooo many fantastic Tripels (tripelen?) that it’s actually hard to classify. The great thing is it’s very easy to find, as opposed to Serafijn.
That sure does sound really scary. We would have been nuts. We even hate the car. But I guess it was better than staying home for a week by yourself. Did you taste any of that beer?? Take care.
Wow you are a moggie traveller ;-)
You’re so right Texas, trains are too noisy, but it must have been a mew of an adventure :)