August 2024 Hashes in London...

Passing through a cemetery with Fishy Fingers on a City H3 trail in Finsbury Park. 

Spotted on that same trail, this mural looks like it’s been ripped, but that’s actually just a cool illusion.

While we were on a flight back from Berlin, Dogsh*t, visiting from Hong Kong, was at City H3. He enthusiasitcally collected Opee’s award for haring the most hash trails in the past 12 months. 

Two days later I met up with Dogsh*t and Wouldn’t Chew at a pub in Richmond before we headed out to West London H3’s 2000th Hash. 

Another two days later was a special West London H3 2001st New Millennium Hash where we posed with some Harrier Central users visiting from Germany.  

Two weeks later, we were hashing with London H3 in Hampstead Heath...

…and were co-RAs in the circle.

Later in the month, In a strange twist of fate, the slowest runner was named as the FRB (Front Running Bastard) at City H3 which meant that I had to chug a pint (which I actually struggled to finish) and run with a cape on trail. 

It was a beautiful evening to run through Hampstead Heath. 

 

Miscellaneous Brussels...

Over the five nights in Brussels, we visited the Grand Place several times, including during the day...

…and at night.

The Cinquantenaire Arch. built in 1905, was especially impressive at night.

We rented an apartment in the shopping district with Carla, who we know from London. We brought our own drinks up to the rooftop of City Hall for happy hour...

..and enjoyed great views over the city.

Luckily our apartment was nicer than the gate to the small alley to our front door.

No trip to Brussels is complete with spotting some street art.

 

Best of Brussels...

That Sunday was Higgins 1000th Hash with Brussels Manneke Piss H3 and he hosted a special circle after a great trail. Afterwards a bunch of us went out for dinner. 

On Monday, Jimmy had to work, but I enjoyed going on Higgins’ Best of Brussels Walk. 

It was fun for our group to see the renovations of the site where the big Brussels 2014 Hash Weekend was hosted.

While I had been there several times over the past decade, this was the first time many of our group had been back since that incredible event.

We covered a lot of ground.

Rather than seeing lots of horse-drawn carriages carrying tourists around the city, we spotted old-fashioned looking electric vehicles. 

Jimmy met up with me later and we found a small restaurant off the beaten path for a dinner of mussels before catching the Eurostar home. 
 

Party Time...

On that Friday, I enjoyed the summer bar crawl through the parks of Brussels. Jimmy joined me for the Meet and Greet, a dinner hosted by Higgins, on the left with RA wearing a shirt of Higgins’ face.   

Saturday night was the official birthday party.

Jimmy was thrilled to juggle...

…and DJ.

 

An Afternoon in Oostende...

After a nice walk in the dunes, we headed to Oostende. With a population around 72,000, it is the largest city on the Belgian coast.

Higgins did a great job choosing our drink stops...

…and our restaurant for dinner.

We saw a lot of funky art, including these huge crushed metal cubes on the beach...

…a variety of murals...

…and this kooky statue.