Brussels to Paris...whew!

The plan was to take the bullet train from Brussels to Paris...sounds easy,well, first of all we have to check into our hotel in Brussels which I don't know the name of because we didn't have an internet connection in Bouillon, however, my educated guess was right and we check in and "consolidate our luggage". We don't actually have a ticket, so we walk to the train station and get in the first line we see. I tell the assistant what we want and he say that will be 300+ Euros. Wait a minute, don't you need to know what day, what time, what class of service? ( I had done some homework via the web). He mutters something in French or Flemish or German and summons his colleague. his colleague sends us to the train station. We find the train station and believe it or not and "I" information desk. The fellow cheerfully tells us we need that Thalys travel service and points. We go there. There are 3 people in line in front of us and two people working the line....for a good hour the line does not move and now there are at least 20 "angry looking" people behind us. We scour the area for brochures, non are in English, but by the time we are waited on we have figured out exactly what we want. When we finally get to the window it only takes 3 minutes and we have our tickets. It turns out the train to Paris leaves from the South Station, not the Central Station where we are staying. No problem, it also turns out that we are to turn the car into Avis at the South station and according to Betsy it is only 5 minutes drive from our hotel. This photo is of Edward with our consolidated luggage...no one....not even families....not even refugees....had as much luggage!