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If i want to go on another trip in a short while, what would I do differently? What where the tings that proved to be the more usefull?

Hard to say but two months after my return and just finishing the writing of this travel journal, I have a few points coming to my head:

• I made myself a list of thing to put in my luggages in Excel, this list isn't perfect but it help me to forget a minimum of usefull things. After each trip I revew the list.
• Make sure to have a good pair of shoes. Acording to the physiotherapist my tendinitis may be the result of many factors but among them we can mention the fact of walking many hours each day with shoes with worn out soles. I have realy good walking shoes but the sole is worn out after more than two year of day to day usage, I was waiting for my return to change them but should have done so a few weeks before.
• Some peoples need to have a minute by minute schedule, other don't want to planify anything.
  Personally I'm between those extreme, I'm in vacation so I leave rigid schedules to others, but I don't see myself leaving without a minimum of preparations. In some occasion I like surprises, I even left for somes nowheres without any precise destination in my head. But for a trip like that it's better to have more informations than not enough. The fact of being well prepared will permit you to choose well when a project is canceled or don't interess you anymore.
• It's impossible to see all, don't pass all your vacation running from place to place. Leave you some time to relax, to strool without aim. Returning from your trip those may be the moment that you will remember the most.
• Have an open mind and be flexibles, don't miss an oportunity that interest you because "it's not on the schedule", you are on vacation after all!
• For the first time I made a travel journal, I will do the same thing on my next trips. It's a wonderfull way to keep memories that we think are unforgivable, picture may worth a thousand words but a photo with a few words worth even more.
• If you keep a journal try to keep it as up to date as possible, I realised that sometimes there is so much to do and to see that it's hard to find free time but try to be as much to date as possible, I forgot details sooner than I expect because there was so much new stuff in my brain and it was hard to join some comments to pictures.
• Start your reserch a long time ahead, read all references book you have. Also visit breweries and point of interest like museum and restaurants websites to know opening days and hours, also to know if there will be some special events during your stay. Don't neglect official tourist websites from each region or town you will visit. The "snail festival" may not interest you but if you are in the area you may be curious and drop an eye or, on the contrairy, modify your itinery so you wont get caugth in the trafic jams.
• Before I left, I noted in my guidebook some places to stay since I was planning to pass a few days in each region. The teft of my backpack made me lose all that information (I bought a new guide but I didn't have enough time left to read the whole book again and take new notes). Also the fact that I was confortable where I stayed arriving in Brussells (again, thanks to Anne-Marie DeGroot) add to the fact that I was feeling a bit paranoid had for result that i stayed for the duration of the trip at the same place (exept for three night in London). If I return to Belgium I will certainly move around a bit more. It's easy to leave Brussells in the morning, to anywhere in Belgium (and more) and get back for the evening. The problem is that you always have to come back at the hours where café and bars start to get lively and you loose and interesting side of nigthlife at each place, that is a pitty for a beer lover.

• "Le quide du routard Belgique" (I know it's a book in french and useless for most english readers and that there may be even better in english but that's the one i used so I leave it here for the sake of the acruaty of translation, don't worry it's the only one in french) Book full of informations on all that should and shouldn't be seen in Belgium. Thake care when they mention that a place have a good choice of beers, it's writen by wine lovers so expectation may differs.
• "Good Beer Guide Belgium" Tim Web's book is THE reference for beers lovers who go to Belgium. Saddly the old version was out of print and the new was avalable only near the end of my trip. Do not leave for Belgium whitout this book if you are interested in quality beers.
• "332 originele cafés in vlaanderen" By Bob Hendrickx. This book in flemish, except the London section (in english) is a kind of institution and it pays for itself in a few days in Belgium. It put together 332 café/bar in Flanders, this year edition add 5 London's spots known as the best beers places around. The principle of this book is that the first time you go to one of the featured place, you get your book stamped or signed and your second consomation is either free or half price, if you gat 100 stamps you get a case of beer, if you get all you get your weight in beer... in belgian beers (offer by the Lefebvre brewery).
• "Lambicland" by Tim Web, Chris Pollard and Joris Pattyn will interess all those who want to know more about spontaneous fermentation beers.

• Bièropholie The most visited french language website. Many regulars went to Belgium and can anser some questions but also take time to look in the archives.
• The Burgundian Babble Belt This english website look a bit like Bièropholie but is aimed particularly at belgium beers. It contains belgium travels archives and regulars are very friendly and not mean of their knowledge. You can also find links to get the beer books mentioned on top.
• White Beer Travels John White organise beer oriented travels sinces many years, his website is full of usefull informations. The only reproach I could make is that he talk a lot of himself but you have to understand that it's his livelyhood.
• Couch Surfing You are young and your resources are limited but you are interested to travel or you look for a way to meet the people from the places you go instead of hotel staff? Couchsurfing is a way to travel inexpensively or simply to meet interesting peoples. In my trip I didn't couchsurf but the Bed & Breakfast where i stayed was sugested by a couchserfer host who didn't have available space when I asked.