Belgium!

The first of our weekend trips to take advantage of our proximity to a variety of cultures in the European continent was to Belgium, though less devoted to sightseeing and almost wholly focused on going to the deepest swimming pool in the world to scuba dive.

Nemo33 is located in Brussels, Belgium and is 112 feet(34 meters) deep.  Yes, its a pool, not a spring, or ocean shelf - and cleverly heated by solar panels on the roof to a balmy temperature of 33 degrees celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). The entire pool is not 112 feet deep, just a deep well - which you can see in this quick sketchup model:  Most of the pool is contained within 2 stories of a buidling, and then the deep well is set in the ground.

Here is Brian in the shallower part (the middle platform in the pool foreground, about 15 feet)
Brian's head is probably around 6 feet

And the deep well (on the right foreground of skp model, total depth 112')

There are also caverns (under the middle platform) that are about 33 feet deep

The other cool thing about this place is that there is a restaurant immediately adjacent to the pool, with windows through which to see divers.

Here is the glam photo from the Nemo33 website: 

If you are a scuba diver and want to dive in an interesting environment (though devoid of fish) and test out your nerves for DEEP water, this is a great place to go.  Its high season is the winter, when most northern hemisphere dive spots are too cold for even wetsuits - and during winter they have a dive session every hour.  Each session is about $30 US dollars, and you can go every two hours.  All gear is included, so you just have to bring a certification card and a swimsuit. We spent the day there and ate at the restaurant.  I would have like to have more time to simply swim, but you only get the first 10 minutes of any dive for that activity.
More photos are available on my Picasa Album for Belgium

Here is our dive profile:

We did see some other things in Brussels, namely Belgian lace (of which I took photos for my mom) and the Grand Palace, which is a square with every facade being a beautifully ornate building - designated a World Heritage site.

We also ate some excellent food - a bucket of 50 mussels, a bottle of wine, and the best chocolate mousse and tiramisu I've ever imagined.