After finally sitting down to upload and edit all of my pictures from this weekend, I am contemplating where to start when it comes to documenting my amazing weekend trip to Brussels. So, I'll just go in chronological order and try and stick to only the most interesting parts (who am I kidding - they were all interesting). My story begins at 4 AM near the train station where we were dropped off and left to fend for ourselves. In my head, 4 AM didn't seem that late (early?) but 4 AM is actually pitch black and terrifying, especially for seven girls carrying an awful lot of valuables and cash. Somehow we made it through the dreary morning hours (thanks to some kind policemen who stood watch near our hiding place in the Grand Market area) and the sun rose and we started our first day in Brussels.
I'm just going to come out and say it: Brussels is now my favorite city in the entire world. Granted, I only stayed there for two and a half days, but something about this small city made me feel perfectly at home. Firstly, the people are so nice. Much nicer than Parisians (sorry to any Parisians who may read this) and also much better at speaking English, although I swear I try and speak French as often as possible. After checking in at our hostel and dropping off our heavy bags, we set off to explore. There is something totally freeing about walking around an unknown city with no expectations or plans - just picking a direction and walking towards it. We came across a park with a winding path around a lake, then moved on to see a cathedral and a botanical garden. My favorite part was just looking at all of the architecture, which is so different from Paris. Brussels has a small-town feel but the amenities of a large city. The buildings look like something out of a country village and everyone you speak to is more than happy to help you with anything, including flawlessly switching to English if you don't understand their French. As soon as we got there I knew I wouldn't want to leave.
After finally moving our stuff into our hostel, which was way nicer than I expected (comfy beds, a private bathroom, and air conditioning), we went out in search for typical Belgian food. Apparently, french fries aren't so French; they were invented in Belgium but called french fries because of the French influence in Belgium. However you call them, they're one of my all-time fave foods so I needed them ASAP. They sell them everywhere on the streets and pass them out in little paper cones so you can eat them on the go. Every place offers 40+ sauces, most of which I didn't recognize, but who doesn't love some ketchup with fries? Belgians apparently, since only tourists get ketchup. Oops. Next up was some famous Belgian chocolate, which is sold on every street corner in Brussels. You can buy it in ginormous blocks or individual teeny truffles. Since I'm not a glutton (lol ya rite) I just bought a few truffles: champagne, speculoos, dark chocolate, and regular cocoa. There is definitely a reason Belgian chocolate is famous. If I wasn't full at this point (I was) I would be once I stuffed my face with a warm, Belgian waffle. Earlier in the morning I tried a typical one, square and crispy, but the smell of the Liege waffles called out to me. They are more round and doughy than their more famous counterparts, but better in my opinion. Luckily for me, you can find them on the streets for only one euro.
I was feeling fit to burst out of my jeans and totally sweaty from walking around all day in the unprecedented Belgian heat, but the other girls dragged me out to the bar for some Belgian beer. Not being a beer fan, I was content with just people watching. We eventually found a bar that someone had suggested, Delirium Café, and it must be very famous because the entire street was packed with people. The bar itself felt like a sauna and so everyone stood outside and drank. We started getting claustrophobic so a few of us found a more empty bar with some lovely live music. It was also down a very cool, hidden alley so that was a bonus. Europe has tons of these tiny side streets that look like something out of a history movie. Also cobblestone streets? Awesome to look at. Maybe not so nice for my feet, but it's worth it. After being up since 4 AM, I finally passed out after everyone else went back out to a club. Yeah, I'm a grandma but I'm a proud grandma. To be continued...
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