Where it was all about the beer, waffles, frites, and chocolate. Calories don't count while traveling, right?
When I flew to Europe last October, my journey took me through Brussels, Belgium both on the way to the Greek Island of Crete and home from Sicily, Italy. It wasn't one of my normal European layovers that normally took me through Munich or Zurich, and I had an overnight layover on the return home, in Brussels. While my layover only gave me time to leave the airport head to a nearby hotel, grab dinner, and sleep for the night before catching a flight home the next morning, it was that short time in Brussels that reminded me that I'd never been to the capital of Belgium. And that maybe it was time for a visit.
Already loosely planning a trip to Amsterdam for the following spring that quickly morphed into a visit to London to reconnect with several fellow yogis from my recent yoga retreat in Crete, I quickly realized that a visit to Brussels could easily be added to that same trip. I've come to enjoy those trips where I fly into one place and home from another seeing what I can fit in, in between. It often allows me to make the most of my time abroad without spending time backtracking.
I won't bore you with the details of my fabulous three days in London as I spent the most of it reconnecting with friends, which was indeed priceless. After a lovely weekend, I hopped on the train to Brussels, to return to Belgium for the third time. I'd spent some time in the small charming town of Brugge twice before; the first during one of my first European trips in March 2000, which coincidently also included my first and only visit to Amsterdam and again while on a Baltic Cruise in June 2016. I'd loved Brugge; in fact, when I mentioned to several friends I was going to Brussels, a few people asked if I was going to Brugge and heard few only a few raves reviews about Brussels. As a result, my expectations were not exceptionally high but like any new place I kept my mind open.
May 23, 2022
As my journey on the Eurostar from London's St. Pancras station bound for Brussels, the sunny weather I'd enjoyed over the weekend in London turned overcast and gloomy and upon my arrival in Brussels and I was greeted by a dreary rainy evening. Shifting from the train to their metro, I made my way to the Rogier stop and easily found my hotel, the DoubleTree in Brussels. The staff was welcoming, provided tips and suggestions for my stay in the city and of course, the famous DoubleTree cookie- my first since the pandemic started! It's the little things, but hey, those cookies are good! I enjoyed a late dinner at the hotel bar and settled in for the evening prepared to spend the next day seeing where my feet would take me.
May 24, 2022
I set out the next morning to wander around the city and take in several of the sites recommended by the reception at my hotel. I'd done a fair amount of reading about things to see and do in Brussels before I left for my trip, so I had a loose game plan but was looking forward to just having a day with no set plan as my next two days included pre-arranged tours. My hotel was conveniently located at the end of the major pedestrian/shopping street, Rue Neuve, that after a 10 minute stroll leads you right to the main square or Grand Place. Since the weather in Brussels often "changes on a dime and it was beautiful and sunny when I arrived at the expansive square so I spent time just taking it all in, people watching and marveling in the grandeur. And of course, I got several obligatory photos of nearly every vantage point of the square and once again was reminded that no matter how many European cities I visit, we simply have few places as grand with massive historic buildings. Yes, the U.S. is so much younger in comparison, but still.
Leaving the Grand Place behind, but knowing I'd be back before my time in Brussels was over, I made my way towards the famous Mannekin Pis. Yes, because when in Brussels, one should always seek out a statue of a "peeing boy." He's often dressed in various costumes, gifts from other countries; there is even a shop featuring some of the various suits. He was "naked" during my first sighting that day, but later that week when I revisited him on a walking tour, he was dressed in a costume that was a gift from Georgia in honor of their Independence Day (May 26th). That almost felt fitting as I'd been touring around Georgia almost exactly a year before. My hotel reception told me there was also a statue of a girl peeing aptly named Jeanneke Pis, and a dog peeing as well. I found the girl later in the day, but never the dog; though I admittedly forgot to look for it and only randomly stumbled upon the girl.
After paying my respects to the Mannekin Pis and ready to leave the hordes of tourists grappling for their photos of him; I set off to wander the streets in the direction of the Eglise Notre Dame des Victories au Sablon (Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon), which had been recommended as worth a visit by my hotel reception. After visiting the inside of the church, I noticed a small park across the street that also looked well worth a wander through. And worth it, it was as it provided the perfect foreground for beautiful shots of the church.
One of the things that I think I loved the most about Brussels was simply wandering the small streets. Not only were they quaint and picturesque, but they also dripped with charm. Lined with cafes, restaurants, shops, boutiques, and of course, chocolate shops (some of which I'd visit a few days later), the streets, especially off the main touristy areas felt peaceful. And while the weather in Brussels often turns on a dime as I quickly learned several times throughout my walk around the city that first day, the changing weather provided yet another backdrop for the often-quiet streets. Which would change the next day when a national holiday weekend brought hordes of people into the city!
After wandering past the Royal Palace of Brussels and through the neighboring Brussels Park I found myself outside the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral just as the skies opened up for a short lived rainstorm. Seeking refuge in the cathedral to wait out the rain a bit, I plotted out what else I wanted to see in the city. Once the rain let up a bit, I made my way past Jeanneke Pis and meandered along more quaint streets to the St. Catherine district where I grabbed a bite to eat and another Belgian beer. Yes, beer. Belgium is not exactly known for its wine, and I've always said a truly authentic traveler embraces the local culture, including the food and drink!
Realizing I had enough time, I jumped on the metro to head out to one of the icons of Brussels, or perhaps a bit of a gaudy tourist attraction, the Atomium. After a short walk from the metro, the large silver and shiny monument could not be missed. Since it was rather late in the day, about 90 minutes before closing, there were only a few other tourists visiting. I purchased my ticket and made my way through the multi-tiered exhibit. I'll admit I had low expectations and figuring it would be another "one and done" tourist attraction for me, yet I enjoyed my time exploring the exhibits and especially the views from above. And even better that I was one of only a few there! Note to self: going late in the day was definitely a win!
May 25, 2022
If you've been following along, you'll know I have been chasing 50 countries by the age of 50 for quite some time and while Belgium was not a new country for me, there was one on my list. I had booked a day trip to a neighboring country, so small, it's often overlooked. A part of the "BeNeLux," I boarded a bus for a group tour to Luxembourg, country number 45 for me, for the day. We arrived in Luxembourg City and started our day with a walking tour around the small but picturesque city. As we were introduced to the old town area set high above the lower part of the city this quaint but beautiful city, it became one I immediately knew was a place I'd want to return to, to spend more time especially knowing there was more to the country to explore. And I had read that they had a small but notable wine region, too. After our guided walking tour, we were given a few hours of free time to grab lunch and do as we pleased. I found a cute cafe, ordered a lunch and a glass of Luxembourg wine; a dry white and enjoyed my lunch in this strangely bustling small city.
Probably by far my favorite spot in Luxembourg City was this lookout point from the "upper" part of the city looking down to the lower part. While we were showed how we could get to the lower part, I choose to grab a leisurely lunch during our free time instead knowing a return visit was certainly in order to stay a few nights and more properly explore this small city and country. And of course, explore their wine.
On the way back from Luxembourg, we made a 45-minute stop in a small town in the Flemish part of Belgium, Dinant. Situated about halfway between Brussels and Luxembourg City, and best known for being the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, it's a charming, historic riverside town. Needing to stretch my legs, I wandered along the bridge to check out the life-size statues of saxophones painted for various countries or places around the world lining the sidewalks of the bridge across the Meuse River. Sleepy yet quiet it was another reminder that while I enjoy exploring the larger more well-known cities in Europe, I do love the smaller, lesser known and less crowded towns. I took a stroll along the river to stretch my legs for the ride back to Brussels and of course, took a few pictures! It was a lovely day seeing a bit more of Belgium's countryside and of course, visiting Luxembourg for the first time.
May 26th, 2022
For my final day in Brussels, I had booked a half-day tour with Hungry Mary's Chocolate and Beer tour. Chosen based on raving reviews, it promised to be a small group walking tour of tasting local chocolates and beers lasting about four hours. What better place to do that than Belgium, a place known worldwide for its' beer and chocolate. Marie, an outgoing native Parisian who had been living in Brussels for many years and the namesake of the tour was our guide. She greeted our group of 15 or so and shared that she was excited, yet a bit overwhelmed to have small groups back as during the pandemic she'd been guiding tours of just a few people at a time. It was a bit eye opening for me as it made me think to all the private or nearly private tours, I'd taken during my travels over the last two years how challenging it would be for tour guides to shift back to larger groups once again. You wouldn't know that Marie was "out of practice" per say as she led an entertaining, engaging, and enjoyable nearly six-hour tour of local, hand-picked chocolateries' noting that she picked ones that were specific to Brussels and not the larger retailers like Godiva that we could get anywhere in the world. We tasted four-six different chocolates at four different chocolate shops, each one different from the one before. To say it was sweet...well, there were these white powder covered champagne and mint infused balls of dark chocolate that were heavenly. The six I brought to bring home, may not have actually made it home....just saying!
After all the chocolate indulgence, we began the second half of our tour tasting Belgian beers at three different bars and breweries. Not nearly as knowledgeable about beer as I am about wine, I'm always up to try anything and in total I believe we tasted about 10 or so beers. Like the chocolate shops, each place we tasted beer was different from the one before and Marie provided wonderful descriptions of the history and many types of beers produced in Belgium. At our second stop we were treated to some snacks, including the ever so yummy Belgian frites to munch on with our beers. Over six hours later, it was easily one of the top five day tours I've taken in all of my travels. If you find yourself in Brussels and have a hankering for chocolate and beer, check this tour out!
Before the day rounded out, I befriended another solo traveler on tour, a fellow American from New York. Once the tour ended, we decided to check out the world famous Delirium Cafe to have another beer or two and compare our travel stories. All in all, it was a great way to end my time in Brussels!
While my trip was far from over; it was not until a few weeks later that I realized how much I truly enjoyed my time in Brussels. A city that I had admittedly mediocre expectations became one that I truly enjoyed. But as I've learned the places you're not excited as much about often are the ones that surprise you the most. Even if I was a bit influenced by all the constant lovely smell of fresh baked waffles, incredible Belgian chocolate and of course the frites smothered in mayo. You really didn't think I spent a few days in Belgium and did not indulge in a few waffles and frites, did you?
There's more to this journey to come. And hopefully it won't take me 3 months to write it! Stay tuned!
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