BRUSSELS
For some reason, I had a very very strong urge to go to Brussels. It wasn't even because it's so close to London and easily accessible via the Eurostar. It's a very small city in a very small country (Belgium, obviously), and definitely isn't as popular of a tourist destination as many other European cities. But something I'm learning about traveling and my own travel preferences is that small, manageable cities are often just as interesting (if not more) than a huge metropolis like London or Paris. Natalie and I were able to walk the entire city in one day, and saw everything we wanted to see. It wasn't at all overwhelming, and we felt safe and comfortable. And we ate. A lot.
Almost everyone I've talked to who has done a fair amount of traveling throughout Europe has said that Brussels has the most breathtakingly beautiful city center, the Grand Place. The building in the middle, City Hall, strangely resembles Cinderella Castle in Disney World... The spire at the top of the structure is visible from practically everywhere in the city, and we were able to use it as a beacon if we got lost. These pictures are from the first night we got there... and everything was 20x more beautiful at night all lit up.
Ever heard of BELGIAN chocolate? There were chocolate shops EVERYWHERE. Brussels was my equivalent of culinary heaven. Chocolate and waffles and frites! Frites are french fries. French fries actually originated in Belgium, but because Belgians speak French, Americans thought that they came from France. A bit of history for you!
Everything in Brussels was just so quaint and pretty. It's definitely a combination of French and Dutch influence, making it uniquely Belgian. As I said, we were able to cover basically the entire city in one day, including all of the major areas and attractions:
This little guy is called the Mannekin Pis, and is oddly enough the city mascot. Legend has it that some aristocrat lost his son in the city, and found him later in this exact spot 'relieving himself'. I think it's supposed to be good luck to come see the statue.
This is the city's main cathedral. I think it's called Saint Michel, but i could be wrong. Natalie is in the bottom right corner on the steps.
This is the city's main park, and is stylistically very Parisian... wide, avenue-like pathways and very symmetrical.
We also visited the European Union headquarters... probably what Brussels is most famous for these days. There is a huge plaza of bars and restaurants outside the EU and we were lucky enough to be there on a Friday night after work hours. It seemed to be where all of the young, hip city dwellers liked to hang out after work. Overall, a very low key but very very enjoyable and interesting trip to Brussels.
Almost everyone I've talked to who has done a fair amount of traveling throughout Europe has said that Brussels has the most breathtakingly beautiful city center, the Grand Place. The building in the middle, City Hall, strangely resembles Cinderella Castle in Disney World... The spire at the top of the structure is visible from practically everywhere in the city, and we were able to use it as a beacon if we got lost. These pictures are from the first night we got there... and everything was 20x more beautiful at night all lit up.
Ever heard of BELGIAN chocolate? There were chocolate shops EVERYWHERE. Brussels was my equivalent of culinary heaven. Chocolate and waffles and frites! Frites are french fries. French fries actually originated in Belgium, but because Belgians speak French, Americans thought that they came from France. A bit of history for you!
Everything in Brussels was just so quaint and pretty. It's definitely a combination of French and Dutch influence, making it uniquely Belgian. As I said, we were able to cover basically the entire city in one day, including all of the major areas and attractions:
This little guy is called the Mannekin Pis, and is oddly enough the city mascot. Legend has it that some aristocrat lost his son in the city, and found him later in this exact spot 'relieving himself'. I think it's supposed to be good luck to come see the statue.
This is the city's main cathedral. I think it's called Saint Michel, but i could be wrong. Natalie is in the bottom right corner on the steps.
This is the city's main park, and is stylistically very Parisian... wide, avenue-like pathways and very symmetrical.
We also visited the European Union headquarters... probably what Brussels is most famous for these days. There is a huge plaza of bars and restaurants outside the EU and we were lucky enough to be there on a Friday night after work hours. It seemed to be where all of the young, hip city dwellers liked to hang out after work. Overall, a very low key but very very enjoyable and interesting trip to Brussels.