Capital mode: Waffleland stories in Brussels
I believe Brussels is a capital of rain. 🌨Haven’t seen the sun shining there more than two days in a row. Might be just a bad luck, but how many coincidences in this life are possible?! 🤷The city is expensive and it takes ages to reach places. Even so, the vibe of all the high level European institutions and workaholic people with sneaky secrets and most important deals made in bars around Brussels are there.
Waffles waffles waffles all around. And happy faces of kids, enjoying them.
What helps in this case? Stories of the Manneken Pis (Belgium people have good sense of humor and lots of souvenirs of this little boy) to justify the rain and smell of Belgium waffles, which brings coziness back to the city. And a good bunch of people, of course.
Check it out!
This Manneken Pis statue everyone is trying to see is next to the Grand place, which I would suggest to visit in the late evening, as lots of lights make it look sunny even through the raindrops. ✨City center has some cool architecture sights-> Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula cathedral, Royal palace, Atomium. The Palace of Justice is one of the biggest buildings of this kind in Europe.
Belgium will steal your heart if you will make yourself lost in the narrow streets and enjoy life like a local. Or even better – day trips! 🌞
Brugge
If Christmas would be a feeling, the perfect place to feel it would be Brugge. Lots of cute canals, horses and their carriages, smell of hot chocolate and waffles, night lights reflected in the water – this warms even the coldest hearts. 💙
It is like a fairy-tale where everyone believes that turning from the ugly duckling into white swan is possible. Maybe that is why it was chosen as a symbol of the city. Follow the river and You will find your way around! The main street is full of people all the time, but do not be afraid to step off the beaten track – it hides some magic. For me it is the nicest city in Belgium. 🔥
Antwerp
It has the most beautiful train station ever. Yes, of course city is also nice.
But have you ever thought how many true feeling were actually revealed while saying “Goodbyes” and “Hellos” in this station?
I was thinking about the amount of fries we ate during this trip, but at least we had an excuse, as the trip was organized as a surprise for my lovely cousin and eating traditional (!) food was a must. Yes, you can find special fries shops on almost all the corners around Belgium cities. Antwerp is one of them. Thanks for Mr. Francesco, who was kind enough to remind us that anything else except fries and waffles exists and surprised us with his Italian cooking skills!
Oh, and some more details which perfectly defines Antwerp for me is handmade postcards, crafts and vintage shops with little cute thingies. You know that feeling that you really do not need it, but it is so beautiful that you still want it? Yeah, that happened too often in Antwerp. 🙈
Ghent
I managed to spend only half a day in this lovely student city. Why? Because I love dancing in the rain, but in that day we were sinking more than dancing. Oh, no no smiles never left the faces. ☘
Ghent was full of life and you can see how creative people are making their life even a bit more colorful! Funny though, cause I can not tell you which areas are a must see or which cafeterias you must visit. In general, I really liked to wander around. Growing up in a post-Soviet country where all the old buildings are built in huge blocks and going around in this city, where there are so many details to have your eyes on, it’s just too hard to find a favorite.
Safe and sound
I am a spoiled child and can not say too much about reaching places in Belgium by public transport as my super cool friends were taking care of everything. With a car everything is in one hour distance more or less and I call it easy travelling. So, maybe it is a good idea to rent one if you are there? From the airports, there are trains going to the city centers and it is very efficient.
Do-it list:
- Catch the sun. And hide it in your pocket;
- Count every single fries .. package! it is impossible to count them one by one;
- Get a Belgium waffle with Nutella, no excuses;
- And choose your favorite umbrella, you will need it 😉
Meet people.
That’s the only advice about travelling which is worth listening.
-U. 🔥
