I arrived in Amsterdam, moved what i needed for four days to my backpack, stored my suitcase, and got in a train to Brussels and reserved a hostel near the North Station.
When we got near brussels, I asked someone what stop was the north station, and they told me the last stop. They were wrong. I rode the train to the last stop. It was not Brussels North, it was Brussels South. According to my Google maps (I love this app when traveling) it was only a half hour walk back to the place I'm staying for the night; so I decided to walk it. It would give me a chance to see this city and I was tired of sitting. (Thank goodness I left my luggage behind and only had a backpack to carry.) It was nice to get up and get moving again after hours of sitting on first the airplane, and then the train.
So I marked the places of interest I wanted to see along the way in my phone. First was "manneken pis", basically a peeing boy statute. Somebody marketed this well. He couldn't have been more than 2 feet tall, but they put a pretty background on him, or him up high, and advertised the heck out of it.
There are two foods for which Brussels is no chocolate and Belgian waffles. I'm not really mush for either, but a friend had told me that I had to try a Belgian waffle. And right next door was one with a long line. So I figured I'd see what the fuss was about.
The belgians don't just do a Belgian waffle. They do a BELGIAN WAFFLE. Waffle places advertise anywhere from 25 to 100 different ways to get a Belgian waffle. I decided get mine with strawberries and whipped cream, figuring maybe the fruit would offset the waffle. It even came with chocolate on top so I got my Belgian chocolate in too.
Belgian waffles are an experience, not a food. They add fruit, whip cream, sauces, and more. Anything they could think, you can get on a waffle somewhere. The waffle comes in a plastic tray, with the tiniest plastic fork I've ever seen (like a flimsy shrimp fork, but smaller). I'm not quite sure how you're supposed to eat this waffle as you're walking in a flimsy tray, with a flimsy fork. I had no choice but to sit down. Luckily I came upon Grand Square, the main square in Brussels. So I grabbed a seat and took in the scene while I finished the waffle.
I don't know how you could eat these waffles and not make a mess unless you get just plain whip cream on it. Even sitting down, I got stastrawberries, whip cream and chocolate all over my jacket. I finally picked it up and ate it with my hands. I wasn't pretty. But it was worth the mess. I don't know what they do, but these are the best waffles I've ever had.
The square is one of the prettiest I've ever seen, with gorgeous buildings on all four sides (most squares I've seen have no more than 2 pretty sides). I recognized gothic and baroque styles, and assumed it had been built over time. I later found out it dated back to the 1400s, but was rebuilt around 1700 after the French almost completely bombed it. No surprise, it was voted Europe's most beautiful square in 2010.
Continuing on my way to the hostel, I saw a few other plazas and statues, but none of them were quite as Grand as the Grand Place. I also passed a small playground. And when I say small, I mean small. It had a colorful slide a swing set with two swings in it. That was it. I guess in the city, land is precious.
I lucked out in the hostel and got a room to myself, even though I paid for a 6-bed room. A spotless single room, free breakfast (and not just cereal and bread as must give), all for $20. Can't beat it.
Tomorrow I'm off to Luxembourg.
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