Brussels Wrapup

I didn't really know what to expect from Brussels. On TripAdvisor, I had read a lot of things about "skip Brussels" "Brussels is dirty" "There's nothing to do in Brussels," etc. well I must say, I think all those people are wrong. Brussels was charming, pretty, classy, friendly, compact, and my favorite, oh so quirky. I knew many months ago that if a city has as its mascot a tiny statue of a peeing boy that it is probably a fun place, but I had no idea. Funny ads and commercials, interesting and quirky shops, and really funny and interesting people all make up the great city that is Brussels.

I must say, this is the only city where we actually encountered a beggar. I was waiting at the Leonidas shop and a couple of girls patted me on the arm and asked for money. I instantly put my hand on my purse (though nothing incredibly valuable was in there anyway) and had no problems then or during the rest of our stay.

Obviously in terms of food, the highlights were the chocolate, fries, and waffles, just as I suspected. The chocolate really is unbelievable, just so much creamier and richer than our American kind. The waffles are sweet and crispy, and the fries are just without a doubt the best I've ever had. As for a meal, the best dinner I had was the roast chicken at Chez Leon - simple but cooked very well and very tasty.

It was a pleasant surprise to be able to go into the Royal Palace - for free, no less - and see how the royalty lives most of the year. And of course the Grand Place really is, well, Grand!

Brugge is of course fantastic, just as everyone says. The canal boat tour was a great way to get acquainted with the town, and the beauty of the scenery and architecture was at times breathtaking.

The main thing that stood out to me during our whole stay was the kindness of the people. I tried to speak French here and there but they would often reply in English; I guess it's just really obvious when you are a native English-speaker. But everyone was sooo very nice to us, from shopowners who gave chocolate samples and smiles, to the fantastic hosts at our hotel, to the waiters who would kid around and joke with us, everyone was as nice as can be. Of course, the fact that everyone speaks English pretty well is helpful, but the fact that they are not rude about it is what was refreshing and a pleasant surprise.

I think if I were to return to Belgium I would want to see some of the other places it has to offer like Gent and some other smaller cities, but I think Brussels gets an unnecessarily bad rap and is a finer city than a lot of people seem to give it credit for. Is it as grand as Barcelona with as many tourist sights? Well of course not. But it does have plenty to offer :)