How to Spend a Long Weekend in Brussels

In my last post, I spoke about a website/app I use when I'm searching for a new place to visit, but am not quite sure where to go. Before a long weekend I had back in December, Odaliz and I looked on Skyscanner and found an inexpensive flight to Brussels (after Tallinn, inexpensive was key!). Neither of us wanted to go on a long trip, but we knew we wanted to go somewhere for a few days. Between the price and the promise of Christmas Markets, Brussels was calling our names!

Brussels was the perfect long-weekend city. It's small enough that you can get the feel of it in just a few days, but there is plenty to do. I would have loved to stay even longer and make a few day trips out to Ghent or Bruges, but this time stuck to just Brussels. Everywhere we went we heard French, though official languages also include Dutch and German. Fun fact: Of Brussels' 176,124 inhabitants (as of October 2015), 63,757 are international/foreigners! That's over a third of the population! Other fun fact: My idol, the late, great, Audrey Hepburn, is from Brussels!

Things to See, Things to Do, Things to Eat

Grand Place

Every city seems to have it's own stunning plaza (or piazza in my bella Italia), and Brussels is no different. Well, maybe a little different- Brussels' Grand Place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for it's incredible and unique blending of architectural styles. When standing in the square, you find yourself surrounded by Gothic, Baroque, and Louis XIV style architecture, all historic fragments that represent how Belgium's culture has been shaped over time. The square was once the main marketplace of Brussels (called Nedermarckt). Every two years, the August heat is punctuated by a spectacular flower installation. Nearly one million begonias are arranged in patterns resembling a Turkish carpet, spanning a 77x24 meter space. The square's history isn't all rainbows and flowers, however. It's also where witches and protestants were burnt at the stake, and criminals executed. Luckily for us all, this is no longer the case...

We were treated to the loveliest surprise one night while admiring the view from the center of the plaza. As we struggled to take an "In Front of the Tree Selfie" (which we never succeeded in getting), the lights suddenly all went out. A second of confusion, another second of worry, and then the plaza filled with loud music, accompanied by a light show on the faces of the buildings surrounding us! It was completely breathtaking. I cannot imagine the amount of work that must go into perfectly timing the lights not only to appear and disappear in sync with the music, but also in perfect harmony with the different shapes, windows, and details of each building! There was one point that was disorienting because the lights were flashing red and blue, making it feel like parts were popping out and changing shape! I didn't manage to get very good videos because the entire show was almost hypnotizing, but  I will never forget standing next to that giant Christmas tree with such awe.

Manneken Pis 

While Brussels is a government headquarters, home to the European Commission, European Parliament, the headquarters to NATO, even the capital of the European Union, it is not a humorless city- far from it! One of the city's main tourist attractions is a hilarious and slightly ridiculous bronze statue of a little boy peeing into a fountain. Dressed up in seasonal costumes regularly, stolen and recovered multiple times since it's creation in 1619, this little guy has been through it all. 

Legends of his origin vary, but are all fascinating. One tells of a two year old lord in 1142, brought into battle by his troops and placed in a tree to keep safe, as well to boost morale. The little lord supposedly urinated down on the opposing troops, and now reigns as a symbol of just how the Belgian people feel about would-be-oppressors. Another tells of yet another siege, this one during the 14th century. The attackers planned to use explosives to gain control of the city, but were unaware they were being spied on by a little boy named Julianske. He peed on the fuse, saving the city from disaster. There are many more, but I like these ones the best, as they speak to the rebellious and resilient nature of the city. 

The Atomium

Standing at an incredible 335 feet tall, The Atomium has been a symbol for Belgium and for Brussels since it was first erected in 1958 for the World Fair. The original plan was that the installation would last for 6 months, but it was so popular that it has stood for nearly 60 years! Each of the nine spheres span 60 feet in diameter, representing the nine atoms of a iron crystal unit cell, magnified to 165 billion times its actual size. Five of the spheres are open to the public and used as a museum, with the top sphere offering what might be the most impressive panoramic view of Belgium. The lines look long, but move quickly. Our view was marred by the day's gloom, but the structure was very impressive, and it was interesting to wander around the outside, as well as inside the spheres.

Galleries Royales Saint Hubert

Oh my gosh, Odaliz and I stumbled upon the most beautiful shopping center- the Galleries Royales Saint Hubert. The stunning gallery reminded me of Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, but I read that Brussel's Gallery was the first of it's kind, dating back to 1847- even before Vittorio Emanuele! The vaulted glass ceilings, which looked bright blue in the evening light, made it Europe's the first covered shopping gallery. Every shop called to us with festive, sparkling window displays. We went into a few; a lovely chocolate shop that glittered with sparkling candies and adorable little tins (for some reason, I LOVE tins!), and an amazing jewelry shop where I literally wanted to buy everything. Seriously, I was completely obsessed with everything at Les Néréides, and when you hear this you'll get why: Every single piece was either fairytale inspired, or bright, delicate flowers. After much deliberation, I picked up the prettiest pair of earrings, which make my ears look like a garden. 

Eat All the Waffles

Check it off The List! We gobbled up waffles both the first and last mornings in Brussels for breakfast, as well as sharing one for dessert the second day. Oh my gosh, they were everything I could have hoped for and more! There are two types of waffles to be on the lookout for, and I'd suggest trying both (obviously) for comparative purposes. Brussels Waffles are thinner, lighter, have smooth, rectangular sides, and deep holes. Liege Waffles are thicker and stickier, made with caramelized chunks of sugar that result in the most delicious sweet and crispy coating. They aren't quite as smooth as a Brussels waffle, and the edges are more uneven. Personally, I think I preferred the Liege waffle- every bite was so amazing, though I will say that I was so uncomfortably stuffed after eating one, which I didn't feel after a regular Brussels waffle. I'll leave you to make your own decisions. 

Drink All the Beer

Whether you're a beer lover or not, there is something for everyone to try in Brussels. The best place to start is at Delirium Beer Bar, a quick walk away from the Grand Place. Like Temple Bar in Dublin, Delirium is really a small series of bars that appeal to different crowds, all offering a massive selection of beers. They earned themselves Guinness World Record recognition in 2004 with the greatest variety of beers available at a bar in the world- 2,004 types! Since then, they've added tons more and are now over 2,400! The atmosphere reminded me of a college bar, not fully due to the age of the crowd, but rather the friendly, loud, excited group of travelers.

Maison Dandoy

When I first saw the name of this darling, family run sweet shop, I read it in the most American way possible- just as it's written: May-zon Dan-doy. I'm embedding this video because I want you to listen to the last 10 seconds, just so you can hear the precious little babies saying this as it should be said in their beautiful French accent. The rest of the commercial is pretty cute too. Go on, I'll wait...

Anyways, as you could see, Maison Dandoy is the most delicious smelling, delectable-tasting shop I could ever imagine. I was so stuffed full of waffles that unfortunately I did not try one here, but it was a lovely spot to stop for a coffee and a few pieces of gingerbread, as well as to pick up a selection of cookies to bring home for my family. I especially loved the vanilla cookies, but you can ask for them to put together a bag with a variety if you'd like to try everything!

Moules Frites

Who knew that trying mussels in Brussels was a thing to do?! I hadn't known, but moules-frites, or mussels and fries, is considered Belgium's national dish! I'm trying my hardest as I've lived abroad to be less picky about what I eat. A few years ago, I don't think you could have paid me to eat mussels, clams, oysters, or anything of the sort. Now, however, I'm trying to be open to testing things out. I would hate to miss out on the experience just because I'm squeamish or picky! The fries are incredible, and I really enjoyed the mussels as well. We stopped for lunch at Drug Opera, a beautiful restaurant in Brussel's city center. As we were visiting in December, the restaurant couldn't have been more festive, full of Christmas greenery and twinkling lights. The wood paneling gives it a cozy pub feeling, but fancier. I absolutely loved it! The portion of mussels was large enough for Odaliz and I to split (with tons left over), and we split a waffle as well, but as for fries... fries are not shareable. You can never have enough fries!

Christmas Festivities

Thanksgiving through New Years truly is the most wonderful time of the year! The festivity of the Christmas season is just pure magic. Though Skyscanner's prices were our initial draw to Brussels, another huge factor was the CHRISTMAS MARKET!! Oh my gosh, the smell of mulled wine, the twinkly lights, ice skaters, and booths that look like gingerbread houses... I just love them so much! I have to say, I didn't love the market in Brussels as much as I loved the ones in Germany or Estonia, but it was wonderful nonetheless. Besides the main market, there were other streets throughout the city lined with booths, as well as smaller markets spread throughout the littler plazas. We found one with an Asian theme, where the little gingerbread booths sold noodles, and a place where you could buy Alsace-style mulled wine.

At the main market we found the most interesting merry-go-rounds, with strange steam-punk style ships, planes, bugs, and other kooky seats for the kids to ride in place of the usual horses. Vintage images of naked women adorned the tops, which would NEVER fly on a kids ride in the USA, but while they were slightly creepy (for lack of a better word), they were also fascinating. One had a giant dinosaur whose back you could climb onto, as well as a spaceship and hot air balloon. I've never seen anything like it! 

Brussels is truly a great city for a few days of exploring. Small enough to feel comfortable, but large enough to never be bored, I left Brussels feeling like I'd seen a ton, but with a desire to return. Hopefully someday that will happen!

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Nice is Nice (see what I did there?)

Amazing antique shop in Nice

After my adventure in Turin/Torino (really, I'm not sure if it's polite or pretentious to call the city by it's Italian name... help?), I spent most of Spring Break being lazy. It's funny how normal/boring life can be here. Wake up early, go to work, grocery shop, head home to make dinner, do laundry and watch Game of Thrones, go to sleep, then do it all over again. Sometimes I get caught up in how overwhelming it all can be. Starting my career and adult life over 4,000 miles from home is stressful, and then throw in the fact that I don't speak the language and can't be completely independent with how much I rely on the school... I'm not going to lie, it's a challenge. But then, within a 3 or 4 hour drive, I can be laying on a stone-filled beach along the Mediterranean Sea. It's difficult to explain; much of the time life just feels normal, but then I really look at what's happening and feel like it's some amazing dream that I never want to wake up from.

Anyway, rambling took over my attempt to share my most recent trip. 

After Torino, as I said, I spent most of the week hanging around my apartment, but late in the week took a road trip to the French Riviera. Two friends and I rented a car and drove from Milan to Nice; even before arriving, the trip was amazing. Most of the drive was along the Blue Coast of the Mediterranean, and the view out the window was full of colorful Italian and French seaside towns, and villages nestled in the hills. There were approximately a billion tunnels to drive through along the way (Mom, you would have hated that part) but emerging from each one was like driving straight into postcard-esque scenery.

Plaza where our apartment was

When we finally arrived, we set out in search of the apartment we'd rented. Renting apartments for travel is always a little nerve-wracking as you can never be 100% sure what you're really getting. As we drove through the slightly seedy area that definitely did not look like the pictures from the website, we were a little worried. Luckily, our apartment was on a pedestrian-only street that couldn't have been a better location. We were directly outside of the Old Town, right next to Plaza Garibaldi. We started out on maybe not so great a note when the key didn't work to our apartment. When we were finally asked to come back, it took our very sweet hostess a good 20 minutes to teach us the "trick" to opening the door. But even with this tiny bump in the road, I loved where we stayed and would definitely go back. If you're looking for a place to stay, check out nicepebbles.com- we stayed in the Bonaparte apartment! 

Most of the trip was walking, eating, and drinking rosé wine, all in the most wonderful way. 

Walking involved meandering through the Old Town markets, which had a very medieval feel to it. It reminded me a little of Bellagio with it's tiny shops and restaurants, as well as the curving, cobblestoned streets. I haven't quite figured out this atmosphere yet; I had thought it was a very Italian ambience, but now I'm wondering if it's all of Europe or maybe the Mediterranean. Either way, I love it! Walking also meant strolling along the coast, searching between the stones for sea glass. At one point, one of the girls stopped looking and drew my attention to the most beautiful sound: as the waves rolled back out to sea, they carried the stones with them, softly rattling against one another as they went. It wasn't exactly swimming weather, but this walk along the beach was unforgettable, and even though wading to your ankles isn't really a swim in the sea, I'm going to check it off The List all the same!

  

Cute little sign on our table at Papayou

In Paris, I really hated most of the food, but I've heard Parisian food is amazing so I'm going to just go with the idea that maybe we didn't choose the right restaurants. I had chalked it up to disliking French food, but have been proved wrong. 

Every meal was heavenly: 

Appetizers at Ark on a terrace overlooking the sea, traditional "Niçoise" beef stew with ravioli and creme brulée at Papayou, and spinach pasta with artichokes and sausage at olive&artichaut... Every bite was beyond wonderful. And don't even get me started with the paella in Monte Carlo! 

One of the best parts of where we stayed was that it wasn't in a tourist area. 

After dinner one night, we headed back to Rue Bonaparte to check out the bar scene. 

We went to an interesting little place called Le Comptoir Central Électrique, which I loved! The decor was eclectic, with lightbulbs hanging at different levels from the ceiling and exposed, chipping cement on the walls. The bar closed much earlier than we wanted to head in, so we asked one of the adorable bartenders where he'd suggest next. He sent us to Gossip Bar, a dance club playing cheesy English and French 80s music until his shift was over, then met us to take us to his favorite bar. I wish I'd written down the name, but the house music and younger crowd gave this one a more underground feel. It was so much fun to meet a local and get to see a few places we wouldn't have otherwise found. 

On our way out of Nice we stopped in Monaco, a tiny country that I'm embarrassed to say I didn't realize was its own country until trying to look up the "city's" weather the night before our trip. 

Laura and I are already talking about a trip back in June. The little we saw of Monte Carlo was beautiful. It had a much more ritzy vibe than Nice, possibly due to the presence of the legendary casino, port full of yachts, and countless windows displaying fabulously gaudy and ridiculously expensive jewelry. We didn't spend long in the lavish little nation, but it definitely left an impression. I am officially obsessed with the French Riviera. 

Taking Candy from Strangers

Rainy day in the park

Another item checked off The List, and my first "Get on the Next Train Leaving the Station" trip under my belt. 

At first, my trip to Torino (Turin? I don't know which is right) seemed a little like a bust. Leaving the train station may as well have been just jumping in a lake. It was pouring! Not even an umbrella helped. I had decided on the train to book a hotel, and after a few wrong turns found Hotel Diplomatic. Not a bad place- I mean, not great, but inexpensive and comfortable enough for the night!

Wandering through the rainy market

At that point, all I wanted to do was spend the rest of the day avoiding the rain but set out to find Piazza della Repubblica and it's market. 

A beautiful day can make all the difference, and I'm sure that usually Torino's Saturday market is wonderful to walk around. Unfortunately for me, it was pretty wet and miserable; the kind of rain that makes it's way into your shoes and you end up not even trying to avoid puddles because there's no point. I spent as much time as I could wandering through the stands and drippy tents where vendors sold everything from socks to flowers to food. Much as I was ready to leave, I didn't end up making the decision for myself. A man came up to me as I walked behind the vegetable stands and said something to me. I gave him my go-to look of confusion and favorite phrase ("Mi dispiace, non parlo Italiano!"), and he grabbed my arm, started pointing at the vendors who didn't have booths (the ones selling umbrellas and iPhone cases and those types of things) and saying "bad boys!" over and over! He walked me over to the crosswalk, said "bad boys!" again, and waited until I went across the road. One of the men he had pointed at yelled at him a little but, needless to say, I have no idea what they said. Not exactly a confidence-inducing event for my first solo-trip!

Statue of Hathor, Goddess of the sky, love,
beauty, joy, motherhood, and foreign lands.
I knew there was a reason I was drawn to her!

I see no shame in taking
myself on a romantic dinner
date. I love me. 

Next was the Egyptian Museum, which was incredible. 

They had a room full of all the items found in a tomb of a married couple, and the things that they knew about this regular little family was amazing- they even had her wig! Anyways, at that point I couldn't really figure out what to do. It was getting dark but still wasn't late, so I tried shopping but set off the alarm going into literally every store I tried. I was kind of mopey and ended up just going to the Apple Store to buy myself a iTunes card so I could watch some movies that night. While awkwardly waiting to buy my card, the guy in front of me and I got to talking and he asked to show me around Torino. He had some things to do that night though, and I had a fancy dinner date to take myself on, so I spent the rest of the quiet night on my own, reading, eating, and generally relaxing.

Easter Sunday rose as beautifully as Saturday had been gloomy. 

Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of Torino at that point and was ready to leave but got a call from Apple Store Guy and decided to give the city one last chance. He said he could pick me up and show me around, but isn't that how "Taken" starts? Yes. BUT it's also how many a rom-com starts as well. Though I wouldn't get in this stranger's car, I did spend most of the day walking through beautiful parks and gardens, sipping cafe macchiato, and sitting on the banks of a river with one. He walked me over to the train station when it was time for me to go, and rather than getting lunch or another coffee as planned, we bought a ton of candy and had a picnic in the park instead while I waited for 4:54 (train time). So I also took candy from a stranger- I'm living on the edge!

I don't know if it was the more appealing weather or seeing the city with a local as a guide, but either way I like Torino much more than expected! My first solo-travel experience was definitely one to remember.