Day 1 - Northern Europe Trip - Brussels

Well I have been waiting for this trip since New Years Day and let me tell you...that was the fastest train ride into Brussels for me! A true inspiration when I first hopped on, at 7:09am on a Saturday, were the three women sitting next to me on the train who were already on their 2nd bottle of Champagne. Needless to say the closer we got to Brussels, the happier they became!

I arrived to the Brussels airport on time with a quick (4 minute) change at central station. I stood in front of the arrival door for about 30 minutes until two smiling American's walked out and I became the idiot flailing her arms in the air and jumping up and down with excitement.

We headed to the rental garage and picked up our transport for the next ten days...a Ford Focus stationwagon with tints haha. After loading our first destination into the Gipers, that we so fondly named Rue la Poo, we were off to central Brussels and two days of exploration!

The first and most important tradition to all proper Eurotrips is a cafe in a cafe...or hot chocolate for me. Once we get Danielle and Jenna some caffeine, the cogs started turning and we hopped on the metro and down the the Grand Place where all the magic happens. This square is one of the most ornate and famous in Europe and is also vibrant with life any night of the week. With events going on like flower markets, farmers markets, live music, and tons of cafes, there's always some random tourist asking for directions or someone to take your photo.

Upon exiting the metro we headed into the Galleries, which is basically this majestic covered walkway with glass ceilings and beautiful elegant shops. Brussels is famous for chocolate, diamonds and lace and these shops were full of all of the above. Halfway through the atrium we hung a left to walk into the most picturesque alleyway filled with restaurants. We chose one that looked good and feasted on Moules/mussels and frites and our first beer of the day!

After lunch we made our way to our preferred attraction; a bar named Delirium. Which in fact, ironically enough, is how we felt when we exited about 4 hours later. The bar holds the Guiness Book of World Record title for having 2004 different kinds of beer to choose from. What made our adventure that much better is that we decided to each get different beers each round and share them. Here's a few that we remember...Duvle, Rodenbach, Cherry, Apple, and Mango Floris, Chimay, Blanche, and Leffe Brown. They were all delicious and the bartender thought we were nuts for mixing so many different kinds of beer. Little does he know...

After throwing quite a few back we headed out for the Grand Place. It was so beautiful with gorgeous baroque guildhalls and surrounded by outdoor cafes. Definitely a site to see even if it's just for a minute! From the Grand Place we went to the patron saint and unsung hero of Brussels, Mannekin Pis, a very famous, but small, bronze statue of a 17th century boy peeing. A fable passed down from generations that somehow became the place to check out while visiting the seat of the European Union. Hilarious!

After cruising the streets for the local fare and stuffing our faces with chocolates and waffles, we headed to dinner on this little pedestrian street by the hotel. We ate at a delicious Italian restaurant and enjoyed some wine and the beautiful weather. By the end of dinner, all the excitement and chocolate had dissipated and we headed back to the hotel exhausted from a fun filled day. On our way, we stopped by a 'night shop' to buy some bottled water. A soon to be staple of our trip as we learned very quickly that purchasing potable water and peeing whilst out on the town are two things the Europeans don't believe in.