Sometimes you just really need a vacation. So I took some time out and went all the way to a tiny country in Europe to recharge my batteries. Brussels is the capital of Belgium, a little country famous for chocolate and beer. They also claim that they invented French fries, so maybe we should call them Belgian fries!
I spent just three days in Brussels, so I was always on the move. Once I had checked into my temporary home in Citybase Apartments, I was off to enjoy the city. First I visited the Grand-Place, which is a medieval square in the center of Brussels. Many of the buildings there are from as far back as the 17th century (1600s). On top of the impressive and majestic buildings, while I was there the square had a huge “Flower Carpet.” This was a stretch of flowers all the way across the square and was amazing to see.
After wandering around the Grand-Place a little, I decided to check out Belgium’s fascination with beer. A popular pub called À La Mort Subite (which means “in sudden death”) was just around the corner. I sampled some real Belgian beer in this quaint café. After I’d refreshed myself, I went back to the main square to explore the buildings and sample some Belgian food.
The next day I went in search of Belgium’s most famous product: its chocolate. At Wittamer café you can get a free sample of Belgian chocolate. So of course I had to try! The café is on a street called Grand Sablon, where there are lots of other chocolate boutiques. I made sure to buy some to take home for friends and family - and me, of course! After returning to Wittamer for brunch, I thought it was time to get cultured. So I went to the Horta Museum, which is in the house of Victor Horta, who was one of the founding fathers of Art Nouveau.
After a quick snack to restore my energy (Belgian waffles!) I decided on my activity for the afternoon. Since I couldn’t see the rest of Europe all at once, I went to Mini-Europe instead. This miniature version of some of Europe’s most famous sights had Big Ben, gondolas in Venice and Greece’s Acropolis. Brussels is the capital of Europe, so it was the perfect place to see Europe in 350 miniatures.
My last day in Brussels came too quickly, but I decided to go to Mont des Arts, where you can find the National Library. As a book lover this was the perfect place for me. There are over a million books and more than 30,000 manuscripts. If only I could own a library that big. I also saw the beautiful gardens there. Next I saw some more modern art at the Belgian Center of Comic Book Art. You can see great prints of the Smurfs! To finish off my last day in Brussels I just had to go shopping for souvenirs. Les Galleries Saint Hubert is a long gallery of shops built in the 1800s.
I spent hours finding gifts for all my friends and family. Plus I had to get something to remind myself of my great trip.
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Did you save a piece of chocolate for me?