Brussels, Belgium

I'm a few days behind on writing about where I've been so, I'll be writing about Brussels while sitting in the Amsterdam sunshine.

I'd like to start this post out by commenting on chocolate. Belgium will not allow Cadbury chocolate to import into Belgium for their chocolate is really a chocolate treat, laced with a lot of sugar. Cadbury refuses to label their "chocolate" as a candy treat and therefore is not sold in Belgium. Thus, what we have in Belgium is only the most excellent chocolate as depicted below:

 Phenomenal. But, one must eat it in moderation. The photo above was taken at a sweet little park in Brussels that featured a great fountain and gardens.

 

My brother had a friend, An, in Brussels who was kind enough to take us around Brussels, on foot, for the afternoon. What's handy about being a tourist willing to walk or ride bikes is that it's a great excuse to eat a lot of local food! I've probably walked 20 miles so far on this trip, which is at least 10 pounds not gained.

Nonetheless, I just took these photos while wandering around (my brother is the one who has the picture of the Manneken Pis statue on his camera, so read that website for more quirky information)...

 

 

 

I really enjoyed my time in Brussles, espeically walking around (and oh, how far we walked! and let's be honest, it was really a tour of chocolate stores). I would have loved to spend another day there, but my time was cut short as I had to head to Maastricht, Netherlands to meet up with some coworkers (more on that next!). My favorite was waiting in line for some frites and meat at a one-off frites-mobile down some street. Their fries were fantastic, and you get to choose from among 10+ kinds of sauce you want with them (Brazil, Jamician, curry, garlic, spicy ketkup, et al). A fun-- and quite inexpensive--time.

And a quick note on train stations. The Brussels station was small, but lots to eat and the best coffee thus far on my trip at Sam's cafe. It's super easy to catch a train to anywhere at European stations, with either handy e-ticket stations or at ticket windows. Which really makes traveling by train all the more enjoyable than by plane.(Though I don't sleep much since I feel obligated to take in the countryside and other scenes from my seat.)

Up next: Fun times in Maastricht, Netherlands!