Brussels

My last minute escape from Paris has seen me end up in nearby Brussels. For the most part it has been grey and drizzling but the sun has made an appearance a couple of times.

We were able to see most of the city within the first few hours of arriving but spent the last two days exploring further out from the city centre. I was surprised to see the city is still as beautiful as I remember even though it looks like everything needs a good clean but it no doubt looks better in spring and summer.

Of course there is plenty to eat and drink – chips, waffles, chocolate, beer etc – all good.

I got a special deal with the Sofitel hotel which included a chocolate tasting which was delicious. We especially loved that :) Here are a few of my favourite photos of Brussels.

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Belgian Chocolates

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Bruges

Bruges was one of the highlights of the family trip I took last year with F and my parents. We arrived late at night after a very long drive from Berlin. It took 5 hours longer than expected as we were caught in one the regions worst snow storms in years. Most of the drive through the Netherlands and Belgium was done in first gear at 10 kilometres per hour! I had never driven in snow before plus we were really, really low on petrol so it was extremely stressful!

Thankfully we had already booked a hotel so once we arrived it was just a matter of finding somewhere to eat. It was 10pm and surprisingly many of the restaurants had already closed or were closing. I guess in the middle of winter there aren’t so many tourists so they close early. We finally found a place that welcomed us in and I had the most amazing meal ever! I had a rack of lamb which had 9 chops, amazing when you normally only get 4 or 5 at the most. It was super tender and delicious as was everything that went with it. It was very expensive though, 25 euros for a main course. I would expect that in Paris not in a small city in Belgium. Anyway, it was worth it.

The next day we did a tour of the city and saw just how beautiful it is. They describe Bruges as the Venice of the north due to all the canals. Another amazing but expensive meal was had and that was the end of our quick visit. We didn’t get much of a chance to walk around the city as it was literally freezing so I’m planning on going back later this year.

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