Brussels, Check!

I felt like I saw everything I needed to see in Bruges, but once I got to Brussels I realized I could’ve stayed in Bruges. Brussels was fine. Just another city. I think I’m getting tired of touring cities. It was also raining while I was there which at this point I really just want sun or to not have to tour around in the wind and rain. But, like I always do, I tried to make the most of it. I walked a lot of places (typical). The museums were closed on the days I was there but I also didn’t feel like spending time in museums.

My hostel was actually a hotel and many school groups were staying there so it was a different vibe from the previous hostels I stayed at. I got site recommendations from a family friend who used to live in Brussels so I had some direction to my days! I ate fries, waffles, and chocolate! Not the healthiest of diets, but I’m excited to be returning to hiking and camping season soon!

My first full day started about mid-day and by 3 pm I got caught in a thunderstorm in a park in my puffer jacket… so that was a short tour day! I did laundry and ate chocolate at my hostel instead! I did manage to see the Manneken Pis (which is a fountain of a little boy holding his penis and pissing into the fountain). I walked through the Grand Place which is like a market outlined with extravagant-looking buildings. And I had lunch at Fritzguard which was a restaurant with really tasty fries!

The next day I finished my touring but it was also my last full day in Brussels. I walked all the way to Parc du Cinquantenaire stopping in shops and eating waffles along the way! It was on-and-off rain that day! I hid under some office buildings on my way to the park! I sat and read in a cafe to warm up before getting fries at Maison Antoine (which is an outdoor vendor). I walked past the European Parliament building and walked to the Palace of Justice. It was under some construction so I didn’t stay long! I walked past a Ferris wheel and saw the cityscape from a different advantage point higher up! In the distance, I saw the Atomium but it was like an hour's walk away and dark storm clouds were rolling in so I decided not to venture that way! I still had to walk into the clouds to get back to my hostel so I hid out in some stores along the way to wait out the rain (or try to). I was at least wearing my raincoat that day!

Earlier that day a woman in my room was watching the news in Copenhagen because a really important building caught fire and 400 years of history was being burned away! People from the streets were running in to save the paintings that hung in the building. She seemed so overcome by the fire and acts of humanity that I chatted with her for a bit. She seemed grateful later in the day that I took the time to make sure she was alright!

Brussels has cool building art/ murals to keep an eye out for when you’re walking around. I loved the fountain of rubber ducks and the tree frog mural!

Checking in with myself while I was in Brussels and I’m tired. I’m tired of touring cities, I’m tired of living in hostels, I’m tired of it raining! The rest of my trip will be visiting with friends which will hopefully revitalize my mentality! I am planning a slight detour before I return home which you all will have to wait and read on the blog when it comes to pass! I’ve been watching more movies and trying to have normal chill days. I brought three books thinking I was gonna read them all and so far I have only gotten through one, so maybe I will take the time over the next month or so to finish the next book so I am only stuck with bringing one book home.

Rewind to the smelly lady I met on the plane ride to London at the beginning of my trip. She said that three months was a long time to travel and that I would experience burnout. I didn’t appreciate this because she didn’t know me or my motivation for this trip, and she was a cranky lady! Now that I’m on the second half of the trip I can say with confidence that 3 months for this kind of trip is too long. I think in the future I will plan my trips out differently but I didn’t know what I didn’t know going into this. It’s all a great big learning curve I suppose!

I’ve done a lot and seen amazing things! I’m still doing a lot and seeing amazing things but these travels are slowly coming to a close. Not yet though! So see you at the next post and stay tuned for the surprise detour!