When in Rome, Fall 2008: Being a Belgian

Brussels is a small city especially when compared to Paris or London. We arrived at our hostel early (around 9 AM) but couldn’t check in till 1 so we left our bags in the luggage room, walked around (finding the Manneken Pis statue which was small and located in a discreet street corner, which is odd since it is the national symbol of Belgium), and ate Belgian waffles at a restaurant located on one of the main squares. We also sampled some free chocolates at a store called Chocopolis, located in the same square. After eating, Pepe decided to go back to the hostel until check-in time but I decided to walk around the city, seeing the Royal Palace, European Union building, and Grand Place. The Grand Place is the main square of the city, and it happened to be the last day that a very large flower carpet was on display in the center of the square… a pleasant sight. I headed back to the hostel, checked in, slept, and walked to Grand Place to meet an Italian girl and her boyfriend who offered to show us around the city (she had been working in Brussels for the last couple years). We went to a bar and I tasted one of the famous beers made by local monks, which I highly enjoyed. Then we headed to a party that her friend was having, where I met a few people from all over the world. I forget how many of them were French or Spanish, but we were greeted by kisses on the cheek (as I was by a few girls when I was in Paris), but I was even greeted the same way by one of the French/Spanish guys. I had read about how even men may greet with kisses on the cheek in southern cultures, but it is a definite culture shock to actually experience it! I spent most my time at the party talking to a girl from South Africa, and we had a nice conversation about politics, global warming, etc. The next day Pepe and I woke up and went to the train station as soon as we could to catch one of the earlier trains to Amsterdam.

Overall I thought Brussels was a small city in which all the major sites could be explored in half a day. Although the important parts of the city are well-kept, I saw lots of graffiti, even on the pedestals of bronze statues in a couple parks right next to the EU building. I savored the chocolate, waffles, and beer that Brussels specializes in (and there are MANY chocolate shops!). Belgians certainly know and love their beer, and I saw many of them drinking it for breakfast. My next stop is Amsterdam!