Making use of the metro at our
front doorstep one last time, we bundled our luggage to Gare du Nord to board
our mid-morning train, headed east. In less than an hour-and-a-half, we’d
arrived to our next home away from home, and another new country to add to the
list; home of beers and chocolates, mussels and chips, and a mixture of the
cultures by which it is surrounded: welcome to Belgium.
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| Adieu, Paris! |
Disembarking the overland train
at Gare du Midi, it was a simple transfer to the local metro. Lines 2 and 6
both do a loop around the perimeter of the city centre, and we took this loop
out to Madou in the east of the city. From there, it was about 15 minutes’ walk
to our next AirBnb. This stay, Avy and I agreed, was probably our favourite of
all the AirBnBs throughout our epic journey. Our host was absolutely
delightful, and so welcoming, offering gifts and trying so hard to make us feel
at home. We had the whole apartment to ourselves for the four nights, and it
was just perfectly suited to our needs.
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| Our dining area in our Brussels AirBnB. |
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| Ample kitchen for cooking up a storm. |
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| A gorgeous living room. |
After settling in, we took a
walk to the city centre, passing the magnificent Cathedral of Saints Michael
and Gudula, which stands majestically in the inner-east of town. From there,
it’s only a few minutes further through the charming cobble-stoned streets to
reach Grand-Place, the central marketplace of Brussels.
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| Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula. |
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| Cool, late autumn was starting to spread across northern Europe. |
With stomachs empty from the
train journey, we roamed the beautiful streets and laneways looking for a good
place for lunch. Avy had already informed me that Brussels was famous for its
mussels – something I’m not overly interested in, but Avy loves.
We found a table at a quaint and
welcoming local pub called Chutney’s – it looked a little bit like an English
pub if I’m being honest – offering 1kg of mussels for €19.50; good deal! And
the thing about Belgian mussels is that they are much plumper and juicier than
back home. Now, 1kg of mussels is too much even for Avy, so of course I did my
husbandly duty and took one for the team, sharing a dish I wasn’t overly
excited about with her so she could enjoy them! And as it turned out, they were
even enjoyable for a sceptic like me!
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| Buying bread from a man in Brussels... |
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| ... he was 6 foot 4 and full of mussels! |
Winding back through
Grand-Place, we located (without knowing it was there) a street filled with
Belgian waffle shops. So, of course, we partook, washing down our kilo of mussels
with some deliciously fried batter. It took a while to choose one, but we got
there – most shops offer a plain waffle for the bargain price of €1, while
toppings of fruit, cream and chocolate will take the price up towards €5 or
closer to €10.
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| One hand on the waffle. |
After a quick photo op with the
larger-than-life version of Brussels most famous resident (this version
complete with a waffle), we found the original version of him right at the end
of the street. If you’ve heard anything about Mannekin-Pis, you’ve probably heard
that he is much smaller than you would imagine… and you heard right!
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| Boy, little wee... |
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| ...or a wee, little boy? |
Standing atop a fountain at the corner of two
laneways, this cheeky fella does his business into the pool below. But with the
crowds of people in the waffle street directly adjacent, you might miss the
crowds checking him out because he certainly doesn’t stand out to the naked
eye. But don’t get me wrong – he’s a unique sight to behold, so hunt him down
when you visit Brussels; don’t let me piss on your dreams…!
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