Booking It Through Brussels

Where in the world is Jenny? Brussels, Belgium! The meeting place of the European Union, but more importantly, the land of waffles and chocolate...

I heard that Brussels is worth a visit but that there is not too much to see and do there, so I decided a day trip to Belgium would suffice. Lauren, two new friends (Jeremy and Brianne), and I booked the 7 AM Eurostar train to Brussels and the 8 PM train back to London. Thank goodness for the chunnel!

We arrived at St. Pancras station bright and early Saturday morning. It was hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I was taking a day trip to a whole different country. Don't worry though, I did remember my passport.

Train station

The two hour train ride was easy enough...minus the screaming children sitting next to us. Jeremy and I eventually switched to a different carriage so we could finally get some shut eye. From Brussels Midi Station, we took the metro straight into the city. Despite the 45 degree forecast and partly sunny prediction from weather.com, the air was pretty chilly, especially when the wind picked up. Good thing I layered up! The streets in Brussels were quaint, reminding me a bit of Prague.

Most people in Brussels speak French, a language none of us visiting students can speak. Nevertheless, we navigated Brussels fairly well thanks to some good maps and these helpful street signs:

Our first stop was the city's main square and biggest tourist attraction: the Grand Place (pronounced plahss). The ornate buildings were so grand and beautiful. Who said Brussels wasn't pretty??

Maison du Roi, or King's House

Guildhalls

Next up we found the pride of Brussels and another tourist attraction: Manneken-Pis. Basically, it is a statue of a peeing boy. Seriously. I looked up pictures of it beforehand, but at first I didn't find it. Normally, it is a plain black marble statue, but on certain occasions he is dressed up. Guess he was celebrating the Chinese New Year with this get-up:

Manneken-Pis

The statue may have been rather unimpressive, but we did see a lot of really great architecture too. Here is a quick run-down of some of the main spots we hit:

St. Nicolas Church

St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral

Inside the cathedral

Parc de Bruxelles

The group in front of the Royal Palace

St. Jacques Church

The Our Lady of the Sablon Church

Enough of the buildings. I know what you all really want to see: the YUMMINESS! Waffles, fries, beer, and chocolates are the main staples of this country (I know what you're thinking: Don't these people crave fruits and veggies ever??). 

WAFFLES: Belgium is known for its plethora of waffle sales...and for good reason! Try not to drool over this collage of photos I took of some of their waffle creations:

The two main types of waffles in Brussels are restaurant waffles and leige waffles (sold by street vendors). I had one with strawberries and powdered sugar sold by a street vendor. This was no American breakfast Leggo my Eggo waffle; this dessert dish had a crunchy, caramelized exterior and a soft, fluffy inside. I quickly gave up on the miniature plastic fork and picked up my waffle like a champ. SO good!

Apparently you can also buy waffles on wheels! Forget the ice cream man; Brussels touts it's own waffle-mobiles. Jeremy and Brianne flagged down this vehicle for some simple plain waffles.

BEER: Brussels is also known for its beer collection. Accordingly, we made a stop at a nearby pub. Although I did not feel like trying any for myself, I was content accompanying the rest of my group as they tasted this local beverage. 

Cheers!

FRIES: Apparently Belgians eat about 165 pounds of fried potatoes per person every year, beating out the typical American. Frites in Belgium are made with Bintie potatoes and cooked twice. We took a bus out to Place Flagey to try a recommended friture (an outdoor vendor). We knew the place must be good when we saw the line outside the stand:

It was definitely worth the 30+ minute wait. This man spent a great deal of time preparing each order, but the fries were crisp and not too oily. I sampled andalouse sauce as well, a popular topping made with ketchup and mayonnaise. I am not a mayo fan, so I was pleased with my plain fries order.

And now the best for last...

CHOCOLATE: Since the 1800s, Belgium has been producing fine chocolates. I found an article stating that the country makes 172,000 tons of chocolate per year and boasts 2,000 chocolate shops! We had no trouble finding some exquisite, mouthwatering displays in Grand Sablon, known as Brussels' chocolate Mecca.

Some of the fancier chocolates

The first store we visited was Neuhaus. This company invented the praline style, where there is a hard outer shell of chocolate keeping in some sort of filling. We were offered some free samples, which turned out to be a trend among most stores we visited.

Free samples!

My very first piece of chocolate was my most expensive: one euro (about $1.40) for one little piece. However, it was HEAVEN. This dark chocolate shell contained a vanilla cream filling and a crunchy caramel-honey layer.

And that was just the beginning. We stopped in various other stores--Godiva, Pierre Marcolini, Leonidas, Wittamer, and more--sampling chocolates and making purchases. The chocolate was truly wonderful, and without a doubt the best I've ever tasted. Every filling was so flavorful and sweet, from apple to caramel to raspberry marzipane to hazelnut. I am a dark chocolate fan (must have adopted my great grandma's sweet tooth), but I did branch out and try some milk and white chocolate ones as well. I don't mean to tease you, but I just have to share images of these delectable treats. 

Eating my way through Brussels

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the train station. While waiting for our Eurostar, I bought a banana and water; no more fried food and sugar for me! In fact, when I got home at 10 PM, I wolfed down a fresh leafy green salad.

The Belgian border patrol was easily my favorite. Unlike the other guards who grilled me, the officer simply asked:

"Did you enjoy Brussels?"

Me: "Yes."

"Did you eat a waffle?"

Me: "Yes."

*Stamps passport*

Overall, I loved my day in Brussels!

So much so, that when my roommate asked if I wanted to try out a Belgian waffle place in London today, I was quick to oblige! Who buys waffles as soon as they get back from Brussels? This girl, apparently :) Wafflemeister in South Kensington did not disappoint with the Dream Team combo: a street-style waffle with vanilla bean gelato and a dark chocolate drizzle. It's good to know that any sudden longings for Brussels can be quelled by a trip to this nearby store (although that might be a bad thing, haha).

Bedtime for me! I have to get up early for work tomorrow and fit in another trip to Wafflemeister tomorrow night (kidding!).