The Happy Wanderer: Wanderings in Brussels

This highly anticipated weekend brought a lovely classmate (Kaia) and I to Brussels! We began the week looking for hosts on Couchsurfing, which is basically a travellers website designed for locals to host guests from other countries. It's really a brilliant idea, but due to the fact that we started looking for locals only a week before, no one could host us. So we arrived in Brussels around 7:00 pm on a Friday night, with no map, no place to stay, 40 euros (about $50), and no game plan. Perfect. Limitless opportunity called.

We got off the bus with a Canadian girl who also happened to be going to Brussels at the same time as us. She mentioned that she had connections, and could probably find us a free place to stay. It was perfect. Except that at our tram stop she spent two extra seconds looking at her map. She had just reached the tram door and was about to step out when the door shut on her face, leaving Kaia and I really on our own, in the middle of nowhere!
So we used the best wild card out there... locals! Throughout the weekend the locals came up to us many times while we were holding a map, offering help upon seeing our confused faces. Super friendly folks!
Some tech-guys pointed the way nearby to a hostel. Which also happened to be in the Red Light district of the city. Without knowing this, Kaia, I and a German girl who was also staying in our hostel room decided to go for a walk. It was quite an interesting experience, again an experience that opened my somewhat shielded eyes little wider. I've studied this topic, but to actually walk through this area gave me insight that a 50 page paper could not.

The next day shone bright and clear, and the remainder of the weekend was spent on a walking tour, exploring the huge variety and beauty of Brussels. It is a city that is stately and proud, where 4-storied houses look down on narrow streets through tall narrow windows. Yet in another district (ahem where we ended up upon getting lost) the houses were colorful and covered in plaster rather than made of brick, giving a Mediterranean feel. And then there was the Grote Market, which was a large square surrounded by ancient town halls and worker's unions buildings. Breathtaking. But here's the pictures :) Enjoy!

Brussels at night

Upon seeing this there was almost a career change of plans in Kim's life to become a sewage city worker... this would be highly entertaining!

This building very much represents Brussels. Stately, and elegant. Inside there were so many random shops that didn't quite seem to belong in the same building, new and old, salons and museums. It was all built on top of a railroad track, which we learned later was built over a river due to the bad smell of the river. Classy.

An old abandoned train station we found along our walk. There were unexplored passages below but Kaia wouldn't quite let me go down...

Wow. The detail on some of the buildings must have taken huge amounts of craftmanship skills and time!

New and old contrast

Part of the Grote Market

The Manequin Pis, Brussel's 24 inch claim to fame. Apparently this fellow saved the city by peeing on a bomb...

Attention to detail

A bit Mediterranean style

One of my fave's

This guy will do tricks for a few seconds, then go to the cars and ask for money, hopefully before the light turns green and he has to quickly scurry out of the way!

Brussels also has a beautiful nature area.

Spring in full bloom! It was over 20 degrees! Take that Smithers ;)

Kaia is Estonian, and I had to tell her at the end of the trip that I think I may have learned more about Estonia than Brussels! We got lost so many times, but she just always laughs and says that getting lost and exploring out-of-the-way places is the best part to get to know a city.... After the weekend I had to completely agree!!

So MMMMM. I have NEVER tasted a doughnut/waffle as delicious as this. Slightly toasted, coated in syrup, light and fluffy and warm...

Walking through Brussels redneck style :)

This is the King's Palace in the distance.

Lunch in Brussels.

Probably about 30 small restaurants crowded the narrow street. Each little restaurant had someone standing in front. As soon as we made eye contact, this man in suit and tie would hurry up to us. "Look here! A full 3 course meal for only 12 Euros! 12 Euros! Plus. Because you talked to me, I will PERSONALLY give you a free drink!" We would walk a little further. "But no," the second would yell, "don't go there! I will give you two free glasses!" "But look here," one would call to us from down the street, "I will give you a choice of whatever alcohol you like! Free! Gratis!" After spending about 30 minutes bickering and dealing with these guys, we finally decided that we were very undecided girls who failed at making decisions. So we marched up to the closest one and sat down. It ended up only being one free drink, plus we were seated inside rather than in the sunshine. But it was really fancy! Mussels, garlic shrimp and a waffle completed lunch.