Belgium was amazing!! It was definitely way better than what I had originally expected. We first flew in to Brussels on Saturday and spent the entire day exploring the city. One of my favorite things would have to be visiting the chocolate factory. If you weren't aware, Belgium chocolate has been claimed to be the best in the world. I can validify that fact as we got many samples in the musee du cacao et du chocolat. We also learned about the many reasons why chocolate is so important AND extremely good for you (keeps your heart and cardiovascular system running well, is an anti-depressent, lowers blood pressure, lowers cholesterol, stimulates endorphins which make you happy, helps create relaxation, etc). We also found it necessary to eat a few Belgium waffles while being in the country, typically with chocolate on them, you know... for the health factor :)
This is Grand Place, the main square in Brussels with a bunch of museums and gorgeous buildings.
View from a cathedral we visited. This picture shows a little bit of snow, it snowed the first day we were in Brussels.
We took a train to Bruges, which has now been added to my favorite European cities list. The city was amazing!
This is the main square in Bruges.
This is Belfry, an old building with 366 steps to the top of the bell tower. Hearing 366 steps meant nothing to us, but trust me... it is a lot!
On the steps... they were extremely steep and as you kept getting higher, the staircase got narrower - definitely not the place for someone claustrophobic. It was a tight squeeze! You basically could touch the sides with your shoulders and it would be impossible for two people to pass on the staircase.
And this is the view when we got to the top...
My favorite spot in Bruges... houses and restaurants along the canal, so beautiful!
We took the long walk back to the train station along the canal before heading back to Brussels to stay our last night in the hostel.
When we arrived back in Brussels we met up with some more friends from DCU (as well as some new friends we met at our hostel) to go to the coolest pub I have ever been to. It is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, as they have over 2,000 kinds of beers in the pub. We tried many different kinds, my favorite being get ready for this.... BANANA BEER! It sounds weird, but it was so good!
Talk about a diverse group... Australian, French, American, Spanish and Japanese!
Your description of that staircase made me feel extreeemely claustrophobic! But what a great view at the top. Banana beer sounds good to me!! Beautiful pics... my fave is the one of the canal :) I'm glad you had fun BFF!! And I saw that the first person you wrote when you got back was not me, but Lisa. Who you're going to see soon anyway! Have I been replaced?! Just kidding :)
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