Brussels – Midi – St Pancras

Last night we got the best possible news: checkout wasn't until 5 pm. Bliss! That meant we could sleep in, have a late breakfast, and still do some sightseeing. Alas, I was still feeling lousy and had a hard time getting out of bed. Not to mention having breakfast.

But we still hadn't seen Brussels in the daytime so today we set off to Grand Place for some more medieval architecture and chocolate shopping: I was determined to gorge myself on Belgium chocolate, even if I had to do it in London a week later!

After a short walk around the European District, where the European Council and Parliament are located, we took the metro back to the hotel where Grazi had some lunch and I had a pineapple juice.

Then we only had time to pack our bags, head to the station, and in a few hours we were home in southwest London! Don’t you just love Europe?

All in all, the trip to Belgium was good fun but it’s not necessarily a place I’d be back to in a hurry. There’s still so much else to see…….

Bruges - Brugge

Bruges is like Disneyland for grown ups. A fairy tale-like town packed with hordes of tourists queuing up for attractions and food. And chocolate. LOTS of chocolate. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but I can't help but think that the main parts of town have lost their authenticity. The mains streets, much like London and Paris, have been taken over by major designer brands. The town's two main squares, Markt and Burg, are so overwhelmingly crowded with tourists that you wonder whether they are the main attraction, and not the amazing historic buildings.

Wander off the main popular sites, though, and Bruges will reveal its true charm. Just a few blocks away from the main squares the streets and canals are surprisingly quiet and gorgeous to look at. I don't know how they do it, but the entire town is kept exceptionally clean and well preserved. It's like it was built yesterday.

Even wanting to steer clear of the hordes of tourists, the two main squares are must sees. We particularly liked the Basilica of the Holy Blood, a tiny church right on Burg square, which is said to hold a vial of blood from the man himself. We heard it got really crowded during the day so we headed straight there from the train station and even at around 10:30 there were only a handful of people in the church. Cute church, and the whole thing about it housing the blood of Christ does give the place a different vibe.

We spent most of our time in Bruges wandering around random side streets and were rewarded with beautiful architecture, peaceful parks, and even managed to find a restaurant where the locals eat! Great food for a fraction of the price.

Something had to go wrong though. Around lunchtime I started to get really bad stomach pains which plagued me for the rest of the trip. I ended up not eating for the rest of the day as I couldn’t bear the thought of putting anything in my mouth. All that chocolate had my name written on it and I couldn’t have any of it. Mind you, this was the first time I ever got anything like this. I have had all kinds of street food from places like Bangkok and Sri Lanka and never had a problem. My first tummy bug had to be in Belgium, of all places.

St Pancras – Gare du Midi

First time crossing borders by land, how exciting! Well, that's not counting the time when my parents and I walked across the bridge to Paraguay from Foz do Iguacu a zillion years ago. But does Paraguay really count as another country? I don't think so.

Grazi and I meet at St Pancras International, each of us coming from different parts of the city. Me, from Victoria, only a few stops away. Her, from Knightsbridge, ditto via the Picadilly line. I can't get over how awesome public transport in London is. All tube stations lead to Rome. Well, not really. But you get what I mean.

Once there we grab a quick bite to eat and head straight to check-in. The check-in process is effortless (takes about 3 seconds), and there's no "no-liquids, no-hats, no-tweezers, no-paper clips, take-your-shoes-off-so-we-can-check-for-explosives" kind of policy you see in most airports nowadays. You arrive, slide your ticket in, show your passport, and off you go. So we get on this ridiculously long Eurostar train and a few minutes later we're heading to Brussels.

Travelling by train is so much better than by plane. It's quicker across short distances, there are no long waits or queues. Plus, it's more comfortable, you can appreciate the scenery, and you're not forced to watch awkward security demonstrations. And, check this out: I didn't need to show my passport when arriving in Belgium! If only they knew there was a Brazilian entering their country unnoticed...

Upon arriving the first thing you notice is how all signage is in both French and Dutch, which makes finding directions a bit confusing -- not to mention reading train timetables. After a few minutes trying to find out where to go and what kind of tickets we were supposed to buy, we embark on a quick tram ride to the hotel.

In our first night in Brussels we decide to head for the main (dare I say only) tourist destination in the city. Rue des Bouchers-Beenhouwerstraat is a veritable tourist trap. Lined with Greek, Italian, and seafood restaurants, waiters stand by the sidewalk trying to lure in anyone who walks by, Bangkok style. We decide one of the places has quite a reasonably priced four course menu, only to discover the menu isn't available. It happens a lot, apparently. We then settle for an Italian restaurant to have overpriced so-so spaghetti and half frozen lasagne.

After having a few treats from one of the countless chocolate shops around, we have had enough for today. An early morning and a long day are waiting us tomorrow -- heading to Bruges!