We were supposed to go to Belgium last January but the trip got cancelled and we rescheduled it in February for our pre-anniversary celebration. Hubs is currently teaching a class and he's not able to take a leave so we took advantage of yet another 3 day weekend - President's Day.
Off we drove to our first destination:
Brussels - On a good day without traffic, we could've reached Brussels in 3 hours and some change but the day we went there, it took us about 4 hours with the heavy traffic in the city. After getting settled in our hotel (Sandton Brussels Centre) we walked around the city center to look for a place to eat. There were so many restaurants to choose from and the one we ended up with was not the best at all, I can't even remember the name of it. I get grumpy when I'm not satisfied with my food but my mood changed when we went to Delirium Cafe that has the largest selection of beers in the world. The place was packed on a Friday night but we were lucky to find a seat right away. Now I'm not a huge fan of beer but the mango flavored I had was absolutely delicious! Hubby and I had a great time but the noise was too much so we had to retreat to our hotel and call it a night.
 |
| I had 3 glasses of the beer on top right and no, I didn't get delirius :) |
We strolled around the city to see more of Brussels in broad daylight. Stopped by to grab a hot chocolate at Neuhaus located at Galeries Royales St Hubert, some macarons and chocolate cake which I brought to Bruges. With a warm drink in my hand on a chilly and windy day, on we went to find this little guy pissin', known as Manneken Pis. We walked back and forth turning corner after corner and I was getting frustrated and thinking to heck with it, and after a good 15 minute walk there he was in a corner close to where we were at the first time we were looking for it.
 |
| The best hot chocolate I've ever tasted was here in Neuhaus |
 |
The little guy in all his glory, still pissin' :)
|
They say that when you're in Brussels you have to eat mussels and that's what I did. I've cooked mussels before so I wanted to see how it would taste, the Belgian way. We went to Chez Leon along Rue De Bouchers and I ordered Moules a'la plancha (Mussels with gambas, squid, butter with garlic, onions and tomatoes) and hubs had meat dumplings with tomato sauce. The verdict for my food was very good since I ate majority of it and with hubby's little help. Anywhere you eat in Brussels will be expensive and I know there's a much better restaurant than Chez Leon to eat mussels.
 |
| This whole pan for 24.99 euro just for me! |
 |
| Meat dumplings in tomato sauce and frites |
After a sumptuous meal we continued our journey to Bruges, an hour away from Brussels.
Bruges - It was time to relax and enjoy the rest of our trip and Bruges was a perfect choice. Driving to the town was a breathe of fresh air compared to the busy life in Brussels. We stayed in Grand Hotel Casselbergh for couple of nights and the location was close to all the attractions we wanted to see.
 |
| Afternoon delight at the hotel: Speculoos and Praline macarons with chocolate cake from Neuhaus |
 |
| Bruges Town Hall |
 |
| Historic City Centre - designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site |
We also went to see Luc Vanlaere played harp and other instruments and it was absolutely fantastic! It was beautiful and his music can just put me to sleep. It was nice to de-stress after a long day of sight seeing. I was in tears when he played a song he composed for his mom and that brought back memories. The show was about 40 mins and free of charge but they accept donations.
 |
| The Harp |
 |
| And the Harpist |
The next day we went on a boat ride along Bruges waterways. I recommend doing this early in the morning as it can get crowded, cost per adult is 7.60 euro.
While out and about we went and checked out 2be Beer Wall, overlooking the waterways with great selection of Belgian beers.
The last thing we did to end the day going places was to experience the brewery tour by De Halve Maan (Straffe Hendrik) Brewery. The tour was 45 mins long and costs 7.50 euro per person that included beer tasting.
 |
| View from the brewery rooftop |
 |
| This is what we got after the tour - blonde beer :) |
For dinner we made reservation at The Olive Tree situated right by the square. The restaurant is small and reservation is a must. We love Greek food so we decided to try this place and we were not disappointed. Hubby's lamb chops was perfectly cooked and my tiger shrimp was excellent, a little pricey but worth it! The owner was very nice even if the service was a little slow but it didn't bother us one bit. We were there to enjoy our evening and not rush. We also had a bonus - honey cake dessert which was on the house! Talk about satisfaction guaranteed.
And some of the things Belgium is famous for: waffles and chocolates!
 |
| Chocolate boobies, anyone? |
The only regret I had with this trip was not bringing my dslr camera for better quality of photos I took. I never learn. Oh well.
Until next time. Cheers!
