We wanted to go to Belgium for the waffles, the chocolates, and the fries. So, we decided to go to Brussels. Brussels is not only the capital of Belgium but also the de facto capital of the European Union. There is a lot to see and do. Unfortunately, when we were booking hotels, we only booked one night without getting a fast train, as we would be arriving from Paris in the late afternoon. So, to fit as much as we could, my sister and I were two women on a mission. We left Paris in the morning, which meant I missed out on trying crepes in France; it’s ok, I survived. Then we arrived in Brussels in the late afternoon. Just walking out of the train station, our spirits were lifted. It wasn’t gloomy and grey like Paris but felt brighter; the weather was good, and we could tell that being in Brussels would be a good time, despite the rush.

Grand Place

After dropping our stuff off at the hotel, we explored more of the town. We went to the Grand Place: the central square of Brussels. The city hall, museums such as the Brewery, City, Chocolate Museum, and shops and restaurants are there. Close to the streets are chocolate shops and souvenir shops. We took photos in the square, then tried some chocolates and hot chocolate there. We also brought some gifts to take home.

Belgium Fries

Afterwards, we had Belgian fries for dinner. The lines at these places are long, but I think they are worth the wait. Belgium fries are thick and fried in oil or animal fat (not friendly for dietary requirements). They also come with various sauces, with some places having up to 40 types. We had fries twice. I had ketchup and aioli sauce with them. Despite them being thick and the portions being large, they didn’t feel heavy or stodgy. We had fries twice (over two days), and I had the usual ketchup and aioli, but I also tried beetroot ketchup, which was good. Belgium sure knows how to make good fries!

Atomium

We started our day early because we were leaving for Amsterdam in the afternoon. Early in the morning, we went to see the Atomium, which was built for the 1958 World Fair. It’s 102m tall and has an 18m diameter. The shape of a crystal structure represents an iron crystal if it was magnified 165 billion times. You can go inside; there is a museum and exhibits, but we were too early for it to open. Close to the Atomium is Mini Europe and the Design museum, but we were too early for them as well, and it would have taken up our time, so we skipped those. We took our photos and went back to the centre.

Mannekin Pis

This is a really famous fountain in Brussels, it was built in the 16th century and has been stolen and damaged since then, with the current version being created in 1965. It depicts a naked boy urinating into the fountain. There is a lot of history and legend surrounding the fountain. It is also a popular symbol found in many souvenirs. They even occasionally dress him up, but we saw him in his birthday suit. It is an example of folk humour. We were lucky we went there early because there were no people then. It seems most places surrounding the area open around 10 am.

Tintin Mural Painting

If you’re a Tintin fan, you would know that the comic books were created by the Belgian artist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pseudonym Hergé. To celebrate him, there are murals based on the Tintin comics painted on the building walls in Brussels. We saw one of those near the fountain.

Belgian Waffles

Close to the Mannekin Pis fountain are a bunch of waffle shops. So, we decided to have waffles for breakfast. You can get a hot waffle with your choice of toppings. I had one with chocolate and cream to go. They come with a wooden fork, but I found that useless. I wished we had decided to eat there because it was hot, the cream had started melting, and my waffle had fallen. It was nice while it lasted.

Parliamentarium

After our waffles, we decided to go to the Parliamentarium, the European Parliament’s visiting tour. It was opened in 2011, and it hosts an exhibition that details the inner workings of the European Parliament and how the EU functions. So, because we weren’t sure of the times of things. When we got there, we just missed the tour. It was sad, but if we waited an hour for the next one, we might have missed our train.

House of European History

As the Parliamentarium was a bust, we visited the House of European History. This was a free museum dedicated to the history of the European Union. I was like, how could one museum cover the entirety of European history? But honestly, I think it does a good job of giving the condensed version. The museum has four floors and an audio-visual tour. You start the tour, which takes you through the different floors, and focuses on the origin of the name Europe. Then, it went through the world wars, the establishment of the EU, and the current challenges facing the union. It was interesting because I mentioned before that I didn’t learn much about Europe after World War 2. I didn’t know that most of Europe was split between political ideologies. I also didn’t realise that France has their version of the Nuremberg Trials (which I want to learn more about). Or that the Euro currency is so recent. There was also this book on European Union law, and it was so big (below).

I think what really got me thinking was the aftermath of WWII, like how these countries were able to rebuild after such devastating events. What can we learn from the past in our current climate of division, ignorance and hoarding of wealth? There are interesting things to think about, and I would like to learn and read more on the topic. Really shows the importance of humanitarian science.

Final Thoughts

After visiting the House of European History, we returned to our hotel, brought some last-minute things and had dinner. We kept postponing our train to Amsterdam, but then we wanted to get there before dark, and after a certain point, we had to get moving. Although our time in Brussels was brief, we still did our best to see what the city had to offer and learned some things we were previously unaware of. I preferred Brussels to Paris, but there were a lot of odd things that I didn’t get. Like in Belgium, they seem obsessed with mussels; every restaurant we walked past was advertising “Zealandia mussels”, which we were confused by. One thing I didn’t like was how touchy people were. I noticed that instead of people saying excuse me (in English, French or Dutch) if you were in the way, people will physically move you out of their way. It was a culture shock because I don’t want people in my space like that. I noticed it happened regardless of how much room there was on the footpath. I guess I couldn’t help but be in people’s way. But overall, although my time there was brief, it was still pleasant. Would definitely go again given the opportunity!