Belgium round trip - Part 1

It was 2016, Christmas around the corner so we decided to have a 4 days getaway and find a fairyland destination.

It just had to be Belgium.

I used to live and study there, and I can say, that was one of the best times of my life. I fell in love with every corner of the country so it was only a matter of time that I had to return, and the opportunity just arose.

The planning was a bit of a headache since I had to squeeze the whole country into a 4 days vacation, which was impossible, so at the end we settled for a Brussels - Antwerp - Brugge - Gent - Brussel round trip.

Needles to say, we both were very excited, our first holiday together!

Brussels

Once we landed and arrived in the city I immediately felt home, all the memories of my uni years came back, however I've never seen Christmas in Belgium, so now it was even more special.

We quickly found our Airbnb and didn't think twice before heading off for a night walk.

It was cold!! After the mild winter in Malta, we were shivering but who cared.

The Grand-Place was lit up, there was music and a light show, a giant Christmas tree, and guild halls as usual were magnificent. The square is considered as one of the most beautiful places of the world. I still wish to visit it again during summer time when it's covered with the most wonderful flower carpets.

Before we explored the neighborhood, we had to stop for a few bites. I couldn't imagine a better dinner than some local mussels and I was not disappointed. Philip was not yet brave enough to eat seafood but that was his loss. More for me..

We had a little bit of wander around the side streets later, found the most charming and welcoming sweets shops, waffle stands...oh god those waffles...., a huge seesaw to have fun with.

It was a long day, so we made our way back to the apartment to have a good night's sleep before the fast paced country journey began.

The next morning we woke up to a wonderful weather. The sun was shining, no rain or snow was forecasted, so everything was ideal for day spent outside.

The breakfast obviously had to be a waffle, what else...and we obviously had to pass by the Manneken piss as good, obedient tourists. It's fascinating how a pissing 50cm tall boy attracts the whole world since the 15th century.

Walking around the streets, we noticed that some buildings are covered in large murals of comic scenes. This ‘Comic Strip Route’ pays homage to some of Belgium’s most loved illustrated characters and the artists who created them. Don't expect to see Batman or Hulk though, it's a home for Tin tin and the Smurfs!

We took a train to our next, must see destinations, the Atomium and Mini Europe.

The Atomium was under renovation during my first visit, so I was happy to finally get inside this time.

It was originally built for the 58' Brussels World's Fair and it was a vision of the peaceful use of atomic energy for scientific purposes. Every sphere had a different style of exhibition, and the connecting staircases had really cool sound and visual effect, they made you feel like you're in a spaceship.

Mini-Europe is another cheesy fun that we couldn't miss. Thankfully in the winter there are way fewer tourists visiting, so we could actually see and play around with the interactive monuments. Destroying a section of the Berlin wall, setting off the eruption of the Vesuvius, launching an attack of legionnaires or scaring the Vikings.

In hindsight and with an older mind, I would now rather visit the Domaine Royal de Laeken, with the Orangery and the Castle, or the Museums of the Far East, which are just a few meters away but at least we have some more reasons to return one more time.

We only walked up to the Jardin colonial de Laeken before foolishly leaving the area and travelling back to the city. Nonetheless, it was worth the visit, but now it was time to pack up and leave for Antwerp.

Check part 2 for Antwerp..