Belgium 🇧🇪

February 15th: Luxembourg > Belgium 

I had free breakfast again at the Luxembourg hostel. 😁 I still can’t figure out if this is a new thing with hostels or what, but I am definitely a fan! It’s not a grand buffet, but it’s enough to get your fill. I also particularly enjoyed the calm, relaxing music they played. It reminded me of a Lord of the Rings lofi mix… what a great way to start the day. 🤗

I checked out of the hostel and hopped on the FREE bus to central station, where I learned the train line was down between here and somewhere, so I’d need to take a bus across the border to Arlon Station in southern Belgium before getting the train to Brussels. Okkaayyy. I’m glad I left early. 😅 The instructions I got were pretty clear, but I had a hard time finding where the bus was leaving from. After wandering around, checking all the signs, I finally asked someone for help, and then I saw it. A GIANT sign across the street. Apparently I didn’t have enough coffee at breakfast. 🤣

I decided to start my Belgian journey in Bruges… I just had a feeling that I would love it there and would prefer it to Brussels. And I’m so glad I did… It was supposed to snow the afternoon I arrived, and it held off JUST long enough for me to arrive to the hostel. By the time I checked in and made my way to my first beer, it was snowing pretty heavily and was accumulating rapidly. The streets were turning from cobblestone to snow right before my eyes. I ordered my first Belgian beer, a Carouls Classic, after taking the suggestion of the bartender. I wanted a darker beer to warm me up before going for a snowy walk around the city. Success!

It did the trick, and I was off! First up: two large windmills situated alongside the river and a big city gate. While I was enjoying the snowy walk, many people were out sledding down the big hills the windmills were built on. I wasn’t going to wander too far due to the cold and wet, but I should know myself better by now… Once I’m out exploring, there’s no stopping me. 🤣 I ended up meandering all the way to the town center. There weren’t many people out and it was so lovely to stroll through the snowy streets and parks. 

I ended up at a waffle shop to warm up with a hot chocolate and a chocolate waffle. Chocoholic, am I right? Hehe. Way overpriced, but I honestly didn’t care. I was frigid, and even had substantial layers on, including two layers of pants. 😂 After my sweet treat, I went back to the hostel to warm up and relax for the rest of the evening. 

February 16th: Ghent

This hostel didn’t have a free breakfast, but if you pre-booked it was 7 euro or 8 if you paid in the moment. I didn’t pre-book, as I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do breakfast there or not. I looked around for coffee shops and eateries, but not many were open early enough for me. I learned later that this was a holiday week, so it’s not so surprising after all. After looking at some of the menus, the coffee alone was nearly as much as the entire hostel breakfast. So, I decided it was worth it to eat at the hostel before heading out on an adventure.

Their brewed coffee was SO strong. I can’t believe I’m even typing this, but I had to cut it with hot water, lol. I normally enjoy very strong coffee, but maybe my palate has weakened since traveling? But that’s never happened before, so then again, maybe they just tripled brewed it? Who knows. It was a jolt to the heart (and bowels) for sure. 😅

As much as I wanted to stay and explore Bruges today, I would be heading to Ghent. I HAD to do the beer spa (yes, you read that right), and there wasn’t any availability for today in Bruges, so I swapped my days around. 

I’d heard that Ghent was picturesque and quaint and a must do. While I don’t disagree by any means, I would say I prefer Bruges without a doubt. I almost wish I did skip Brussels to stay in Bruges longer. 😅

Anyways, back to Ghent. I took a tram to the farthest point, the Gravensteen Castle. Holy Moly! It was epic! Sitting right at the edge of a canal and dominating the landscape, I obviously had to go inside and explore. It was a fairly steep entry fee, but there was a free audio tour included, and one of the options was a comedy tour, which I chose. My favorite fun fact from this castle was a hole in the floor that was allegedly used to throw prisoners into an exit-less pit. I wonder though, if enough people were tossed in, could you stand on each other’s shoulders and climb out? 🤔

After the grand castle tour, I walked around to see the rest of Ghent. Gorgeous buildings, and so many reminded me of things straight out of Harry Potter. Magical, to say the very least. One building in particular, I essentially went out of my way to find, only to discover it was covered in scaffolding, lol. Positives of traveling in the off season: fewer crowds. Negatives: plenty of construction. 😂 This wasn’t the first historic building I was excited to see that was hidden behind layers of construction materials. I’m pretty sure I’d still take off-season than in the middle of the summer, though. 😅

Next up was the Gruut Brewery. Gruut is a type of beer made with herbs and spices rather than hops. I’d never heard of it, but it seemed like a must try, not to mention all I could think about was little Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. 🤗🌱

I arrived just as they opened and tried a blonde, and then it started pouring rain, so I sampled two of the others. 😅 They were very good, but I couldn’t tell they were any different than “hopped” beer. I stayed here a while, working on the blog and waiting until the next bar opened: The Dulle Griet. I’d seen this on IG, and knew I had to give it a go. 

I walk towards the next bar, and I’m about 15 minutes early, but there was already a line! They did start to let people in early, so I hopped in line and got in. And thank god I did, because it was already pretty packed! I sat next to two new friends, a Belgian and a Spaniard. We figured out the only common language between the 3 of us was Spanish, so that’s what we spoke for the evening. 

The fun thing about this bar is they serve a beer in a 1.2 liter glass! Yikes! And as collateral for the glass, they take one of your shoes and string it up in a basket hanging from the ceiling. 🤣 I HAD to do this. A lot of people in there were ordering that one, and I’m sure that has made this bar a tourist hit. I don’t even want to imagine what this place looks like in the high season. I was asking the Belgian for more beer recommendations, as there are just so many to choose from. He told me to definitely try the Westmalle Trappist, and he ordered another one I was curious about, Gulden Draak, or Golden Dragon, and I can see where it gets its name. After the lighter, but 1.2 liters of the other beer, the second beer packed a punch. 😅

Soon it was time to pay and get my shoe back. 😂 I realized that before you order that big beer, you should probably use the bathroom… I wouldn’t want to go in there with only 1 shoe… 😅

On my walk back to the train station, I was gifted with beautiful nighttime views of all the things I had seen during the day. It gave the city a true Harry Potter vibe and I was all over it. I was just 100% in the moment and feeling a deep gratitude for the ability to travel and to experience these things first hand. Traveling is a beautiful adventure that fulfills the soul and expands the mind in surprising ways. I always encourage everyone to travel… money will come back, but your experiences and your youth won’t. If you want to do it, DO IT. Don’t wait for anyone. YOLO-SOLO! 🤗🌏🌎✈️

To finish off my evening, I stopped by a grocery store for some cheap dinner and hopped on the train back to Bruges. 

February 17th: Bruges

I began my day with the hostel breakfast again, and yes, the coffee was just as strong as it was yesterday. Dang! Haha. After I had my fill, I was planning to have a relaxing morning and do my best to catch up on the blog. But I was also looking for a free walking tour to do for the day; I wanted to learn as much about Bruges as I could. 

I ultimately decided to do a self-guided tour via an app that had points of interest and descriptions. It was a compromise because sometimes the free walking tours aren’t that great and I’d rather save my money to sample more beer… 😅😁

As I began my walking tour, it was noticeably busier; so many people were out and about today. I had been scoring photos with nobody in them, but today this would be a challenge, if possible at all. One of the first big stops was the Half Moon Brewery, which my dear friend, Jaimee, had suggested to me. Little did I know this brewery is quite important in Bruges.

I ended up taking the brewery tour, which of course ended with a free beer. But I was early for the tour, so I did what anyone would do, and walked in to try a beer first. 🤣 I had the Bruges Zot, and it was yummy! Right up there with the Carouls Classic, although VERY different. 

The tour was informative and exploring the brewery itself was very interesting. It was tiny! Built up higher rather than wider, each floor was a different stage in the brewing process. The most interesting part was the beer pipeline they constructed that transports the beer directly from the brewery to the bottling facility 3 km away. 

I also learned the origin of the infamous “IPA.” I thought this was a relatively new brew, but apparently it was the British who created it first. They were sailing between the British Isles and India for the trade routes, and hops is a natural preservative. Well, legend has it, the beer was spoiling on the long journey, so they added heaps more hops, and voila! You have the first “India Pale Ale.”

I also learned that coriander and dried orange are the two most popular flavors added to beer. Who knew? After the tour I went in to try their fruit beer. I was told it was not sweet, and I figured it’d be worth a shot. It was good! I enjoyed it with a couple I met on the tour, and we were pleasantly surprised with it. I probably wouldn’t order it again, but I’m glad I tried it.

My new friends gave me a tip when looking for chocolates: there are some shops that have an official chocolate guild sign out front. This is how you know you’ve found the REAL good stuff. Awesome! I knew I wanted to try some chocolate, but had been told to try Leonidas, a very popular chain. I’m glad I found out some insider information, and I skipped Leonidas all together. I did find a shop right near the brewery and got 3 pieces of chocolate and scarfed them down. They were delicious! Thanks, friends! 🤗

I continued my walking tour and saw some amazing things, including the Basilica of the Holy Blood. It had a stunning exterior, but the inside… I’ve never seen anything like it before. Extremely ornate and colorful. And there was a line to see the holy blood, which honestly didn’t look like anything, but hey, now I’ve seen a relic!

I finished up my walking tour and went back to the hostel to grab my bathing suit for the beer spa. I still had a few more things to see, so I went back to cross the last things off my list. I was early for the beer spa, but noticed a couple of people walk in before me. So I followed suit. The woman explained to me a bit how everything works, and showed me to my room. 

It was so big, complete with a bathroom, shower, two tubs, a straw bed, and yes, a beer tap that I could help myself to. The lights were dimmed and they had electronic candles and calming music for the ambiance. Now this, I could get used to. I enjoyed the spa for 1.5 hours and finally got ready to head to the last major thing on my Bruges itinerary: Le Trappiste Bar. 

Located near the beer spa, and in a vaulted basement, this was definitely a picturesque place to sample the infamous beer made by monks. I chose the one I’d been recommended a few times over, Westmalle Dubbel, and I was not disappointed. 

February 18th: Brussels

Today officially marks the beginning of the end of my trip. I’m headed to Brussels for two nights and then back home to Boston. I was sad to leave Bruges, but I have more to explore and I’m sure I’ll enjoy the last couple of days. I reach the hostel quickly, before check-in, and leave my bag in a locker and hit the town! First up, lunch right next door. I had a cappuccino and a quiche Lorraine and was fueled for my self-guided city tour. 

The Grand Place was stunning! The main plaza of historic Brussels, the buildings surround the courtyard were gilded in gold and the gothic architecture was drool-worthy. Okay okay, Brussels is worth it 😜. I was considering skipping the city all together, but was told it shouldn’t be missed. While arguably, not my favorite, it was still beautiful and certainly warrants a visit. I saw the infamous “Manneken Pis” statue as well as his female counterpart, and a dog! 

Through my research of the city, I found a really cool art-nouveau building that houses a museum of musical instruments. Well, of course I went! I was very excited about the possibility to see some unique instruments, and maybe if I was lucky, handbells! I purchase my entry ticket, which includes a free audio guide. Turns out, the “audio guide” is a whole bunch of recorded music that correlates to the various instruments within the museum. Cool! The first two floors of the museum were pretty awesome, instruments spanning time and countries. After that, there was an exhibit with piano like instruments and not much else. They did have one example of a carillon, and there were a few variations of ancient bells, but no modern bells in sight. Sigh.

I head back to the hostel to officially check in and get into the room. Looks like its going to be a full 3-person room this time around. I guess you can’t always luck out. 🙃 Once I got myself situated and settled in the room, I enjoyed some down time before wandering out for dinner. I decided I wanted to try the traditional Flemish Beef Stew. I found a lovely restaurant and ordered the stew with a beer. Perfect! The stew was very tasty, but it’s known for being fairly sweet. And oh it was. It was incredibly unique, but as far as beef stews go, I’ll take the Irish Guinness beef stew over this one. Sorry, Belgium! 😅

After dinner it was time for an evening stroll through the Grand Place to see the gilded buildings lit up and it did not disappoint. Then it was back to the hostel for some sleep.

February 19th: Antwerp

The hostel requires that everyone be locked out of the rooms between 11 and 3pm, so they can quickly clean before new people check-in. Interesting logistics, but I get it. So today I’d be heading to Antwerp for a quick day trip to help fill that gap. 

But first, time for some free breakfast! I’m really loving the breakfast situation at these hostels. It’s not a luxury buffet by any means, but it gets the job done! 🤗 I had a leisurely breakfast while I worked on the blog, and I returned to the room to get ready for the day. 

I walked to the central station in Brussels and bought my ticket to Antwerp. Found the train, and I was off! What should’ve been a fairly quick ride took forever… Apparently I was on the train that stopped at ALLLLLLL the stops along the way. Hah! I didn’t even think to check that. I must’ve lucked out with all the other local trains I’ve been taking. 😅

I finally make it to Antwerp, and if you know, the Antwerp train station is like something out of a movie. It has got to be one of the most beautiful stations in the world. It’s wondurously and intricately magnificent! I stayed a few moments, checking out the different areas and soaking in the beauty before beginning my walk towards the historic center. Along the way I spotted a restaurant called “Boston,” and I kid you not, two stores down was a Dunks. 😂 Where am I? 

It was an easy walk down a pedestrian only road, which led me exactly to a very fancy shopping mall that was on my list to see. I walked inside and instantly understood why it was worthwhile to check out. Oh, and they have free WiFi. 😂 My free “good” data was running out, so I had to be a bit more frugal with my usage, and free WiFi was more than welcomed. They did not, however, have free bathrooms. Dang it! 

Next up, I found myself by the infamous statue with my favorite kind of tourist that just stands right next to it for hours trying to get their next profile picture, with no sense of awareness. 🙄😂 Sometimes I wish people could “read the room.” We all want a picture, so why not just takes turns? Why hog up a clearly coveted spot? Bah. Anyways… it was beautiful, and it could’ve been a LOT more crowded had it been summer time. 

I continued my walk towards the river to see the Het Steen Castle! I read online it was free to enter and was very curious as to why. Pretty much all the castles require an entry fee. Well, the outside looks amazing… very picture perfect. Turns out, that’s basically all it is. 😅 They built a tourist information center inside and there is access to the rooftop for “panoramic” views, but the castle isn’t even close to the tallest building in the area, so I’m not sure I’d really call those views “panoramic.” But, hey, it was still fun to check out. 

I found a cool tunnel on Google Maps that was quite old and had a wooden escalator! Soooo, I strolled over there and went down. It was very cool! And VERY loud, haha. I rode two escalators to the bottom and contemplated walking the length of the tunnel. Part of me just really didn’t want to. But then I thought, but if I walk all the way across, surely there will be a great view of the city from the other side of the river. Okay. I’m going. So begin the long walk. It was extremely busy, mostly with people on bikes, but clearly, it serves the city well. 

After my lengthy tunnel experience, I begin a slow walk back towards the central station, stopping to get a waffle, of course. 😁 I tried a slighty different one, a “Brussels” variation, which I actually didn’t like as much. It was crunchier and rectangular. I still managed to eat the whole thing, though 🤪. 

Before getting back to the train station, I stopped by my favorite shopping mall for some free WiFi and caught up on a few messages. I bought a coffee for the ride back to Brussels and was on my way. 

Back at the hostel, I rested a bit again, before making myself get up for one last night in Belgium. I still had to go check out the Delirium Cafe (a renowned bar) and grab dinner. But beer first. This place had so many options to choose from, but I went with my gut and chose a strong blond by Delirium. It was quite tasty, but not as good as the very first beer I had, Carouls Classic. So, I order that next. And then I decide I must sample the Trappist beer one last time, so I order the Westmalle. And then… no, no more beer 🤣. It was time for dinner. Which ended up being a… drumroll please… a raspberry waffle! This was by far my favorite. It wasn’t covered in raspberry sauce or raspberries, but the batter itself had raspberries in it. I should’ve ordered 5 of those things!

Time to shower and finish packing as much as I can… I have to wake up early tomorrow to begin my long journey back to Boston. 

February 20th: Brussels > Amsterdam > Boston

My alarm went off at 5am… sorry, roommates! I got ready and packed the last little bit, with one casualty. My pair of jeans were getting holes between the legs, so I said goodbye to my favorite pair and off I went to the metro. 

I would be taking a train directly to the Amsterdam airport, but I needed to take a city train to a different train station for that one. So, at nearly 6 in the morning, I’m trying for the first time to figure out how to work the local metro. Not super challenging, but it took me a minute to figure out how to scan my ticket. 😅 Finally through the turnstyle, I wait about 10 minutes before my train comes, and my journey home begins. 

The train to AMS worried me, only because the ticket I bought was VERY specific and said it needed to be that particular train at that particular time and day. I wasn’t sure how many trains there were, but I was just hoping nothing went wrong and I’d get on the right one. 

Turns out, there were other people confused, but we all sort of decided we must be in the right place, and we pile onto the train. At first, the train is empty, but the closer we got to AMS, the more people got onto the train. Soon it was my stop. And well, just about everyone else’s too, haha. 

The AMS airport is AMAZING because the trains literally run right underneath it. So after exiting the train and going up one flight of stairs, I was inside the main entryway of the airport. I didn’t even have to go outside. I wish all cities were like this… its so convenient! 

Now, as many times as I’ve flown to AMS as a flight attendant, I have never done it as a “regular” person. I had NO idea where to go. Luckily, the signage was easy enough to follow, and soon I found myself in the security line. Then passport control, and then, bam! I was inside the terminal and familiar with my surroundings. I hunted for some nourishment and made my way to the departure gate. It was a far one. So even though today is a travel day, I’m pretty sure I’m getting plenty of steps in 😂. 

Boarding begins and I’m given a seat and get comfy. It’s always so bittersweet returning home. I never want my travels to end, but I also have things to look forward to in Boston. And Belgium for sure is a place I’ll visit again, especially Bruges:). Where to next? 🌏✈️