Hello!
My name is Daniela. I am an exchange student from Italy. Today, I want to tell you about my trip to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and of Europe!
Before starting, I want to thank Mariana, the organizer of this beautiful excursion. She planned a 30 hour excursion to Brussels by patiently listening and combining the requests of our large group of 17 people. YES, I went to Brussels with a group of 17 people coming from all over the world!
We travelled by train and it was super quick, taking only two hours from Cologne Central station to Brussels. We made the check-in and left the hostel very quickly. We were impatient to walk around the city.
It was evening and dinner time. What to eat in Brussels? There are so many places selling fries that it is impossible to ignore the smell of fries. Where to eat? When I am abroad, I follow two rules. The first rule is to look for a crowded place. The second rule, a bit more difficult, I try to identify crowded places with locals and not only tourists. A long queue of locals and tourists was waiting for their fries at the stand of a restaurant called Fritland. So, we stopped and ordered some fries too. The list of sauces they had was impressing long. I ordered fries with mayonnaise, but I heard from the group that the spicy sauce was delicious, so, if you like spice, the spicy sauce is the right choice.
Tip: when ordering fries in Belgium never say “French Fries” because there is a big dispute between the French and Belgians over who invented the fries.
Walking around the city, it became immediately clear that starting a diet in Brussels was impossible. You are surrounded by shops selling fries, chocolates and waffles all the time. I am not a chocolate lover, but I cannot resist to the sweet smell of waffles. So, after the fries, it was time to taste the waffles too.
Tip: Classic waffles without any topping are the best!
After dinner, we went to a bar called Delirium Café. We drank beer all together and enjoined Brussels nightlife.
In the morning, we took part on a free tour. The guide showed us the most famous sites of the city and told us funny anecdotes. Our first stop was Grand Palace, a square with beautiful private and public buildings such as the town hall.
Tip: visit the square by day and by night. During the day, it will be easier to notice the luxurious details of the buildings. But at night, when the buildings are illuminated, the atmosphere is magic.
It is very easy to notice that the cityscape is very varied. Classical and modern buildings are mixed together, and I personally really liked it, but I have heard also negative comments about this architectural mixture.
During the tour we saw the Manneken Pis too, a fountain with a tiny bronze statue of a small boy peeing. I still do not really understand why this tiny statue became so famous, but apparently, Belgians love it. All over Brussels, shops sell replicas in the form of statues, chocolate, or magnets.
As I said, Brussels is not only the capital of Belgium, it is also the capital of Europe and of the European Union’s government. We decided to visit the Parlamentarium. We received handheld multimedia guides and started our tour. We learned more about European politics and history, how the European Parliament works and the path towards European integration.
After the visit, we split into groups and enjoyed the last hours in this beautiful capital. I bought some souvenirs, took some more pictures at Grand Palace, and ate another delicious waffle.
I really enjoyed Brussels and I hope you will enjoy it too.
- Daniela Lavelli
0 Yorumlar