Europe post cards: Part 2: Brussels, Belgium

Going through the initial adjustments in Amsterdam for the first 2 days, we were ready for our next destination: Brussels, Belgium. This place was not in our original itinerary, but then we thought, it was just a train ride away, so why not? It turned out to be a very great decision for we found Brussels to be VERY beautiful.

For our trip to Brussels from Amsterdam, we took the train: Thalys, a well-known rail company in this part of Europe. We went early because our mother had already warned us that European trains leave on time. And boy they do! We witnessed a man who unfortunately became a victim of Europe’s “on-time” poicy. We saw him running on the platform; the train actually hasn’t left yet, but the doors were closed about a minute before. The man was just seconds late but was not allowed to board the train. He was begging the conductor to let him in, but no, he wasn’t. He sadly watched as the train left him; he just had to take the next train!

Anyway, our train arrived shortly and we jumped on a the first chance. We had difficulty finding our seats because the coaches had no number, and we had no idea what direction to go to! After so-so minutes, we found our seats and sat comfortably. Soon after, we were on our way. Being this our first train ride, it wasn’t a disappointment [come to think of it, none of our train rides were a disappointment]. We had a second class seat that would pass for first class in the Philippines. The seats were super comfortable [reclining], and we were served breakfast by a pretty train stewardess! Everything was perfect! Anyway, travel time from Amsterdam to Brussels was 2 hours, which I didn’t notice because I was busy looking outside, trying to see if I would be able to recognize the shift from The Netherlands to Belgium [which I wasn’t able to].!

 The super nice train of Thalys…spacious and comfortable

 Our breakfast: bread, fruits, and juice…sarap lahat! I was able to finish everything on the plate!

We arrived in Belgium around 9 am. I noticed that the train station here was not as busy as that in Amsterdam. We had our first “Wow!” moment in Brussels when we left our luggage in the train station [we were to stay in Brussels only that day and will leave for Paris that afternoon]: the lockers were fully automated! You just had to put in the amount of the locker you chose [there were three sizes], the machine will print a receipt, place your luggage in the locker, and close. That’s it! But how do you get your luggage back? Just have the bar code in your receipt scanned by the same machine and your locker will automatically open. Grabe! Amazing talaga. Gel and I were super amazed!

Free of our luggage, we set out immediately discover Brussels. We stopped by an information center to ask how to get to Grand Place. Tourist centers in Europe are so helpful, and there is at least one in the major cities, so it is very easy to look for help. We bought tickets at an automated ticket machine again, but this time, we had an easier time. We were slowly learning the ropes! Trains here in Brussels are underground, and there are few lines [routes]. Gel and I made a mistake of going the other direction. Fortunately, we bought the all-day pass, so we just went off the next station and caught the right train. In minutes, we were on the ground again, on the way to the Grand Place!

 Automated lockers: easy!

When we got off the train, we set off to look for Grand Place. We planned on going to one place only because we only had the day, and we didn’t have much informrtion on Brussels [meaning how long we would take in one place]. This was the most highly recommended, so off we went. The road to Grand Place was so European…the buildings, the roads, the people. Brussels was just as cold as Amsterdam, but there were instances when the sun would go out, so we would have our “sun fix.” Good thing din because we didn’t want to be wrapped with jackets all the time!

The entrance to the Grand Place: so Europe with the beautiful buildings and cobblestone pathways!

When we reached the Grand Place, we had our second of many “Wow!” moments! The name of the place was so on-the-spot! Everything was grand…and when I say grand, I mean G-R-A-N-D! When we saw the buildings, our mouths and were literally hanging while we were so amazed with what we saw! Super ganda talaga! The buildings were done with so much art…and the overall “feel” of the plaza was grand as well!  We were also lucky because there was a once-in-a-blue-moon celebration that day [I forgot what is was], and there were many people, booths, shops, and bands…all which kept us entertained that we didn’t notice the time go by!

 The Grand Place is THE central market square of Brussels.

 The buildings were so nice! Wala kami nasabi…It was very different from we are used to seeing in the Philppines.

This building is Maison du Roi [the Bread House]. Looks skeletal but the design is super fine! Notice the spires…

This building actually consists of seven guildhouses that have been “condensed” into one grande facade. May gold gold pa ano?

 Hotel de Ville [town hall], with its gothic design. Look at the details of the building! I wonder how long it took them to build this one! Grabe ang details!

Singit: Here’s a pic of the Grand Place during the Flower Carpet, when a display of begonias is arranged on the square. This occurs every 2 years for a few days in the middle of August. Ganda ano? [Photo courtesy of Wikipedia]

Around the Grand Place, there were rows of restaurants. One thing we noticed was that ALL had seats outside. And it seemed that all customers were outside; the insides were almost deserted! And we undserstood this perfectly: The Europeans love the sun because of the super cold weather. Kami nga rin ni Gel, we chased the sun [a first for us]!

 The Europeans are “sabik” sa sun. Feeling the rays of the sun is a treat for them!

 That’s why most of them dine outside and enjoy the warmth of the sun!

Gel and I also ate lunch [more of a snack], but not in these restaurants. We went to the side streets to find cheap authentic Belgian food: frites [fries] and gaufre [waffle]. [Fries actaully originated from Belgium, not France.] Let me tell you that everything was sulit! The fries…naku, I bought only “small” size, pero when I receieved my order, the serving soooo big [I didn’t get to finish it]! The fries were so crispy and delicious. The chocolate waffle naman was mouth-watering…the waffle was crispy on the outside but soft on inside! I’ve never tasted a better waffle. And the chocolate? Naku, super sarap! Iba talaga pag authentic. These were enough for Gel and me. We felt so full after.

French fries: small serving lang ito ha! This one costs 2.40 euros, bought from one of the friteries.

 Authentic Belgian chocolate waffle: super sarap! One waffle costs 2.30 euros.

Free beer?!? There was a celebration….and what would a Belgian celebration be without beer?

There were also many stores around the square, mostly selling what Belgium is known for: beer, lace, ceramics, and of course, chocolates! Gel and I resisted from buying anything kasi we’re still going to jump to other cities…we did not know if we would be able to lug these things around. [Besides, baka maubos ang budget! ]

 Gel literally prevented me from buying chocolates. She said, “Pano natin bibitbitin yan? At pano pag lumampas tayo sa luggage weight?” Haay…goodbye melt-in-your-mouth [and cheap] Belgian chocolates!

Around 2 pm, the crowd has thickened because there was a band and singer entertaining the people. It was such a festive mood! There were lots of singing and dancing! There was a dancefloor set in front of the stage, and the older people had a blast dancing the twist and swing! Even the younger ones joined in at some point! Pati kami napasayaw! It was so much fun!

Good thing that the songs were in English. Gel and I were also entertained in the hours we were there. [I even had my picture taken with the singer, who said we were lucky we were there when it wasn’t that cold! What? It wasn’t that cold, eh nanginginig na kami ni Gel!]

We left the Grand Place at 4 pm for our late afternoon train trip to Paris. We passed by a church by the entrance of the road leading to the Grand Place. It turned out to be the church of St. Nicholas, the saint from which Santa Claus was derived. It was a simple and small church. We could have heard the mass there, but we didn’t know the schedule. Besides, we had to get to the train station.

  The church was simple…by European standards!

  The altar was bounded by a gate. Bawal lumapit!

 That’s St. Nicolai [St. Nicholas], who is known for secret gift-giving and was thus the “model” for Santa Claus.

By 5:00, we were already waiting for our train [ETD was 5:40 pm]. It has been a long and hectic day…but we were not without smiles! We were super satisfied with our short stay in Brussels. Our eyes were so busog with all the sights and sounds we saw and witnessed. We enjoyed walking along the side streets of the Grand Place as well…talagang Europe na Europe ang dating. The wtreets were in cobblestone and there were lots of small, quaint stores. Most of all, the buildings and the people were nice! In our short stay, I could really say that Brussels is a beautiful place! Wonderful! Promise babalik ako!

Next stop: Paris, France