Brussels here I come!

I hate Brussels!!… at least that was my 1st impression. After being up for days preparing my house for sale, making sure the kids were all set for after school care and pick up’s for the next 7 months while I was away working in Tanzania and worrying about how everyone would get along without me I booked a 3 day layover in Brussels with the plan to explore the city, but when I got there I was so tired I swear I was cross eyed. I got into Brussels at 5:30am, grabbed a cab to my hostel in the vicinity of Grand Place, (I’ve never seen the movie so I’m not afraid to stay at hostels), with the mindset of exploring as soon as I got there. I had already researched The Atomium, Grand Place, Manneken Pis, various other sites and friends had made recommendations that sounded good, so I had a harty list of places to go. My 1st walk down to Grand Place left me with the impression it was ostentatious and I couldn’t wait to get back to my hostel, but that was the tired talking. After a well needed shower and nap I headed back on the exploration path to sit at Grand Place and just take it all in. That’s when it hit me; Brussels was awesome! And I loving every min of it!!!

For the next 3 day I would wake up and walk to Grand Place and just sit. I would order a pastry and tea, sit and just people watch while look at the ornately dressed buildings shrouded in gold. Most enjoyable for me was walking around the streets and capturing pictures of the many graffiti or is it wall art(?), along the streets. I walked from one end of the city to the other, hopped on and off busses and would hang out in the parks enjoying the weather, I even ended up having tea and good conversation at a cozy little tea shop with a Moroccan I met. Of course I had to eat a Belgium Waffle… I couldn’t come all this way and not have Belgium Waffle! My waffle had whipped cream, strawberry and chocolate, now I’m not a fan of chocolate.. I know, I know, who doesn’t like chocolate?… but I suddenly knew what all the rage was about. Leaving Belgium without buying chocolate to share with my family back home was not an option and it took me to the next experience of figuring out how to use the post office. You actually have to take a number and sit and wait your turn to be called!

No trip to Belgium is complete without seeing the famous Manneken Pis and I spent time coming back to it over and over.

I didn’t see half the things I planned, and in the end I didn’t want to, I was happy to have the down time to transition between what had been a very stressful past few months of packing and preparing and what I knew was going to be a fast paced intense 7 months of homeopathy, and caring for people who are HIV positive. I left Brussels rejuvenated, refreshed and with my sanity intact…. Exactly what I needed for the road ahead. >