Brussels

I made it to Brussels, my last stop on my European tour. I guess my final stop on my Around the World trip. It would be the end. I would be flying back home for the holidays in just a few days.

The train ride from Antwerp was pretty quick and was at my hostel before I knew it. My hostel was in a good spot, close to both the Central and North train stations, and not far from the Old City. I had to store my luggage since I was a bit early, but that allowed me time to explore the city in the afternoon. While I was charging my phone, I looked up the hours of Cantillon Brewery. Good thing I checked. I planned on a day trip the following day, and it was closed on Sunday. I would be long gone on Monday by the time it opened. So off I went.

I found some frites for lunch, saw some excitement with the police in the Old Town, and headed towards the brewery. But not before walking through the Grand Place and checking out the outfit of the day on Manneken Pis.

Grand Place.

Manneken Pis.

After a little bit of a walk in the rain outside the Old City, I arrived at Cantillon Brewery. It was a self-guided tour, so I took my time as I walked through. I then got to try 3 different beers, a Lambic which came straight out of the barrel, a kriek, and a rosé. They were all pretty tasty. While I was drinking, I met a nice couple from South America, the woman was from Argentina and the man was from Venezuela. We ended up walking back to town together and hanging out the next evening.

Tour of Cantillon Brewery.

Time to try some beer.

I walked around a bit more to explore the city and the Old Town was beautiful. Especially in the rain. Although it was cold. The Grand Place was definitely one of my favorite squares that I had seen on this trip. I only captured one side here, but all sides had beautiful architecture. 

The Grand Place lit up at night. 

The following day, I got a fairly early start on my day trip. Dinant, a small town south of Brussels kept coming up as a can't-miss in my research. However, just like with Halstatt, Austria, it was just too expensive to stay over. So I decided to dedicate a day to Dinant while I was in Brussels. I was able to do everything I wanted while I was there, so I was happy with my decision. The stunning town is set on the Meuse River, and I ended up picking a good day, so I got some great views. 

Dinant, Belgium.

After a break for lunch, and a short walk to get the lay of the land where the saxophone was born, I headed up to the citadel. The hike up offered some nice views of the river and town below. I learned a little bit of the history of the town, which included a lot of war and devastation. The town always persevered and came through on the other side. 

View from the Citadel.

Adolphe Sax's birth town. 

After I saw as much as I could of Dinant, I headed to Maison Leffe, which was on the other side of town. I was able to learn about the history of making Belgian beer, and specifically the history of Leffe. After my tour, I was able to choose whichever beer I wanted and enjoyed a full glass. I wanted to try something I may not be able to get elsewhere or in the store as easily. I landed on the Mount Hood. The hops actually come from Oregon, which I thought was cool. Once I was done, I grabbed another Leffe at the corner store for the road, and caught the train back to Brussels.

Maison Leffe.

After dinner, I ended up meeting up with the South American couple to try some new beer in a few new spots. They had a list of cool bars they were making their way through before leaving town. I was happy to participate for a few rounds. 

More beer. 

The following morning I headed out for a run. It was my last chance to run in Europe, and I wanted to also run at least once in Brussels. Like Antwerp, it was a little challenging to run around the city. I ended up on the sidewalks and most parks were further out of town. Luckily, the streets were quiet, so I didn't have to deal with too many cars. I made my way to Parc du Cinquantenaire. I arrived, but the gate was locked, which was a bummer. Instead I ran around the perimeter. On the other side, I was able to get in, so I was able to check it out. It was a nice little park, so I ran through it to head back. Of course, I couldn't find an exit. Remember that locked gate? Well I jumped it in order to escape. I ran off before anyone could stop me.

Parc du Cinquantenaire.

After my run, I found a seat at breakfast and met Emily, who was from Washington, DC. We hit it off and we spent my last day together. We explored some more of the Old Town, checked out the view from Palais de Justice, shopped a little, and visited Jeanneke Pis, Manneken's sister.

More of the Grand Place.

View of Brussels from Palais de Justice.

Jeanneke Pis.

After walking around the city, it was time for more beer. Emily and I went to Delirium Tremens to hang out for a bit. I wanted to check off another bar, and Emily was on board to visit the bar she frequented when she used to live there. We enjoyed some beer before heading back to the hostel for a bit.

Delirium Tremens.

While at the hostel, I packed up as much as I could while we enjoyed some drinks and tried to eat most of my remaining food. From there, we headed out and stayed out. Since it was my last night, I was content drinking more beer, and staying out later than normal. We had a great time chatting, meeting new people, and trying different Belgian beers. I didn't get a lot of sleep that night, but it was worth it.

One last rainy shot of the Grand Place.

My new friend Emily.

The next morning was definitely a blur as I got up, showered, finished packing, and headed to the airport. My flight to Dublin was quick. I had time to enjoy a Guinness before heading to NYC. 

And just like that, my trip was over. I was back in NYC, and then upstate for the holidays.