Belgium (Part One): Brussels

This took entirely too long for me to post. Actually, it's been over a month since I've posted anything at all. Honestly, it was mostly just school business/birthday-induced existential angst/holiday season visiting and travels keeping me from feeling particularly creative. So, very belatedly, are the photos from my impromptu trip to Belgium way back in November. Better late than never... right?

Starting the trip off right by not getting any Euros before I left Hungary, finding the money exchange stand closed when I arrived in Charleroi airport, not being able to find an ATM that would take my card at the train or metro station in Brussels proper, and then not being able to find any ATM whatsoever near the hostel once a kind stranger took pity on me and exchanged some forints for a swipe on HIS metro card. Thus, it was a very quiet, tame first night in Brussels. Especially since I went to sleep with the knowledge that the next day I would be walking back to the train station to make my way towards Bruges. (By the way, I went back and forth on how I was going to spell the town's name in these posts- Bruges or Brugge- and I settled on Bruges. For consistency's sake! And because that's how I first came to know it from the movie... In Bruges. On with the post!)

Although it was a little grey and bland it wasn't 100% bad, as I am a firm believer that no walk in a new city can be. I even found a store selling vins and alcools! I didn't need any as I actually found myself just the wee-est bit hungover from the two beers I drank the night before at the hostel. Damn Belgians and their damn triples.

Tin Tin paraphernalia documented for my dad, because he loves that stuff!

After walking for WAY longer than was necessary due to some standard "Emily-is-totally-lost-and-is-going-to-walk-around-the-same-block-six-times-until-she's-oriented-and-realizes-she's-actually-only-2-blocks-away" shenanigans, I made it to the Brussels South train station! I had some time to kill before my train to Bruges left, during which I did NOT eat...

A quality burger.

Handcooked Roast Ox Flavour Potato Chips.

C'est la vie.

All in all, later than I had wanted to get out of to Bruges but not so bad. I arrived around noon and began my medieval-fairy-Christmas-land adventure. Which I will detail in another post! But now. Some shots from wandering around on Sunday, when I had some time to kill before my plane back to Budapest.

The... market... place... of some sort. I think this actually has a real name because there were a buttload of tourists inside but while the space itself was cool the shops were all either restaurants I could not afford or high-end clothing boutiques I... also could not afford. Moving on.

I'm putting both of these up, because the former is the photo I was aiming to take and the latter just looks like I snapped a shot while drunkenly stumbling to the ground. Which is the superior shot? You decide. (It's the first one.)

The beginnings of the Brussels Christmas market, maybe it gets better as December continues (this shot was taken on the first, I believe) but as it was when I visited it has got NOTHING on the Bruges market.

Just a horse, hanging out. And some arches. I dunno. EUROPE!

The Beer Museum, which I had to forego, my one regret from Brussels. Think of what I could've learned! This of what I could've drank...

Ugh.

So. These photos have a story. First take a minute to enjoy this, in all its glory:

So Good.

I was winding my way south back towards the Brussels Midi train station, where the shuttle back to Charleroi airport is. (The airport's an hour outside of the actual city. The airport of LIES!) I just happened to walk down this street. It was full of people and looked like the simplest route on the map so I figured why not. I remember seeing lots of waffle stands and thinking, "Hey! That's the one pretty Belgian thing I haven't consumed this weekend. Maybe... I should..." when suddenly! A one Euro waffle stand unveiled itself to me, neighbored by a giant statue of a naked baby draped in the Belgian flag and eating its very own statue waffle.

Surely, I thought. This is a sign. I am supposed to eat a waffle after all.

Not wanting to over-think it, I purchased my moderately delicious, powdered sugared heart attack inducer and found a nearby corner stoop on which to enjoy it. After I'd had a few bites and the waffle's hypnotic trance subsided, I noticed a LOT of people standing around this corner and realized they were all taking photos of themselves with the fountain behind a six-foot high iron fence, in which a little peeing baby was the centerpiece. Ooooohhhh. Light bulb moment. Suddenly some things became clear to me. 1. Somehow this had some touristic value, and 2. Belgians do not just randomly place statues of giant babies holding their baby wangs while wearing the Belgian flag like a superhero cape near their one Euro waffle stands in the hopes that it will attract that (hopefully) obscure and upsetting niche of fetishists. Relieved, I continued eating. Just when I thought the snacktime entertainment could not get any better...

A boy scout troop (or at least the Belgian equivalent) of about 30 or so came marching down the street, past the statue, chanting in French (Belgian?) and stopped in the intersection, where they did a coordinated dance/chant while literally dozens of Asian tourists stood around filming it. It was a very random and strangely heart-warming moment in the middle of my waffle-break.

Then I continued on my way, and although I wandered through a couple streets and one underpass that seemed a little sketchy, I saw some cool street art. After that I made it back to the train station and then airport without incident. The end.

Hey, Belgian public property defacer! You misspelled "monstrous". But I like what you did there anyway. I guess I just can't stay mad at you.