Mussels from Brussels

2010 09 14

I've always wanted to visit Belgium. I do not have a sweet tooth so it is not the chocolate I came for. It is, the trappist beer, that I came for. When I found out that my friend Phil was still living in Brussels, I gave him a heads up that I'd be coming for a visit. The day I arrived Phil met me at the hostel. Phil offered for me to stay but he and his wife Rafika were expecting their first child anytime that week so I didn't want to impose.

Phil did manage to come out to meet me at my hostel on the day I arrived to show me around. We had a great lunch and as we walked around the city centre, we were welcomed by a giant hot air smurf! Apparently, we were in the midst of this huge parade celebrating comic books and cartoon characters. One after another, some of our childhood favourites passed by, held and manuevered by its team of puppet masters.

In between all these madness, we stopped and sampled what I came for, beer! We went to the Delirium, one of the most interesting pub in Brussels. The ceiling was decorated with various beer trays and the place was packed with locals and tourists alike. The only thing I didn't like was that it was so smoky because you could still smoke in bars in Belgium.

After a fun filled afternoon, I was invited to have dinner with Phil and his family. Rafika, Phil's wife greeted us and introduced me to her parents visiting from Romania. The language barrier did not prevent us from laughing and enjoying a great meal prepared by Rafika. The many rounds of drinks throughout the meal certainly complimented the great evening.

The next day I was going to check out Bruges but I also needed time to buy a mobile phone. So with Phil's help I spent the morning in the mall going over all the different options and finally I became the proud owner of a new Samsung. It was useful to have a phone to confirm bookings and to communicate with others without waiting for the next available WiFi connection. Given the day was half gone, Bruges would have to be on my to do list.

We decided to then check out the Atomium, a structure designed straight out of a science fiction novel. It now housed a restaurant, exhibitions, observation deck among other things. We finished the tour with one of the subway stops decorated by pictures of Tin Tin commerating the creator's Belgium origin. After Phil left, I did one last walk around the city centre and found a recommended Vietnamese restaurant for dinner.

1. On the train.
2. Hamburg, Germany
3. Breakfast
4. Bruges