What started as a modest trip to Brussels in Belgium become a grand tour resembling the following:
I got a train to Brussels with a friend called Yu. On the way we had to change at Rotterdam and had about forty minutes to look around. The Beautiful South lyric 'This could be Rotterdam or anywhere...' sprung instantly to mind and we moved swiftly on to Brussels.
I've been to Brussels before, and I didn't really like it that much so I was a little bit unsure of what to expect the second time around. I still think that it feels very much like any other city with little individual character, but I did see it in a better light than last time. I think it's going through quite a period of change; there are building works everywhere, so perhaps it'll be interesting to see again in five or ten years. I don't think I'll go out of my way to go back in the meantime. We did find a lovely little bakery to have lunch in though. We all sat around a single big table and got to taste some of the best soup and bread I've had in a while:
As for Brussels itself. The chocolate museum was an undoubted highlight. The Coudenberg archaeological site was quite something as well. Everyone raves about the Grand Place, but personally I think it's quite garish. Still, there are places that are really picturesque. It's just a shame that there aren't more of them:
That evening we found a nice restaurant for dinner. I set upon a decidedly French/Belgian menu, and had my first tasting of frog's legs and mussels, topped off with a crème brulee. The mussels were really nice, the frog's legs somewhat less so. They came swimming in garlic butter which probably didn't help, but I think I'll give them a miss in future. We found a guy selling snails in the street, but unfortunately I had a hand full of waffle at the time, and I didn't think the two would go together that well! So I'll save snails until next time.
We stayed in a decent hostel on Saturday evening and met some interesting people from Hungary, Belgium and Australia. On Sunday morning we parted ways, with Yu heading to Brugges and me to Luxembourg. On the train I met an English lawyer of all people, so it was good to have someone to chat to. Luxembourg itself is stunning. I don't know why, but I've always wanted to go, perhaps just because it's so small, but it's a fantastic place. There's nothing to do there other then walk around, but that's what makes it so good. There were so few people around as well. The city itself is built in a valley, so part of the city is at the top and the other part on the valley floor, providing for some fabulous views:
I was amazed to hear that only 40% of the population are actually born in Luxembourg. I think that probably contributes to the only downside; the lack of identity. There are three official languages in Luxembourg; French, German and Luxembourgish, but there's also a lot of English. I don't know if any country can maintain a national identity when it's so small and it's people are so diverse, but it didn't stop me loving the place. I'd have liked to have stayed longer to walk around a bit more and to see what it's like in the week when I imagine it's a bit more lively, but unfortunately I had to move on. I stayed the night in Luxembourg's only hostel and shared a room with a few people all looking for work at the EU there.
On Monday morning I caught a train north, back to Belgium to the city of Liege. The train ride was stunning up through the Ardennes and I'd have liked to get off to explore each little visit that it stopped at. Even the train was quaint, and I had a compartment to myself the whole way. After Luxembourg Liege would have to have been good, and unfortunately it wasn't. In fact, it was pretty horrible. The historical centre took some finding and when I found it I was surprised to see it full of chain stores and boarded by a 1960s era shopping centre. It was all pretty miserable and I wasn't that sad to leave for Masstricht.
By the time I got there it was already dark, so I didn't stay that long, but I had time to walk around. They call Maastricht the 'Paris of the North' and from the little I saw it really did seem quite nice:
There's a famous Christmas market in the main square later this year, so hopefully I'll go back them and see a little more. By the time I left though I was severely confused about my languages. I'd started off with Dutch, then Flemish, then French, then a little German before going back to Dutch. Quite what the train station clerk thought of my attempts to communicate I'll never know, but I doubt it was favourable.
So that was my weekend. I'd have loved to have carried on travelling for a while longer. I met a Canadian on a six week trip around Europe, I asked him here he was headed next and he told me that he was just going to the strain station to see what appealed to him. I'd love to do to the same.
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