Brussels is crawling with shops that want to fatten you up with delicious treats.  There are a few spots you should check out in between stuffing your face with waffles, chocolate, beer and mayo covered fries.

Brussels is home to the European Union (EU) Parliament, which is quite a collection of modern structures.  Needing clearance to get in, it’s worth walking by just to check out the exterior and get a feel for the surrounding area.  As you depart from the parliament buildings, head towards the city center and you’ll go right past the Palais Royale (Royal Palace) and Parc de Bruxelles.  The park is rather large and hosts quite the collection of flower covered columns that create a sort of net that spans from post to post (unfortunately nothing was alive during the winter).  The Royal Palace just sets up a feel of what the architecture is going to be like as you move through the city.  Continuing inward, there is the Place de l’Albertine that instantly opens the confined streets to a tremendous view of the city and a spire located in the Grand Place, the heart of Brussels.

The moment you step into this plaza you are surrounded by some of the most unique Flemish Renaissance and Gothic architecture.  Here you will find the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall), Musee de la Ville Bruxelles (City of Brussels Museum), Maison du Roi (The King’s House). I was stopped in my tracks and spent at least 30 minutes just taking it all in and of course people watching.  From the Grand Place head southwest a few blocks to find a small, yet very popular statue.  The Mannekin-Pis is a bronze fountain statue of a little boy peeing, hilarious.  On most days he is in costume, and I overheard he has over 700 different outfits! Once you’re done getting a good chuckle, head back towards the Grand Place but go past it and look for the Galeries Royales, a long stretch of covered shops.  Fun to walk through in the least, but a home to many stores if you’re looking to spend some scrilla.  Once you pop out the other side, it’s time for the last main attraction, Saint Michael Cathedral. Yes, I’ve led you to another cathedral, but this one doesn’t disappoint.  Similar looking to Notre Dame in terms of the entrance, but a whole different style once you enter (for free).

That about covers the sightseeing in Brussels, but I may have missed a few things that interest you so use this as a jumping off point.  This city was different than others because I was lucky enough to stay with a gracious host and good friend (thanks Tatiana!) who gave me a more local taste of Brussels.  I experienced trips to British and Irish pubs, which are quite common around town, and a taste of how grocery shopping is done in Brussels, light and often.  If you can meet anyone local or someone familiar with the town, talk, talk, talk, and talk to them some more.  It opens a fun scene that you don’t get with touristy site seeing.

When you’re on the road (especially in a foreign country), life comes at you fast. These last couple of weeks have flown by and it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of new experiences. I’ve seen so many new sites and talked to a lot of new people. Once I start getting a feel for a city, I’m off to the next without a clue to what’s in store for me. The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre were incredible, and I won’t forget how Big Ben and the Parliament looked when lit up at night. Yet it’s all the experiences beyond the site seeing that I think I’ll remember most. I’ve been in Brussels for the last 3 days and even though I’ve seen little of the city itself (there’s not a lot here to really see anyway), I’ve had a great time visiting with friends and temporarily becoming a part of their lifestyle.

This whole experience has solidified my thoughts about living in a new environment.  The physical environment does have some influence on how much you enjoy yourself, but it really is the people that you surround yourself with that creates a cohesive bond and unforgettable memories.  Traveling alone has been great in the sense that I can go where I want and set my own schedule.  It does force me to challenge myself and push the limits of my comfort zone.  I can’t help but wonder though how different it would be with a traveling companion.  I have loved living a minimalist lifestyle, everything is simplified to the bare necessities.  But it’s the bare necessities in terms of material objects,  it would be pretty great to have someone to share the craziness with.

Overall, no regrets at all.  It’s been a great trip so far and I feel the best is still to come.  There is still Amsterdam, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Spain and Portugal.  Not to mention any other random trips I may take along the way!  Hope you have all been enjoying my updates and other material I’ve been posting.  Let me know if there’s anything else that can make it more enjoyable.  See you all in the Netherlands!

Paris has definitely put my first impressions to shame.  Other than the people who really don’t take too kindly to speaking English, the city is amazing.  Filled with amazing architecture, great food (crepes are the shit), and just and overall astounding atmosphere.  Can’t wait to come back some day with a little bigger budget.

Being my first non-English speaking city, it was quite humbling.  I tried my best to learn a little French and it slowly came around in a couple days.  I added a few French phrases to my vocab that will certainly be used as building blocks for the future.  Thanks again to everyone I’ve met along the way, and to all of you supporting me back in America.