The Temptations of Brussels

This is the third time i had been to Brussels...not the last time i can promise you that...

We departed from Paris via Eurolines because the tickets were much cheaper as compared to Thalys...we were also not in a rush...it cost us EUR14 per person as compared to Thalys train which cost almost 3 times that price...considering i am paying for two...Eurolines was indeed the the better option...

The bus ride took about almost 4 hours because of the heavy traffic as we were reaching Brussels...a friend of ours, Alain (he attended our wedding in October) came and pick us in Brussels Midi and bring us back to his place just to rest for a while...then he took us for a walk to the Christmas market near his home (which situated in the centre of Brussels) and walk all the way to the Grand Place...that's where the temptations begins...

Of all the cities in the world (non-muslim countries) Brussels still remains as the only country that could make me gain weight like crazy...its all because of the waffles and chocolates...the smell lingers in the air awaiting for me to go and dive myself into it...i am not joking...seriously if you are in the Grand Place...all you can smell are the aroma of chocolates and waffles...who can resist such temptations...it was nearly 3 degrees but i had went immediately into Leonidas and bought that EUR2 ice cream that i love so much...i can only find those in that particular Leonidas outlet...no where else seems to sell the ice cream...my friend and wifey thought that i am mad coz i am eating ice-cream in the middle of the cold night...well...sometimes you have to do something senseless when you are in senseless state of mind...hahaha...

For the month of Christmas...they also have this light and music show in Grand Place...it will be on every night every hour starting from 7 p.m. onwards for 15 minutes...listening to the music composed matched by the beautiful light show over the buildings...it was a surreal feeling...it felt as if you are in the middle of an philharmonic orchestra live in the open air...it was a great...

As usual...what is a visit to Brussels without going to the Mannekin Pis...even for the third time i still wonder how in heaven's name this small petite statue can be such a great attraction to all the tourists...seriously it was tiny miny thing at a corner of the road near Grand Place...but i have to say that the story behind it is kinda interesting...

As we walk back to Alain's place...wifey was excited to see the 7 stories (or more) high ferris wheel and wanted to get on it...paid EUR5 per person and off we went as high as the ferris wheel carried us...wifey got scared but i enjoyed the majestic view of Brussels as night from the top...hahaha...went back to Alain's and he fixed us this scrumptious 3 course dinner (keep telling wifey to learn the etiquette of serving dinner)...had our great meal and he sent us to the apartment that we stay for the 2 nights in Brussels...

The next day we left for Bruges (which will be in my next entry)...came back to Brussels after sundown...went back to Grand Place and wifey bought souvenirs and stuff then we had dinner in one of the halal restaurant nearby...its the same case as most part of europe...middle-eastern foods are aplenty...no need to worry about finding halal food though...went back to the apartment and rest...as the next day...we will continue our adventure in the land below the water level...this time around i wanted wifey to enjoy a train ride via Thalys instead...so we took the train and paid EUR38 per person for it...

Brussels has always been some sort of pit stop in my previous eurotrip...this time around it was no exception...i am not really sure why i never really stay in Brussels and enjoy it thoroughly...maybe i have difficulties of saying no to the temptations of chocolates and waffles...hahaha...but there is more to Brussels than what i had experienced so far...it is the important city of EU after all...the headquarters is here...i have to put somewhere down my travel listing and pay more attention to Brussels next time...as there are more to it than just simply waffles and chocolates...next time around i promised myself that i will stay longer and drown myself into more of the temptations of Brussels...

T.Y.S