The Paradox of Choice

I’m not sure what I expected prior to visiting Belgium. In addition to a few movie references, I guess Belgium mostly evokes three things: chocolate, waffles, and beer. As it turns out, those three things are offered (at least in the quaint touristy areas) in an abundance that I could not have fathomed. The selection of chocolate is so immense that it leaves you paralyzed with indecision when selecting any. There are just too many and they are absolutely gorgeous. The waffles… they don’t look like much, but they’re definitely not the “Belgian” waffles I’ve had. They look similar (to the stuff common in the states), but these waffles are firm and crunchy; they don’t pull apart, they break apart. Inside, some extra crunch is provided by rocks of solid sugar in the batter. Covered in chocolate and fruit and cream, they’re simply amazing. As for the beer, that’s probably wasted on us, but there’s an incredible selection. All the brands have their own swag and kitschy glasses that seem to be designed to be as impractical as possible and require additional wooden holsters. Belgium really does have their tourist swag game on point.

We arrived fairly late to the Gare Nord station, and just like in Paris, it was a pretty shady area. Our hotel was actually within the Midi station on the other side of town, but due to the strike we had arrived by bus rather than train. The transit workers have been on strike for a week, but the state of their public transit makes it look like they’ve been on strike quite a bit longer. It’s kind of a shambles. Oh, and Bourse Station, where the beautiful Grand Place/Grote Markt is located and the streets are lined with waffles and chocolates and frites and kebap and all manner of deliciousness… that train station reeks like it serves as the urinal for the entire homeless population of Brussels. I’d say that the transit workers need to clean that up, but well, they’re on strike. And speaking of the homeless though, Belgium seems to have some of the youngest, most able-bodied, well fed and well dressed homeless beggars I’ve seen anywhere next to Luxembourg. If you’re 25 years old, you better be missing limbs or sensory organs if you’re going to prostrate yourself with a cup at the entrance of a church.

But alas, transit woes aside, Belgium manages to be quite lovely and charming at times. Besides touring around Brussels, we spent a day visiting Bruges. Bruges is a well deserved tourist stop. An absolutely gorgeous town. Tree lined canals snake along and under the streets. Seemingly ancient brick buildings bring a uniform color to the town. The historic buildings, cobblestone roads, and narrow alleys make the place seem like an untouched gem. It’s certainly not though; it’s swarming with tourists. Despite the crowds, it remains a really lovely town. Being a tourist destination, it’s not well regarded for the food, but we had some Flemish stew (and frites!) that really hit the spot after walking around town. I think you can hit the high (and low) points of Brussels in a day, and Bruges is definitely worth spending a day visit. It may even be worth it to spend at least a night in Bruges, as it seems like a lot of the tourists start clearing out in mid to late afternoon.

Tomorrow we’re up super early to catch a train to Amsterdam. We’ll spend the rest of the week in The Netherlands.