Overall

Went on a long day trip with friend. Arrived an hour early (good you may think but not when that means quarter to four in the morning at the gare du nord or whatever which doesn't open (including loos) until at least half six and is bloody freezing. At least the tramps there were cosy in their sleeping bags! Coming out of the station was amazed at the modern buildings - quite a business area - and also at the huge amount of English spoken and written - lots of places have written names. Impressed that my free drink card from Macdonalds was accepted!!! but will say it was pretty expensive to buy anything. Bog standard bottle of wine in a shop - 12 euros - ham and cheese toastie in the grand place (their equivalent of covent garden sort of) 8 euros!!!! Mind, found stunning pasta place on a side stree of Rue de Neuve - can't remember name but just up from an Irish pub you can see from the main street. Miserable so'n'sos in the Hotel Metropole where you did some people watching with a glass of wine but when we sat inside kept getting dirty looks as we sat there drinking slowly (true, we were dragging time out cos not leaving til quarter to eleven at night, but we were buying!). Filming going on there so that was interesting. Chocolate shops are absolutely amazing but look around cos some are mass produced and others are stunningly hand made. Nice waffles next to the mannequin pis and and a fab pub diagonally opposite from that with a roaring fire and interesting deccies! I tried speaking french and that seemed to be OK although they clearly like speaking English, but I have been warned in certain parts of Belgium, they don't like French spoken - think they prefer Flemish. Anyway, it's a big place and would have liked more time but cos it was a day trip was too knackered! Wouldn't rush back though - fancy Bruges cos it looks much prettier but that could be just me missing places as it was my first visit - apparently there's an old Brussels - who knew!!!

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Last Visit: March 2009

22 March 2009 | A Yahoo! User

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