Brussels, Belgium :: Sprague Adventures

10.26.2016




When we began talking about the next place we wanted to visit-we originally had our eyes set on somewhere warmer, but as time drew closer and the ticket prices rose, we decided we'd like to go somewhere more mainland. A few google searches later, we landed on Brussels. Having never been to Brussels and having thoughts of waffles and fries, it just seemed like a good idea to usher in the warm cosy months with some of our favorite foods. Plus the idea of never having to convince our kids to eat felt promising.



On one hand, this trip was really special. We had a great airbnb host, some amazing breakfasts (!!!) and really enjoyed the Grand Place and the Natural History Museum of Brussels.

On the other, we stayed in what is quickly becoming one of the most dangerous neighborhood in Brussels (lesson learned-do my research.) When we left our apartment, we often felt aware of the near tangible darkness pervating the neighborhood. More than once we saw some very shady dealings occuring, and at one point we were having a conversation with a man (a very kind man)-giving us directions on how to grab tickets for the metro etc. When we returned to  the elevator he was there shooting up heroin, losing his previous demeanour. We then saw similar instances near everytime we rode from that stop (the one right below our apartment.)

Both kids had colds, and Elias has just entered into a stage where his tantrums are for the books. They both impress me and leave me baffled. With Eowyn we could expect a good 15 minutes of struggle until we were able to work with her. Our strong minded boy can go a good forty five minutes of solid screaming-to the point of puking- when he doesn't get his way. This particular weekend was all about him not wanting to walk with shoes. Brussels is pretty dirty and it was cold....you definitately are needing shoes. Elias didn't agree.

So, was it a good trip? Kind of.

 It was riddled with dissapointments, but when we get the privilege of traveling this much, these sorts of things are bound to happen.

Are we glad we went? Yes. There was so much beauty to Brussels and there were DEFINITELY places we would go to again. Peck 47 (amazing eggs benedict) & Chicago cafe being two of them. (If you're a parent reading this and find yourself in Brussels, PLEASE go to Chicago cafe. It is a kinder-cafe with delicious breakfast. Our kids played with all sorts of toys while we ate. Pure heaven.)

We had mussels in Brussels (tee hee) from tripadvisors best place to have them. While I decided I don't care much for mussels, but I did set out to eat 20 of them. We ate delicious waffles and visited an AMAZING ice cream shop called Gaston twice during the three days we were there.


We saw all three of the peeing sculptures, Mannekin Pis, Jeanneke Pis and the cute little dog, zinneke pis. Eowyn thought they were HILAROUS.

We delighted in the huge bathtub as part of our airbnb, and was impressed with the efficiency of their metro and train system. Getting us everywhere we wanted to go-airport included-with relative ease.

We enjoyed the Belgian laid back culture. We had a lot of surprisingly positive interactions. Even TSA agents were prone to cracking jokes. Everyone was kind. We appreciated it very much.

While several friends recommended we only spend a day in Brussels (and we now know why) and visit elsewhere, we were just too exhausted from our lives back home to want to venture much of anywhere. So we did what we could to make it a restful stay. We napped (!!!) We ate, we took in the sites.

Ben got food poisoning upon returning home and the kids still are filled with sick bugs. Blegh.

But hey, we did eat some pretty awesome waffles.



2 comments :

  1. Sounds like an adventure alright!! 😉

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  2. Hello, loving reading your blog and especially your travels! About Belgium, Two words: Bruges and Ghent!! Brussels is disappointing to most people actually. It is indeed quite dirty, and is one of the most dangerous European capital cities. Not many people know that. It has a magnificent square, but really not much else. Bruges is a fairy tale, chocolate box town, and I recommend you visit there next time :)

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