Brussels

On my way back from Amsterdam to catch my plane back to Shanghai in Paris, I decided to spend the night in Brussels, and I’m pretty taken by the place.

I wandered from train station this afternoon, took a quick glimpse at the peeing baby stature Manneken Pis, and ended up in the Grand Palace square. I lucked into a great hotel, a quaint little place called Hotel des Galeries right there off the main square and a stones throw from the city’s famous bar street. Nothing fancy, but if you’re only going to be in Brussels for a night, it’s a pretty much ideal spot.

After dropping off my stuff, I wandered the streets a bit before settling in for a Belgian beer at one of the many outdoor cafes in the main square. I struck up a conversation with a newlywed couple from Edinburgh, sharing a couple more beers and pretzels. I think that’s sort of what you do here. Just sort of sit beer in hand, make idle conversation, enjoy the Art Nouveau architecture and watch the world pass by.