By Wendy
In recent years, overseas trips have centered on favorite places: London, Madrid, Paris, Rome – I could happily stay in these cities on repeat.
The day trip offers a way to explore a new spot while returning to the beloved familiar destination. To that end, we added a day trip to Brussels, Belgium during a week in Paris. Why Brussels?
#1 A new city in a new country, yet easy to reach from Paris. We bought direct round trip Eurostar tickets, from Gare du Nord to station Midi/Zuid. About 90 minutes and around $600 for 5 people. We booked an early-ish departure of 820am, gliding amidst commuters and travelers in the brisk March air and drinking coffees until our platform was posted. Once we arrived, the fun challenge of unfamiliar terrain began. It took several attempts to get clear instructions where to access the commuter train into the center of Brussels. The French that won a compliment from our Parisian taxi driver hours ago earned me nothing but puzzled, pained looks here. Finally a kind woman working at a ticket office explained in English and French what to do, and then it was easy – one short stop and about 3 euros for a round trip ticket into town. This is always part of going somewhere new and figuring it out for yourself. Don’t give up. Be proud of the effort.
#2 Brussels is pretty. The weather was chilly with sporadic rain, but we spent our day walking around, admiring the architecture, browsing shops and eating. Some of us were musuem-ed out so we left that off the agenda, although there were plenty of options from art to history to beer.
#3 The Belgian waffles. It took awhile to find the right spot. We didn’t want a place where the waffles were sitting ready made inside a glass case (or on a counter window where pigeons were comically helping themselves). We wanted to relax at a table indoors and warm up a bit. Right when we were feeling a little frustrated for not doing more research, which paired with hunger is a dangerous combo, we found the right spot for breakfast. Oh, the waffles. Made to order, spongy in the center with a crisp on the outside, and dozens of topping combos for the choosing – Nutella! chocolate and banana! strawberry and whipped cream – we were happy!
#4 The frites. We opted for Frituur Tabora, a tiny shop with outdoor seating. A few of us claimed tables while others joined the queue to order cones of golden chips and creamy sauces. We stood huddled together at a table under an umbrella, appreciating the piping hot, expertly fried snacks that were a delightful contrast to the cold weather. So worth it. Like worth the whole trip to Brussels. Really, some of the best fries ever.
#5 The Belgian chocolate. Next on our food bingo card was chocolate, and there are many shops and brands. We chose a place nestled inside a galleria passageway with a beautiful ceiling. The displays of chocolate were as appealing as a jewelry store, and we had fun considering the various flavors and choosing which delicate confections would go in our custom box.
#6 The beer. Of course we had to stop in a little pub to sample the local brew before heading to the train station. It also felt good to sit after walking around most of the day. Some of us sampled the Belgian chocolate instead. Some of us opted for another Belgian beer at the train station.
#7 Brussels is close to Paris. Brussels was lovely, but we were ready to get back to our cozy hotel and what felt like our neighborhood in Paris. We had booked return tickets for 630pm. And I still can’t tell you exactly what happened, but even though we were right on time, we couldn’t find the train. Or it had it left early? At any rate, we boarded another train to Paris with a different number, leaving at a slightly different time…and the helpful conductor reassured us that this was OK. We even got to sit in a nicer car. “The important thing is you get back to Paris,” he said. We gratefully agreed.