Thought I'd have a go at posting about our short trip to Brussels as I'm getting the hang of it now. We traveled on Euro star and booked a 2 star hotel called the Queen Anne. We travelled to St Pancreas by train after getting some very good deals on trainline. I think we paid about £10 each way. The Euro star was on time with no delays on route. We made our way to Rogier metro station after researching which one was best for our Hotel. We managed to work out that a three day metro ticket was a good buy so we purchased one before leaving for Rogier.(We even mastered how to ask for it in french while in the queue although we bottled it and ended up asking in English. Luckily most of the locals spoke good English as we were so pathetic. We felt a bit overwhelmed on arrival not sure of where to go but after only a few minutes of looking like a tourist we got a grip and located some streets on the map. It turned out the Hotel was very close, you could almost see it from the metro station.
The Hotel was quirky with some modern art. The lift had carpeted walls and no doors but it made us smile. The room was small but clean and the breakfast was continental but with bacon and scrambled egg if you wanted it. Overall the hotel was ideal if you were intending to be sightseeing all day as we were.
Close to us was the grand place. A lovely square with cafes and chocolate shops galore. One evening we were sitting outside the Hagen das Cafe eating icecream and waffles in our shirt sleeves (end of september) We had been warned that it rained alot in Brussels but the temperature remained in the 20's throughtout our stay.
We visited the Atomium. You could also see Mini Europe for a reduced price if you visited both. We decide to view mini Europe from inside the atomium
The food was pretty good. My hubby tried the national dish of mussels and chips. He was eating mussels for what seemed like ages. The choice of restraunants was extensive, we had a hard job deciding where to eat most evenings. We were also able to sit outside for a drink in the evenings. Smoking is still allowed in some bars which we found strange. How quickly we adjust to change. The beers came in large glasses. I can't remember cost very well but I think prices in the city were quite high.
On another day we visited the European quarter. It was the newer side of the City but equally as impressive as the old city in many respects
We also visited a history museum in this area. There were many museums to visit. We had lunch in the park from a kiosk advertised as selling Brussels finest fish and chips. They were very good especially as it was such a beautiful day.
Parc du Cinquantenaire. (we never did find out what the Arc de triumph was really called)
This is Manninquine Pis quite close to the Grand Place.
Overall another good break. We were very lucky with the weather but there seemed to be lots of things to visit indoors if the rain came. I spent a lot of time in the chocolate shops!! We did look for the beer museum but failed to find it.