Brussels - Don't Blow it This Time

Brussels was the last stop on my European adventure 2 years ago with Rachel.  We did not get along.  I believe I dubbed the city "The Toilet of Europe."  Needless to say, I was somewhat apprehensive at the prospect of returning.  I am doing my best to take Steven's advice and am going into it with a positive attitude, but Brussels is just not a city that is easy to love.  First, there was the odyssey of getting from Charlesroi airport to Brussels itself late at night.  Then, riffling through our pockets for ages at the metro stration for coins that the ticket machine liked the taste of.  The hostel itself was a bit of a gamble, as my conversation with the lady at reception to book our beds went like this:

Hostel Broad: Name please?
Allie: Allie Pellatt.  A-L-L-I-E P-E-L-L-A-T-T
HB: <mumble mumble> L-L-E-T?
Allie: No, P-E-L-L-A-T-T
HB: <mumble mumble french mumblings>?
Allie: Sure.

Result - In Bohdan Somchinsky's History 100 class, I was Aylee Plat.  At the Oops Hostel in Paris, they called me Balice.  Here in Brussels, I am Tellatt.  So, we did have a room when we arrived, once they looked for my reservation under T instead of P.  This might be one of the weirdest hostels I've stayed at.  Some highlights... There is a a sort of loft area in our room with beds on platforms, ourlets stuck to walls with nothing else going on behind them, a bathroom door which neither shuts entirely nor locks, and a shower with no curtain.  My favourite was when we left our room in the morning to go to the main building for breakfast and ended up locked out of our room for an hour in our pjs because someone had left a key in the inside of the lock.  It was beginning to seem like Brussels had a vendetta against me.

Then it happened.  The Chocolate Square.  I don't even love chocolate as much as I should, what with McCaskill blood running through my veins.  But this turned things around in a big way.  Imagine Cote D'Or, Leonidas, Neuhaus, Marcolini, Godiva and Wittamer all clustered in one square for your sampling pleasure.  larissa and I did a round through all of them once and then went back for seconds at our favourites.  After the chocolate tasting, we dove head first into Belgian frites and waffles.  I think maybe Brussels and I will come to an understanding after all.  I've even managed to try a couple of beers here and live to tell the tale.  We've moved from the wine region to beer mecca and I figure it's worth the risk.

Now, step into my time machine and let's look back at the outfit Mannekin Pis was rocking in June 2009 and compare it to his present duds:



June 2009



November 2010



Personally, I prefer the first hat but the second outfit.