48 hours in Brussels

The below collage pretty much sums up my Brussels experience. 

9am: Checked into Sablon, Brussel's most famous square lined with chocolatiers where chocolates are encased in display windows like jewels and sales staff pick them up for you in black satin gloves. I settled in Wittamer ordering 3 cakes and 1 coffee that came up to something like 30 euros. I had high expectations for them because i thought Belgium was well-known for its chocolate, waffles and pastries. Perhaps i was hitting the wrong spot but I left Brussels, disappointed with all 3.

11am: Started the Comic Strip Walk and collected them like cards in a game.  

                

The walk was a nice thing to do. It helps you cover a large portion of the city by walking. Be reminded to turn 360 when you find the spot marked on the map. Some aren't as obvious.

                  

Visited the Belgium Comic Center where a large part of it is free to meddle around.

Doing the comic strip made us stumble upon areas and strange sights we wouldn't otherwise have. 

Statue of a severed hand with water resembling blood sprouting.

Expensive scented candles with abnormal aromas.
Fancy your place smelling like a church? Or how about a shoe?

7pm: Dinner was at Le Zinneke because they had 69 ways to eat mussels and it was recommended on TripAdvisor. It was a challenge finding it as it was the local neighbourhood and i wouldn't want to comment more on the restaurant because not only the menu nor the waitresses could explain in English, the service was  pretty bad. It was a 30 min wait to give our order and another 30 min for food. However, the mussels in white wine with cream was indeed good. The beef stew we had wasn't anything to write home (or here) about. Le Zinneke is worth going because the other mussel experience we had in the tourist center paled in comparison in taste AND the service was equally bad. Just don't go to Le Zinneke famished. 
9pm: We found people sitting and lying down on the cobble stoned ground at The Grand Palace. It must be nice, but we preferred to walk it. 

We then looked for the very famous Manneki Pis only to find it as small as the souvenir you can buy from tourist shops for your home garden.

Jeanneke Pis, the female version was wee (pun intended) bit more interesting.

She was even caged to either protect her dignity or the coins thrown by passer-bys with the wish to remain faithful to their lovers.

11pm: Hit the sack at Aloft Brussels, part of the Starwood group. Modern, new, colourful and close to a metro station, I had a very enjoyable stay at an extremely affordable price.

9am: Rise and shine, taking a 2 hour journey out of the city to Warnant to get on a railbike. It isn't as thrilling as i thought it would be but it was something different to do. Riding hands-free on an abandoned railway track, it was quite a workout.

                            

                            

                            

Mussels in 69 ways, chocolates treated like jewels and a comic strip walk. Brussels, in 48.