Bonjour!

Today was great!

Michael, Marty and I took the metro into town and it was fabulous! As soon as we came up from underground I was blown away by all the people and beautiful architecture. People everywhere, but not packed like London or NYC… more relaxed and a little slower paced. We turned the corner and heard the sounds of street entertainers and crowds gathered clapping around them. We sat in front of this extremely flexible mime/dancer/juggler/acrobat guy whose gig revolved around a red ball he’d balance all over his body. Another guy was playing Beatles songs on his guitar (reminded me of Jamie and Weenie).

But my favorite were the tons of outdoor cafes and restaurants all along way as we walked down the cobble stone streets. I just love that vibe: some people reading, others laughing and LOTS of chit-chattering in all sorts of different languages. Every once in a while I’d hear Spanish and some English speakers in the distance. I couldn’t help but realize what big of a melting pot Brussels is.

I was also amazed with the gorgeous display windows of all the chocolate shops, there seemed to have been thousands of them!! =) Unfortunately we didn’t try any. But I did have my very first Belgian Waffle! I call it "a treat on the street" cause that’s exactly what it is; street food! You buy them right off street stands and eat them as you walk, not on a plate with a fork and knife as you do back home. I also tried the famous frites. The best French fries you can EVER imagine, hands down.

We walked all day and had dinner in town as well. We strolled down what seemed like a restaurant strip - literally one restaurant attached to the other. There must have been a million, but we FINALLY picked one. The food was great except for the salad I ordered… it was smothered in TUNA –yuck! Guess I should learn what tuna means in French for future reference. It was our first dinner together and it was so fun. Mike and Marty talk more than I do!! May sound hard to believe but true. We spent THREE hours at dinner. It was great.

The Grand Place was my favorite place in town (pictured here). Can’t wait to go back! =)