BRUSSELS TRAVEL DIARY

Boot – Office (Similar options here, here)

Scarf – River island

Sunglasses – Rayban

Handbag – Prada

(Watch the whole weekend in action in our Video Diary HERE)

Back in Demeber, Ken and I were lucky enough to take a quick getaway to Brussels for the weekend. It’s so easy to get to from London, we knew we had to make it there at some point. Despite being the WORST traveller (I get motion sick at the drop of a hat), I actually really enjoyed the train to Brussels. It’s a beautiful commute from London and would highly recommend the train versus flying.

Although our trip to Brussels was a quick one, I thought I would share a few bit and pieces about where we stayed and dined. It might helpful if your planning a trip to the area sometime soon.

Pictures of the main square in Brussels really don’t do it justice. It’s so hard to get a good photo of the whole thing while preserving the detail and beauty of the square. When we first walking into the square, I genuinely gasped. I think I even caught it on snapchat (username : aandreaclare).  It looks like a painting in front of you. Everything is dipped in gold and has so much character. 

Le Roy D’espagne was a spot we visited more than we should have. We drank a lot of beer here. It’s a very cozy, cabin-like, bar smack dab in the middle of the square. We would sit here watching all the people pass by for hours. They have a pretty good selection of beer (Ken had quite a few of the triples) although I’m sure they are over priced. We didn’t eat much here, we used it mainly for drinks between wanderings.

If you have a sweet tooth, Dandoy is a spot you must visit. There are a few of them just off the main square, so there is so excuse to miss it.  Ken and I both have sweet teeth and would have no problem having cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner so a waffle at Dandoy was at the top of our list. We ordered classic waffles and gobbled them up pretty quickly (see more of the shop in our video diary HERE).

I don’t actually have any photos of our hotel because, well, my eyes were closed in all those photos, haha. We stayed at the lovely Royal Windsor Hotel Grand place. It was Kens second time at the hotel, which he didn’t actually realize at the time of booking. It’s located literally 1 minute walk from the main square so it was incredibly convenient.  The hotel itself is gorgeous and feels very old world and luxurious all at the same time. The only issue we had was that there was a nightclub directly across the street from our bedroom window. Both of us slept terribly both nights because of party-goers screaming and yelling until 5am. So, if you chose to stay in the Royal Windsor, make sure you don’t end up with a room along the front of the hotel.

(one of the many chocolate shops just off the main square)

If you wondering where the heck to get the coveted Belgian chocolate in Brussels, you wont have to look far. There are a ton of chocolatiers around every corner and through the tiny side streets. We bought about 5 boxes from Leonidas to bring home to family over Christmas. They are incredibly decadent, melt in your mouth chocolates – and the best part was that they gave us plenty of samples 🙂

Le Brouette was another small restaurant that we chose at random. Luckily we weren’t disappointed. We fuelled up with bread, eggs and all the fixings while sitting fireside.

I know I’ve mentioned in previous travel posts (see here, here, here, here) Ken and I are very relaxed travellers.  Of course we love to see all the touristy spots, but our favourite part about travelling is just wandering around with no agenda, stopping for a bite to eat here and a drink there.  It’s so much more enjoyable when you aren’t trying to keep up with a set agenda. 

Make sure to watch your short video diary from the weekend to see a lot more of Brussels

(click the video below for it to play) 

Xo, Andrea