Hello everyone!
I’m officially back home from my trip to Europe and am slowly trying to accept this new reality where vacations are over. As mentioned in one of my previous posts, I had to go through hell and high waters to get my passport and finally take off but I can now confirm that all that ordeal is honestly nothing compared to what I got to experience in the end. While I have no intention to go into detail about the whole itinerary here, which in itself would take me forever, I thought it would still be nice to share some pictures and a general idea of what I’ve been up to lately. I’ll thus be breaking down these posts into three, one per country that I visited. The first one being Belgium.
I was in Belgium from June 20th to June 24th. The first day didn’t start as I hoped it would with over 70 000 striking workers and demonstrators taking to the streets of Brussels on the very day I was landing. This made my flight company reroute things so that I arrive in Paris and be put on a bus to Brussels (which inevitably added an extra 3 hours of commuting). The day was then saved by a buddy of mine who had the brilliant idea of taking out his two bicycles so that we could visit the city on the fast lane; it should be noted that I hadn’t ridden a bicycle in over a decade but, as the saying goes, once you learn to ride a bicycle, you never forget. The experience in itself was also unforgettable, allowing me to experience life in Brussels in a completely immersive way, instinctively contemplating the novelty and vibrancy of the city without much effort as my eyes and mind absorbed the environment while my body focused on pedaling.
The following days were spent discovering the city and all of its hidden gems (including the three peeing statues) as well as a whole day dedicated to exploring the nearby cities of Bruges and Ghent. Both were quite memorable in their own ways but Ghent felt more like a city in which I could see myself living while Bruges felt a lot more touristic, less like a natural ecosystem, as if the whole place was built around tourism and nothing more. My time in Belgium was also spent alongside my girlfriend’s sister and her boyfriend (huge thanks to him for giving us his place to sleep in), as well as two other friends (the one who showed me the city by bike and his girlfriend). I cannot emphasize how grateful I am that they all took time out of their days to spend it with me and my girlfriend, gave us countless ideas of things to do, and made everything just so much better by being themselves around us.
Having never been to Belgium before, it really was quite the thrill to explore the city. Everyone wasn’t kidding when they said that it could all be done within a day and that everything was also doable by foot. This meant that we could spend more time eating in places, discovering original and authentic dishes. In fact, I can already spoil you guys by mentioning that I haven’t eaten a single bad meal during my whole trip to Europe. The food was simply magnificent and I feel like I also ate their beloved chocolate every time I had a chance. While I did have more restaurants than I could ever fit within I day that I wanted to explore, I at least know that the next time that I do go back to Brussels, I won’t be short of options.
Next destination: France. đ
Roars and Echoes 
Apparently, I am going to have to put Brussels on my bucket list. What language do they speak there Lashaan? It looks like you had a wonderful time with lots of good sites and food.
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You definitely should, Carla! It’s a wonderful and lively city, with plenty of little places to check out. They speak French and Flemish (a dialect of Dutch) so I was in my environment by sticking to French but you can use English without many issues too.
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I thought they probably spoke French. Glad you felt so comfortable.
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Food looks so delicious. You made me hungry now. Looks like you had great time once you started exploring the city.
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The whole trip made me realize how many amazing restaurants and dishes there were to explore in the world hahaha
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I can’t believe they let you back into the country! I mean, you could be ANYONE…
Wait no, this is a good thing. Glad you enjoyed yourself!!
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Hahaha thanks, man. I appreciate it! It was an excellent trip! đ
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What an extraordinary trip Lashaan! Beautiful photos! Sorry to learn of your inconveniences.
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Thanks, AOC! It really was a fantastic trip! đ
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Sometimes travelling can be so unpredictable, isn’t it? Or most of the time? haha Anyway, glad you had a great one! I enjoyed looking at those beautiful pictures!
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With me, it has been 200% unpredictable. I’ve decided to have no expectations going into airports and whatnot for the rest of my life hahaha Thanks for reading, Jee! đ
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Looks and sounds brilliant Lashaan I definitely want to visit sometime! đ
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Totally worth visiting at least once, even if it’s just for their chocolate! đ
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Hurray, food pics!!!! Getting off to a good start here đ
I have to admit, when I saw the last pix of you and the GF, the very first thought that popped into my head was “man, dude, get a haircut!” đ
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Hahahah no way, my man. Got to make the most of my hair before they dare stop growing with age! đ And it’s also a science experiment to see if I can reach super saiyan 3 in a couple of years. đź
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đ
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Yay, glad you enjoyed your time in Belgium, despite the rough start! It was lovely to have you here and you are obviously welcome anytime to check all these food places off your list ahah đ
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I do look forward to revisiting Belgium and all of its wonderful hidden cities around Brussels in the future! Thank you for having us around and making time for us despite arriving during the week without a weekend! đ
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The start of the journey was somewhat harrowing, but I’m glad to learn that things smoothed out quickly and you were able to enjoy this first step in your tour! And Belgian chocolate…. heaven! đ
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I too was glad that we didn’t run into any more issues. However, it became a running gag with everyone that whenever something went wrong with our drives/rides/flights, it would be my fault. đ And yes to Belgian chocolate! It is quite exquisite! đ
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Damn Lashaan! I could have met you!!! And sorry for the strike! Also youbsaw how small my country is but you only visited the capital and the Flamish region. I live in Wallonia where we speak French. Next time maybe…đ
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I only spoke French everywhere I went in Belgium hahah We almost went to Namur and LiĂšge but thought we’d keep those for another time to be with our friends/family in Brussels hahah You’ll have to give me spots that we should visit if we ever go to Wallonia though! đ
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Looks like amazing section of your trip! I’m glad that it was all worth it in the end. đ Can’t wait to see your journey through France!
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It’ll be tough now to forget my time there! I look forward to sharing my experience in France next! đ
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Awesome! I love getting to see and read about some of your experiences. When we lived in Germany we only got to Belgium once and unfortunately that was just in passing when driving from the Netherlands back to Germany. I recall stopping at a city center to walk around a bit, though I don’t recall what city. The buildings resembled the lower right photo. I loved the architecture of every country in Europe I was fortune enough to visit. And, as you said, the food was always fantastic. I very much miss that. And chocolate…. mmmmm… don’t get me started on great European chocolate… đ Can’t wait to read the next chapter.
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The architecture is stunning and always so intriguing from one European country to another, at least so far, based on my recent experiences. I always found it fascinating, especially compared to my city (and a lot of American cities), where skyscrapers dominate central sectors. There are still many countries in Belgium that I haven’t seen yet but I’ve heard great things about them and will definitely try and visit them the next time I’m in Belgium! And yes, Belgium is known for its chocolate, so it’s hard not to want to try them out just to understand why it’s so good hahah
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This is amazing, Lashaan! What beautiful photos and I’m very jealous of the food picsđ My daughter is going to Europe soon and I think Belgium is one of the stops. Looking forward to your other vacation posts!
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Ohhh that’s wonderful! I hope she has a formidable time in Belgium. There are a bunch of neat places to discover there. đ
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Sounds and looks like you had great company and plenty of fun. Awesome!
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Indeed! It was great and a much-needed break from Canada! đ
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Belgium looks beautiful! I’m glad you were able to enjoy your time there.
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Thank you so much, it really was! đ
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You’re welcome.
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That’s great you had a wonderful time despite the travel hiccups â and that you seem to have your baggage too because I’ve been hearing horror stories on the news about airlines losing bags.
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I almost thought I was going to be a victim of that when I got back home; it took a good hour before our baggage even arrived.
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Dave and I spent a night in both Brussels and Brugge. I totally get you with it being very touristy. We only saw one of the pissing statues in Brussel, guess Iâll have to go visit again đ also, I love all of the food pics đ€€
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Hahah the girl statue is a bit more hidden but it was fun to go hunt them down (right beside the girl statue, there are a couple of beloved bars to check out if you like Belgian beer). We’ll definitely have to revisit to check out other adjacent cities that look gorgeous!
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Gotto love Belgian beer đ
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I’m glad you had a fun trip!
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Thanks! đ
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Glad to hear that you enjoyed your visit to our wonderful country Lashaan! Yes, there are plenty of great culinary experiences here to enjoy! Next time you visit, check my blog for some tips perhaps? Discovering Belgium.
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Thanks, Denzil! I’ll definitely look into those tips of yours to even further appreciate Belgium the next time I go there. đ
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Hehe I knew as soon as I saw Belgium in the title that I wasn’t going to get away without EVEN MORE food envy!! Your trip looks amazing! And I’m glad you had such a good time âșïž
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Thanks for reading!! You wouldn’t believe the amount of Belgian chocolate we had fun eating every day there! đ
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Hahaha- I can believe it, cos Belgian chocolate is the best!! đ
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