Winding down a very long day

Looks like sleep deprivation and feeling dirty overcame the cheapskate! The best 11 euros I’ve spent so far got me from Gare du Midi to my hotel in under ten minutes. I hopped in the shower and scrubbed away the residue of the last 19 hours – the first time I washed my hands since the plane!!! It was all antibacterial after I left the airport since I didn’t want to bring my duffel into any public restroom. I digress. After a two hour wink of a nap, my alarm sounded and I immediately thought, “doorbell?” It was time for dinner, and as much as I wanted to shut my iPhone up and roll over, I left the phone charging on the desk so I’d have to escape the covers anyway to make it stop.

The parts of Brussels I explored tonight were like a much milder, more silent version of Paris. The architecture was just as decorative, perhaps a little more modern in some areas. The restaurants – the ones still open at 8 p.m. – were all contained in squares.

I’ve had some friends get psyched for all the beer they thought I was going to drink (except of course for my close friends who know I detest beer), and no doubt, there was plenty of it flowing around. I decided to let faith and adventure take me for a spin, and I ended up at this square with restaurants and a grocery store! I say that with excitement since one of the most important things for me to do on my travel excursions is to stock up on water and fill my water bottle for my day trips. Despite the appeal and obvious popularity of the square, I found a small Libanais (Lebanese) restaurant just around the corner. For 6,50E, I got a pita pocket stuffed with chopped, marinated meat, a small pomme frites, and a Tropico drink. So here’s my question. I watched a couple people finish their meals, bus their own trays, pay at the counter, and take all their change. Their table was empty, there was no tip jar. I took my change and hesitated for a second until the guy just said “merci, ou-revoir.” I think I feel guilty because I’m typically cheap, but I didn’t want to short these people because they were cool. But objectively I think that was okay. If I was back home and I bussed my own tray, I wouldn’t tip unless the service was really good and there was a tip jar. Well, if anything, they’ll likely not see me again. But if you’re ever in Brussels, they make a fantastic pita pocket.

Tomorrow, I’m off to Bruges, I suppose. My expectations are getting higher and higher as I anticipate an authentic Belgian waffle for breakfast tomorrow morning. I bet I’ll have plenty to write about that.