Whoops I thought I posted this - A View of Brussels

Today started off with a familiar breakfast. The concierge told me to find a waffle at Namespoort, but when I emerged from the station, I saw a McDonalds and knew immediately that I would be eating a Sausage McMuffin instead of a liege waffle. While the meal was a little more costly than in the States, the sandwich was on a toasted muffin under a sheet (as opposed to a blanket) of butter, the cheese was evenly place and melted, and the sausage had just a little more seasoning. Why is McDonalds always better outside of the U.S.? Now I’m ready to find a Mega McMuffin. Bing image search that if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

After breakfast, I had a bit of a scare – self-inflicted, of course. I was riding the train to the Atomium, and there’s a point called Simonis where the 6 train begins… and apparently ends. It runs in a large circle, but on the map, it looks like it naturally continues toward the Atomium, so naturally, I stayed on the train. Once the doors closed and the train started moving, I looked up to find that I was the only person in the train car. Moving at a slow pace, I seem to remember hearing and ignoring the word “termine,” or something like it, on the announcement. Piece by piece, I came to realize that I was all alone on a soon to be parked train.

That’s okay. Because we weren’t far from the station when we stopped, and there seemed to be a service walkway. I had no idea how long I’d be stuck there, and I didn’t want to sit around to find out. There was just one problem. The doors were locked. I was trapped!

I hate being trapped. I’m a man of options, and confinement wasn’t working for me. I didn’t panic though. At least not that much, and especially not when the conductor finally came walking by my car. Frantically, I knocked on the window. I wonder what he was thinking. I wonder if this happens every so often. Or maybe not. At least he had a funny story to tell his co-workers later. I followed him as he walked by my car. I thought he had a key and would let me out. But he merely said, “Wait a few minutes.” He sounded irritated. I just smiled.

Waiting was my original plan. If he thought I’d be okay, I would probably be okay. That didn’t stop me from being flustered enough to forget filming this whole experience. Sure enough, five minutes passed and the train came alive again. Whew!

I made it to the Atomium, and paid 15E for a combo Atomium and Planetarium ticket. I love planetariums! From the outside, the Automium looks like a giant jack, or an iron atom. At least I think that’s the element it’s supposed to represent. Inside was a museum of sorts and an observation deck that had limited window space. The museum was kinda interesting. Its exhibits focused on the 1958 World’s Fair, revolutionary artwork, and several stations related to immigration, which intrigued me the most. After the Atomium, I watched a movie in the Planetarium, then headed back to town. If I could do this over, I would probably just have snapped some external shots of the Atomium and then headed back to town. But, eh.

Lunchtime! I found a pan-Asian restaurant that used homemade noodles – I got video of the woman making them. It was quite good, and thank the Lord for vegetables other than fried potatoes. With a tea and Coke, my total came to an eye-popping 16E!!! That’s like $23 for some noodles and a drink!

Afterwards, I wandered around the Grand Place, unsuccessfully searched for Manniken Pis, successfully found a better waffle than both of yesterday’s, bought some Neuhaus chocolates, then headed back to the hotel for a siesta.

Three hours later, it was off for dinner, another waffle and photos of the peeing kid fountain (I honestly don’t get the fascination with it… I wonder if the locals feel the same). Oh, and guess what! I had a beer! The last beer I had was a Corona maybe five years ago. It was gross. I didn’t finish it. Halfway through it, my stomach felt swollen. This beer, a Jupiler, was much lighter and more subtle. Still, I ordered a Coke next to it, just in case. And this marked the third night in a row of eating Mediterranean food. Next to me sat an older Spanish family, and I was happy to be able to finally communicate with some people. Comparatively my French is just a lost cause.

Thus ended my time in Brussels. I admit, I’m one of those people who’d have preferred to stay in Brugge and do a day trip to the European capital. Granted, I didn’t see the whole city, but it can’t help that unlike Brugge, its charm is spread out far and wide, instead of condensed into a small core of canals and medieval streets. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I’ll never forget your waffles, Belguim, and the hunt is on to find something remotely similar in Seattle. Maybe I’ll start a food truck.