Skip to main content

When in Belgium

A short intro why I need to write at this moment about my first experience in Belgium. Last night I had a nightmare. I was in a train/subway and after we left the station, it stopped suddenly. Then the train driver announced: "Don't panic!". In that moment I knew the train was hijacked. My panic mode installed, I couldn't move at all. I remember at some point the doors opened and some people got out, but I was blocked and afraid if I go out I will be shot. And then my bed broke and I woke up :)).
This dream made me think a lot. And then I figured it out. In one week I will travel to Brussels. It will be the first time I travel there after the attacks. I realized what a huge impact those unhappy events had on me. But why? That's the question. First I thought it's related with the fact that's the route to my office. But then I dug up more and... I remembered Cristina's remark from last night: "It will be so nice to go alone in a foreign city and discover it". My first thought was: "I did that, in Brasov", but wait, that wasn't the first time. My first city where I got lost alone was Brussels. Voilà...
Two years ago, by this time, I traveled to Belgium, by myself, for the first time. I was following my heart. The first mindful travel.
I stayed in Ghent at a Spanish friend I met in Stockholm :). Funny thing. From Brussels airport to Ghent central station with the train it takes you around 1h. I don't know what train I took but it took me 2h to get to the destination. Hahaha... And if that was not enough, I took the tram to the city center in the opposite direction. My poor friend.. He was waiting me (Thank you for waiting me!!!).
I spent one day in Brussels by myself. I had a really nice time.
Brussels Park - Relaxing in the grass
The next day I wasn't alone :). We went to Bruges. When we arrived there we went to a supermarket to buy a sandwich and a beer. I was surprised to discover that you can drink in public spaces (I love Belgium for this).
In Bruges
In the last day, another Romanian girl joined us to Antwerp (or Anvers in french). They were celebrating the remembrance poppy. I still have one to remember me about that day.
The Museum aan de Stroom, Bruges
Breathtaking panorama of Antwerp at the top of the MAS 
Remembrance poppy
And when I come back I spoiled my co-workers with Belgian waffles and Nutella (Andra, I said it. I will buy you a jar and we'll share it :)).

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Croatia: Dreamy Northern Dalmatia

We spent the last days of our holiday exploring the classic Dalmatian cocktail of historic towns, jewel-like waters, rugged limestone mountains, gorgeous climate and Mediterranean cuisine of the Northern Dalmatia. Plitvice Lakes In order to have a full day to spend exploring Plitvice Lakes we stayed overnight in the area. It was so quiet and peaceful there! I wish we could have stayed more days to enjoy that serenity state of the place. Being in some way a remote place it wasn't easy to find a restaurant to have dinner, but when we did it was the best. Cevapi, traditional grilled minced meat with ajvar (roasted red peppers sauce) I don't have a sweet tooth but I enjoy trying local deserts. Traditional strudel with cherries - a touch of chocolate makes this simple desert in a delicacy  Morning coffee with a view Love is in the air! From the accommodation we had 15-20 minutes drive to the Entrance 1 of the park. We have researched which trails to take and the best views are star...

Time traveling by steamtram Hoorn - Medemblik

The engine whistles and the fireman shovels coal into the firebox. An adventurous trip to days gone by is about to begin, when steam trams connected ancient towns like Hoorn and Medemblik. Seated in the antique coaches, we listened to the clickety-clack of the wheels, heard the escaping steam and felt the tram move through the timeless Westfrisian countryside. A friend told me about the steam tram rides between Hoorn and Medemblik, and I immediately booked tickets. We were fortunate to catch one of the trips that passes by the tulip fields in bloom. Hoorn Tram station At Hoorn Tram station which is converted in museum we discovered the story of steam trams in Netherlands, covering the 1878 - 1966 period. The Timeline exhibitions takes us back into history. Small objects, film images, photos and documents tell the story about the steam tram in the Netherlands. The common thread is a timeline in which the highlights of Dutch steam tram history are central. We were filled with excitement,...

Croatia: The Magical Istria

After the short stop in Trogir we drove to Pula where booked accommodation for 3 nights to explore the city and surroundings.  The country side on the way to Pula The drive took around 6h with some stops on the way. After we checked in we went directly in the city center for dinner. One speciality I saw it on the menu in the area is grilled squid with Swiss chard and potatoes. I was hesitant with the green leafs because they waiters were saying it's like spinach and I'm not a big fan of it. But this one was really tasty!   Grilled squid with Swiss chard and potatoes @  Kantina Restaurant The next day we went to one beach in Pula in the morning, another beach in Rovinj in the afternoon and stayed for dinner in Rovinj and explored a bit the city center. Hawaii Beach   Hawaii is a pebbly beach, with big rocks but it's worth it! The water is crystal clean and a good spot for snorkeling. It also has some high cliffs that attract the adventurous ones who want to jump ...