Post-conference wanderings in Brussels, Bruges and Amsterdam
- Andrea
- Nov 18, 2024
- 16 min read
Updated: Nov 29
A little bit of background📝
I've written posts on the Manchester conference that I presented at in 2011 and my post-conference London wanderings. I was away from home for two weeks on that trip: the conference, seven days in London staying with a friend, and a solo sojourn to Europe for three nights and four days. I bought a Eurostar package for the Brussels trip that included the return train journey from London to Brussels and hotel accommodation. The Eurostar packages are a good deal! You can set your spend limit by choosing hotels that align with your budget. I'd opted for a low-cost package, as is my modus operandi, as I resist paying a lot of money for accommodation for basically a bed and a shower.
💭I've included my reflections on what the Brussels experience meant to me and my most vivid and lasting impressions at the end of the post. |
Return to Europe on my first Eurostar journey🚆
I was quite nervous about going to Belgium on my own as it was my first real solo sojourn, other than the few days I'd spent in Hawaii after a conference presentation the previous year. This trip was also my first solo wanderings to country where English isn't the native language. I'd also not been to Europe since my inaugural world wanderings in 1996, and that was 15 years ago! We went to to Brussels then but it was very much a whirlwind experience. All that said and despite my nerves, I was looking forward to being able to wander around on my own and soak up the vibe with more time in Brussels this time around.
My journey to Brussels was also my first time on the Eurostar. When we first went to Europe in 1996 we took the ferry from Dover to Calais as part of our Trafalgar tour. (The Eurotunnel had only opened at the end of 1994.) I was so excited to take the Eurostar this time, partly because I love trains, but also because the idea of travelling in the tunnel was kind of awesome.
Looking back now, I had high expectations, although I couldn't articulate what they were. The whole concept of a giant tunnel fascinated me. In reality, the Eurostar is really just a fast train! The journey includes a chunk of time in the Eurotunnel, but there's not much to see as it's quite dark in there. The train then comes out the other side of the tunnel and travellers are treated to the changing landscapes of France and Belgium.
The Eurostar trip from London to Brussels (and from London to Paris) takes around three hours. It's a very cool thing to do despite the anti-climax of speeding out of the tunnel into Europe without much fanfare. Train stations tend to be more centrally located than airports, too, so it's a bonus to arrive in the city centre along with the chance to see beautiful scenery along the way, even if the trains do travel at high speeds.
Travel tip🌏 You can travel on the Eurostar fairly cheaply if you book in advance. Off peak (meaning unsociable hours, basically) is usually cheaper, like all trains in the UK and Europe. Travelling by train a viable alternative to flying, as it saves the hassle of getting to and from airports and long check-in lead times. |
Brussels: Day 1⚛️
I was a little anxious about finding the hotel once I arrived in Brussels, largely because I am woeful with directions and all I had was a print out from Google Maps, as one did back in the day. The Brussels train station is huge and I had no idea where to start. I was also desperate for the loo but had to find an ATM, withdraw some euros, and spend a little money on lunch to get some change for the public restroom. That was a mission in itself.
Unsurprisingly, I got lost trying to find the hotel. It transpired that I'd basically turned left when I came out of the station instead of turning right. I know I had a mobile phone at the time (this was 2011) and knew how to use Google Maps so I'm not sure why I didn't look up the directions. I remember having a print out from Maps of the directions, the old school way of doing things. Perhaps no international roaming back then?
Anyway, the hotel wasn't actually very far from the station. Gawd. I tried to ask for directions several times, but the language barrier defeated me. Ultimately I found a sales assistant who spoke enough English to help me in one of the train station shops after returning there for help. Again, gawd.
While it was convenient to choose a hotel close to the main train station, it was in a bit of a dodgy part of town, about a 1.5 km walk from the Grand Place in the centre of Brussels. I'd paid for a cheap package, so I wasn't expecting much, and the hotel was pretty much as advertised. When I was checking in, however, two guests in front of me were complaining to the person on reception about the state of their room. I was a bit worried at that point! The hotel was undergoing renovations at the time, guests had been assigned an older room. Fortunately for me, I was given a newer room. The room was was tidy and clean with a comfortable bed and a decent bathroom with breakfast included, and that's all I needed.
I was exhausted by the time I found my hotel so I rested up for a bit (and tried to dull my anxieties) then headed into the city centre. The walk wasn't long, but there were men hanging out on the streets staring at me as I walked past the shops and businesses on my way into the Grand Place. I felt super uncomfortable, actually. I relaxed once in the city centre and surrounded by people. And, really, look at how pretty it is in Brussels!
The Grand Place is gorgeous with its gothic and baroque architecture. It is the central square in Brussels and has been registered on the UNESC) World Heritage List since 1998. The square dates back hundreds of years to the 12th century when it was then a market square, surrounded by guild houses and the gothic Town Hall. The Grand Place is recognised as one of the most beautiful squares in the world and I concur. I spent a lot of time just standing there, marvelling at the gorgeous buildings.
There were several market stalls in the square. I found a small stall selling artwork and purchased the below beautiful sketch to remind me of my visit. The historic buildings in the sketch completely capture all that I love about European cities. The sketch still hangs on my wall.
It was a lovely warm and sunny afternoon and I had a nice time, feeling calmer and just a little pleased with myself for getting around the city on my own after my morning navigational disasters. When we were in Brussels in 1996 we were on a tour and we didn't have much time to see the city. This time, I had the luxury of being able to wander around at a leisurely pace. I didn't organise tickets to see inside any of the buildings as I just wanted to do to my own walking wander and properly appreciate the beauty of the city.
The centre of Brussels is compact and easy to get around and there is a lot to see within walking distance of the Grand Place. I found Brussels less crowded and busy than other European cities I've visited - especially away from the Grand Place - and I really like the more relaxed vibe.
The highlight of my afternoon wanderings was absolutely St Michael's cathedral, said to be one of the finest examples of Brabantian Gothic architecture, built in the 11th century. I remember marvelling at the stunning interior of the church and wishing I could share the experience. Solo wanderings are great for doing your own thing, but I do miss the shared experience.
I found Mannekin Pis on my wanderings, an odd statue that we'd caught a fleeting glimpse of during our 1996 tour. The statue was designed in 1388, a small 50cm bronze sculpture of a small naked boy urinating into a fountain's basin. Weirdly, it is meant to be one of the most representative and loved symbols of Brussels, originally serving as a means for the city's inhabitants to receive water. The statue is regularly dressed in different outfits according to a prearranged schedule. So odd!
I found a New York-style pizza place just off the Grand Place that offered a massive slice of pie and a drink for €10. I ate that for an early dinner then headed back to my hotel (back down to the dodgy end of town) for a chilled evening.
I did have a poke around in a souvenir shop. The surviving memento of my Brussels wanderings is the below cute little Brussels figurine. I bought the tins (sans chocolates, much to the store assistant's amusement) from a Belgian chocolate shop in Bruges, if I am remembering correctly, but made sure I had something to remember Brussels by as well.
My stay in Brussels formed the bookends of my four-day sojourn. The middle two days were spent in Amsterdam and Bruges respectively. You can read about those wanderings later in this post. |
Brussels: Day 4⚛️
The other end of my stay in Brussels - day four - was not quite a full day, as I I returned to London on the Eurostar in the late afternoon. I checked out of the hotel first up and stowed my bag in one of the paid lockers at the train station. Some more wandering around ensued, including getting scarily lost heading back to the city centre from my hotel.
It was another warm and sunny day and I extended my wanderings from in and around the Grand Place to the eastern side of the city centre. Below are my shots of some notable buildings. The Royal Palace (top right shot) is the King's (and other members of the royal family) administrative residence and main workplace. It was built in 1820 under the reign of King William and modified in 1904 under Leopold II. The palace is usually open for the summer to visitors, after the Belgian national holiday on 21 July. The Palais de la Nation (bottom left shot) is a neoclassical palace bults in 1783 that now houses the Belgian federal parliament. The Palais de la Bourse is home to the Brussels Stock Exchange. The building was completed in 1873. This is one I wish I had gone inside as apparently there is a passage from the Palace to the Grand Place.
I also had a wander around Place du Luxembourg where the European Parliament is located, although it was deserted, as you can see in my photos. The "You can't ignore the people" sculpture in the bottom left shot was created by artist Alexi Facca for the Belgian branch of Medecins sans Frontieres to raise awareness of the migrant and refugee crisis and the people who perish when attempting to cross the Mediterranean. The digital counter displays the documented number of people who have gone doing so.
The park in below collection is Parc de Bruxelles, a pretty green space in the heart of the city between the Royal Palace and the Federal Parliament Building. The other shots are from my wanderings on that final morning. My favourite is the top right hand one, showing the stunning architecture of Brussels. The middle two shots are of a posh arcade I wandered through near the Grand Place.
In the afternoon before my train back to London I did something really brave (for me) and caught the metro train out to the Atomium. We'd only seen it from the bus on our previous visit in 1996 so it was way cool to go inside (and to make it there without getting lost was no mean feat for me). I was proud of myself for getting on the train and finding my way. This is back in the day when I wasn't using my phone as the font of all information as I do now so I went old school and used a tourist pamphlet. The train was easy to use even with the language barrier. I just followed the stops on the map inside the carriage until the one for the Atomium and then took the short walk from the train station.
The Atomium was built for the Brussels World Fair in 1958 (Expo 58) and was not intended for longevity. Six of the nine spheres were open to the public but the original structure was not designed for masses of visitors. The building had deteriorated by the start of the new century and underwent a massive renovation in 2004, opening to the public in 2006. The Atomium is now a major tourist attraction and international symbol of Brussels.
The Atomium stands 102 metres tall with nine 18-metre diameter stainless steel clad spheres that are connected to form the shape of a cube and represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Along with being architecturally unique, it's fun to go up into the spheres and the views of the city are spectacular.
Amsterdam🧀
I'd always wanted to go to Amsterdam so I took the opportunity of being close to the city to do a pre-booked day tour on my second day in Brussels. I was picked up at my hotel first thing in the morning by the tour guide, an adorable Belgian man, Gabriel, who was a terrific host for the day. It was a long and exhausting trip and just a taster, really, but I still managed several bucket list experiences. It was also super hot in Amsterdam and I wasn't properly prepared food and drinks-wise.
Travel tip🌏 Gabriel was a friendly and knowledgeable host. I did feel, however, that there could have been more information about what was going on. I may not have read the tour information properly, but I hadn't realised that the canal trip was an additional cost. I didn't mind the cost, but I had to pay on the bus in the exact amount in cash and I didn't have it. I took some money out at a service station pit stop and bought a sandwich to get the right change. Just as well I did, as there was no time for lunch or dinner, so the sandwich was the only thing I ate all day. Gabriel didn't tell us about the meal situation which I is think is kind of important when you're out all day in an unfamiliar place. |
We drove into the city and did our first cool thing, the obligatory canal cruise. Yeah, it's touristy but the best way to see the city. Again, a "pinch me" moment, sitting on the canal boat taking in all the beautiful houses and bridges.
After the cruise we wandered around with Gabriel for a bit before we had a few hours of free time. The day tour was very much just a taster, and I was fortunate to return to Amsterdam in 2022 for a proper wander around (post to come). Still, even one day in the city was enough to fall in love with it. It's so pretty and just as I imagined it to be.
The one thing I wanted to do was visit Anne Frank House. Another of the solo travellers (a Canadian woman whose name I can't remember now) also wanted to go there, so Gabriel walked us to Prinsengracht Street and gave us directions for getting back to the meeting place.
The line up was long and it was a hot afternoon. I remember stepping out of the line to buy cold drinks for my companion and me and going into anxiety overdrive worrying about not having enough time to go through the museum before we had to meet the tour group. Fears unfounded in the end, we did have the time we needed.
The museum is well worth a visit if you have an interest in WW2 history and Anne's story. When I visited in 2011, the house was seemed pretty much the way it was in the 1940s, down to things left by Anne after her family was betrayed. It is possible to see the bookshelves that covered the family's hiding place and other artefacts from their time in hiding. The house is just a house, and quite nondescript, yet it holds such an important place in history. My visit was a very moving experience and I was glad I'd spent the few hours of free time on the tour there.
I visited Anne Frank House again when I was in Amsterdam in 2022 (post to come). The museum has been made 'more touristy' since my 2011 visit thus losing some of its authenticity, I think. It's kind of jazzed up these days, with a brand new modern building housing a café attached to the original Frank house.
My Canadian companion and I headed back to the meeting place and boarded the bus for the trip back to Brussels. I loved Amsterdam, even after only be there for a few hours, and I wish we'd had more time. We did manage a total touristy experience on the outskirts of the city: a windmill, some clogs, and cheese making. Sometimes you just have to do the touristy things!
It was really late when arrived back in Brussels and I was super hungry. It had been a long time since the sandwich on the way to Amsterdam in the morning. I chatted to my Anne Frank House companion, also a solo traveller, and we went together to the pizza place I had found on my first night in Brussels. As we ate dinner, we decided to visit Bruges the next day. We arranged to meet at my hotel and then head to the train station. I had read about how beautiful Bruges is and I was excited to visit.
Travel tip🌏 You could go to Amsterdam from Brussels on your own easily for a day trip. The train takes anywhere between 2 and 3 and a half hours, depending on the service. Both city's train stations are not that far from the centre and there are loads of canal cruises you can do with last-minute tickets. The city centre is compact and there's loads you can see on foot in just a few hours. |
Bruges and Ghent💖
I took a chance and arranged to meet my companion from the Amsterdam trip at my hotel in the morning without having her contact details. She actually turned up as arranged! Cool. We walked to the train station where she used her Canadian French to arrange tickets to Bruges. It's an easy one-hour train trip from Brussels to Bruges and the station in Bruges is only a short walk from the town.
We had a wonderful time together that day. All these years later I can't recall her name or anything much about her, and we didn't end up staying in touch. I guess it was just one of those random encounters when travelling alone, that turns into an awesome experience.
Bruges is like something out of a fairy tale. It is simply stunning. The pictures don't capture the true beauty of the city. It's one of the loveliest places I have ever been to and the day I spent there is up at the top of my 'best day ever' list. The main square, the gorgeous buildings, the canals and bridges, and the 13th century belfry make for a magical place.
The canal is the very pretty, different to Amsterdam as it's not lined with as many buildings. It has a very quaint feel to it. The beautiful day helped and I felt so happy wandering around the gorgeous streets. It absolutely feels like you've stepped back in time in the UNESCO World Heritage Site old town. It is believed that the town dates back to the late 9th century, deriving its name from the Old Dutch for bridge - brugga. Bruges was a coastal settlement during prehistoric times and in 1089 it became the capital of Flanders, receiving its city charter in 1128. Bruges has always been important economically because of its strategic location close to the North Sea.
During our wanderings we had a poke around in some stores and I found the below beautiful sketch of the town. It is one of my most treasured mementos. Bruges is an absolute must-see for me, although I do acknowledge that it's a little touristy (horse-drawn carriages and all) and expensive, but we spent all our time wandering around and soaking up the vibe. I will always remember that day.
After spending most of the day in Bruges, just wandering around and taking in the storybook vibes, we got back on the train and made a snap decision to visit Ghent on our way back to Brussels. Again, the train station is walkable distance from the town centre (around 2.5 km).
Ghent is not quite as lovely as Bruges, but still very picturesque. Like Bruges, it is super old and one of strategic and economic importance in Flanders during the medieval era. It began as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Leie. Ghent is today the third largest city in Belgium after Brussels and Antwerp.
The Korenmarkt (wheat market) is the historic heart of Ghent. There are loads of beautiful old buildings surrounding the square and the River Leie intersects the square with St Michael's bridge connecting its two parts. St Nicholas's church (top left shot) is the most notable landmark in Ghent. It's a Roman Catholic church that dates back to the 13th century. The church was built in Tournai bluestone and is said to be one of the best examples of the Scheldt gothic style.
We didn't have a lot of time to spend in Ghent as it was late afternoon before we arrived and it had been a long day. I'm so glad we stopped there, though, even if only for a short glimpse into its beauty.
Looking back now, I don't even have a photo of my travelling companion. Mind you, this was in the days before selfies (and posting your meals on social media!). We'd connected on the Amsterdam day tour the previous day through our shared desire to visit Anne Frank House. I was surprised that she turned up at my hotel as planned and equally surprised that we had such a lovely day together. I don't think we exchanged contact details so I never heard from her again. It was just one of those fleeting connections made while solo travelling that led to an incredible shared experience.
Travel tip 🌏 The train journey from Brussels to Bruges is only an hour each way, and Ghent is about the mid-way point. There is plenty of time to see Bruges and Ghent in one day. Just make sure you sit in the correct part of the train. We were shooed out of our seats by a guard on the way from Brussels to Bruges as we'd inadvertently plonked ourselves in a first class carriage. Oops. |
So that was Brussels, Amsterdam, Bruges and Ghent! My solo sojourn on the Eurostar was a lovely addition to my two week trip overall that also included presenting at the first-year experience Manchester conference, and a wonderful week in London staying with my friend, KP. All the stunning architecture, cobbled streets, and canals were food for my soul and I soaked up every moment in the presence of such beautiful places.
My Europhilia was ignited by our first continental wanderings in 1996 and being able to experience Brussels (again), Amsterdam, Bruges and Ghent only cemented that love.
I'm proud of myself for navigating new spaces and places on my own, despite my woeful sense of direction.
I learnt to appreciate the value of solo travel - to do as you please, roll with your own timetable and connect with people you might otherwise not - while also recognising that travelling with a companion creates a shared experience, especially of the "oh, wow" moments.
The Eurostar: Speeding through the countryside and the somewhat and the thrill of ending up in Belgium by travelling through the Eurotunnel.
Beautiful Bruges: Bruges has my heart. The place really feels like you've stepped into a painting!
Amsterdam: "Pinch me" moments on the canal cruise and feeling so moved by the Anne Frank experience.
Taking the leap: Making a connection with another traveller and spending the day together in Bruges, then never seeing or hearing from each other again.
I am glad that I chose Brussels for my European sojourn. My second visit and the chance to wander around the pretty streets was such a privilege. I often see people commenting in travel content that the city is boring. I don't think so. It has beautiful architecture, the Grand Place is a gorgeous square, and the city is easy to walk around. Make sure you add Bruges and Ghent to your itinerary if you have the chance to visit Belgium.
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