MIKE AND JESS' TRAVEL DIARY
Belgium Trip
Day 7 - December 8 2017
We started our last morning in Ghent with one of the more memorable brunches we have had the pleasure of experiencing. At the restaurant, we took a look at the fixed menu, showing the numerous courses and included beverages and said, “Two, Please!” Soft boiled eggs with soldiers (Thin strips of toast to dip into the yolk), thinly sliced hard meats and cheeses, a bread and pastry bowl with butter and jams, yogurt and granola parfaits, washed down with a mimosa and espresso! Whew, it was SO MUCH food! Truly delicious. There was a bit of a surprise when we got the bill and noticed it being roughly $100!! The course breakfast on the menu was FOR TWO people. We ordered TWO of them. Enough for four was correct. Woops.
And for the final full day in Belgium we, very reluctantly and with VERY full bellies, waved goodbye to Ghent and boarded the train back to Brussels. We had a half day to explore the giant city. Really, we would only scratch the surface. We had a bit of a rough Airbnb check in. We have learned to use hotels for these one night stays from now on. When we arrived in the city center with our luggage, trying to navigate through the packed, cobblestone sidewalks, we reached out to the Airbnb host, who said she was running late and would be 30 minutes to an hour before she could let us in. To kill some time nearby, we tried to jam our suitcases and backpacks under a table and order…more food! We are nuts, but they had a Belgian Frites stand near the house that sold fries in a cone. They were not memorable themselves, there’s better frites elsewhere, but sitting on the curbside table with our luggage taking up a table and the streets filled with people was a memorable experience!
We wanted nothing more than to get rid of these darn suitcases. Once the host was in the area, we found the flat and were finally let in.
Once we cleaned up and unpacked, we walked around the main sights such as the Grand Place for some photos. Then navigated the busy streets and struggled to get a seat in any pub in the city. We were not sure if the city center was packed due to the Christmastime or if this was normal, but it was a bit of a shock coming from the smaller town of Ghent.
When we finally found the courage to push our way to a spot in a pub, we settle on Monk, which was great and the people-watching was superb. We sat in a small table next to a couple also from the US and chatted with them for a while.
We were lucky enough to get in a great restaurant without waiting long, but by the time we were leaving, there was a line out the door of people waiting.
During our walk, we encountered a performance with huge birds (people on stilts moving a huge neck and head of the bird) lit up, dancing and interacting with the crowds as they made their way through.
We spent our last night in Belgium before heading to the airport early the next morning. What a great trip!