#but leon strikes me as a little weirdo that way

[zmemoriesofmylifeyshaa]

Brussels!

I would write something about my journey in Brussels. I arrived there Tuesday on the 12th of February 2019, I checked in my hotel, Hilton Grand Place and I took my time, since I wasn’t going to wait for Julia to come.. her flight was canceled due to a strike... So this little trip turned out to be my second solo travel! Exciting, but also a bit annoying since in the evening you can’t really do that much. I visited a bit Brussels by night the same evening, not so many people around that time, but I was excited already to visit it by daytime. Unfortunately, I encountered a weird guy on my way back to the hotel... the same blah blah stuff, weirdos say to a girl alone. At the end he wanted a kiss for his birthday, like if I care it was his birthday lol. Of course, I didn’t give such a freak a kiss and he surely went away. I went back to the hotel and went to sleep after a call with my babe.

13 February: I woke up around 9:00 in order to get the nice Hilton breakfast, I was so looking forward to having a breakfast there. It was good food! Then I chilled a bit in the room, listen to music and spend a nice time alone. Afterwards I went around the city to visit it. Pretty Brussels, especially the main square! I loved the fact that the sun was shining! I walked to see the Manneken Pis, but then I realized that I went to visit the “Het Zinneke” haha which was the pissing dog. I changed my route and went to see what I really wanted to see and le petite Julien was really small haha! Then I went back to the Galerie du Roi and drank a coffee at “Askum” a cool place inside the galeries. I have to say that the coffee was expensive, I paid 3.50 or 4.50 euro for a cappucino... I stayed in the cafe a bit and organized my calendar and modify a bit of the pictures I took. Later that day, I walked a lot from the Galeries to St. Michel Church, to Mont des Art and then to the hotel around 5.30 pm. I wanted to try the Executive Lounge and once they opened it around 6 pm, I went there and ate my dinner, pommes frites. They were good and free! Later that day, I didn’t do anything anymore... because I didn’t know what to do... the beer tasting I wanted to do it the next day, on my last night.

14 February: Good morning! Got up around 9.30 am and went to another good breakfast! Then I chilled again in the room, got ready with some good music and went out to see the Atomium. The weather was great again! I don’t have so much to say, but I think that if you are in Brussels, you must see the Atomium, it’s quite cool to see big balls in the sky! (if the sky is so blue, like when I was there!). Afterwards I went to Ixelles, a beautiful district of the city, plenty of beautiful cafes! I went in one where they sell also donuts, yummy it was good. Anyway Happy Valentine’s Day to my man back home! I loved the interior design of that place... When I was in the cafe, I registered to do the Beer tasting tour! Sometimes you just need to go out of your comfort zone, so I pressed the button “buy”! Let’s do it, I said! I went back to the hotel around 4 or 5 pm, because the tour started around 6 pm.

Beer tasting tour: so where to start.. the meeting point was at Scott’s Bar, 5 minutes on foot from my place. Even though I didn’t want to come early, I still came pretty early. I hate coming early, it makes me anxious haha. Anyway I waited a bit outside and then I went inside, I didn’t know where to go haha so I waited a couple of minutes until I asked to the bartender, where was this tour. He pointed out where the team members were and I went to them and said I was doing the tour. They asked for my ticket and told me to wait. Other participants came and then we went upstairs. They were a group of 5 guys from Argentina, a couple from Romania and Italy but both living in Manchester, a guy from Toronto, a group of three girls from Basel, Switzerland and then two couples from Australia and a woman from England but originally from Finland. It wasn’t that awkward at the beginning, because we talked to each other, which was cool! The guide was funny and relaxed, but a bit disorganized in my opinion. Anyway he started to talk about the history of the Belgian beers and then we finally could pour our drinks and drink it! I chose a beer called Chimay, it had a strong taste, but still drinkable haha damnnnnn it was 9% and I just ate a chocolate bar prior this beer tour. To be honest with you I was already a bit drunk after once beer. But the guys told me the same, so I didn’t feel that weak haha I had fun talking to the Canadian guy next to me! He told me something about his life and that he lived 18 years in Australia. Following that, the tour guide said we were going to another bar, so we put our jackets and went out. We crossed the Grand Place and I saw it in another perception, from a drunk view lol. Quentin showed us where we could buy nice beers and then we went to the bar and drunk other 3 beers, which we’re not that good in my opinion. Especially the last one was really bad. In this second bar, I sat next to the Romanian-Italian couple and they were so cute together.. we talked about our travels. I was a bit sad that the guy from Canada couldn’t sit next to me.. we had a good conversation before. I also talked a bit to the Australian guy and he was also kind, his friend was so drunk already haha. The tour beer ended. The Austrialians were the first to go, then the nice couple and the Finnish woman living in England. The group of guys a girls sat in the table next to mine and were still talking.. my table was mostly empty, the one who remained were me and the Canadian guy. We agreed to go and eat something together. We said buy to the rest of the group and thanked again Quentin. (Lol his look at me, when he understood that we were both going to eat together lol like goooo guy and girl). We walked until this famous restaurant named Chez Leon, we ate mussles with french fries, apparently a typical Belgian food. So good the mussels! Wow what a great connection we had... I mean he is older than me for sure, I understood that because he already a cardiologist and went for 18 years to Australian, I’m pretty sure you don’t move before finishing your studies to another country. Anyways he asked me so many personal question that I was happy to be questioned haha he asked my about my future, my hobbies, etc. It is nice talking to someone that you can’t disappoint or someone who can’t judge you, because he doesn’t know anything about me.  After our dinner, we went to the Delirium TapHouse, so cool that place! We talked to some locals and asked them which beer they like. This guy suggested us to Barbar and it tasted amazing! We ordered two beers and sat down. I don’t exactly remember anymore about what we talked, but it was just nice talking to each other. One thing just shocked me.. he told me this story about his two friends who gave a ride to a couple who was hitchhiking in Canada, they shared contacts and one month later one of the friend received an email, where it says that the couple wanted to kill them, but they didn’t, because they treated them good and that they should never pick up people from the road like them! OMFG, how lucky they were. We talked about travels, about life, about sports (he won a deal, because I thought Kobe Bryan was smaller than 1.80m), about tequila and he was saying that I was hilarious, because I was already drunk. We changed contacts and then around 1 am, we decided to go and take a tequila shot in my hotel. On the way there we took some pics at the Gran Place and they are all so cute any funny haha. Once in the hotel, we realised it was already closed :I Oh God, I didn’t want to cheat on Flo, but I also did feel to just following my feelings. As single, in the moment I would have said, let’s go and let’s spend time in my room. But I’m an honest and not cheater girl, so I hugged him and told him good night, beside the fact that I was drunk, I was also really tired. I took a quick shower and then fall asleep right away. 

Let’s talk about this. I do think you can fall in love many times in your life, but you need to choose what is good for you and for the people that are in your life. You can’t be selfish, you just can’t. You made your choice, many days ago and you need to respect them, it’s doesn’t matter the circumstances. You want to be respected? Then respect first those who love you. I will fall in love with another people, but until my heart belongs to my baby. It’s just for my baby and me. Will I regret that I am not having that fun? I don’t know about that, but at least I am following the values I grew up with. I spent a nice moment with Matthew Henry, but that was it. Thank you for the nice evening we spent together and thank you for being you, kind, gentleman and not pushy.

Brussels, thank you for the memories.