I think I’m really starting to appreciate the beauty of the phrase “backpacking around Europe”. Friday night, I packed a small bag and went to Brussels, Belgium for two nights with my friend Kenzie. I will admit the budget flight we took was a little bumpy, but we made it to Belgium Friday night and immediately went into the city.
We booked a bar crawl for Friday night and it was definitely the highlight of the trip. I would highly recommend guided tours whenever possible- especially in foreign countries. Our tour guides took us to four bars in four hours and it was a great way to explore the city’s night life without the stress of making all the plans ourselves. To our surprise, Kenzie and I were by no means the youngest ones at the bar. In fact, we felt pretty old compared the 16 year olds we were sitting next to. It was really crazy coming from such strict laws in America to transition into a culture where young teenagers are at the same bars as thirty year olds.
The next day we went on a guided food and sights tour where we saw all the famous architecture and ate way too much. Brussels is famous for their waffles, chocolate, fries, and mussels so I obviously had to try it all. I don’t think I would necessarily recommend eating it all in one day, but it definitely can be done. Kenzie and I also stopped into a beer museum where we learned what makes Belgian beer so special, and tried a few of their famous taps.
Since we were leaving so early the next day, Kenzie and I decided to pull an all nighter which really was not hard to do. Brussels night life was much more exciting than we expected, so it was honestly hard to leave the city when 2am rolled around.
By 3:30am we were in a taxi on our way to the airport to catch our flight back to Copenhagen. Let’s just say I had a lot to sleep and healthy eating to catch up on when I go home. That being said, I had the time of my life exploring the food and culture in Brussels, even if it was only for a couple of days.
all the hype
Allison Abroad 