Today is Wild Card Day! We took a train from Florence to Bologna to explore something off the scheduled path when we were in Italy. Today, we are heading out of France and traveling to Brussels, Belgium. I mentioned this earlier, but the train station had an international section, which confused me because I was still tired from biking through Normandy the previous day. I forgot I was in France and thought I was just going down the street! Anyway, we found our train and set off for Brussels. On the way, I listened to an excellent video by Rick Steves.

Brussels was like the land of Oz to me. It was remarkably different in architecture, culture, and food. The famous town square was a good mile from the train station, so you had to walk through the city to get to the historical town square.

We made reservations at Le Roy d’Espagne I highly recommend this restaurant for its outdoor seating and a varied menu. I had the best French onion soup along with homemade bread and a robust charcuterie board.

A little girl sitting at another table reminded me of my granddaughter, Adelaide. She had her sticky notes and pen capturing the moment and the architecture of the building. Adelaide loves to journal. She started a journal as soon as she could write with her pen. Her favorite thing was to draw rows of circles.

We had signed up for a waffle-making class, but the owner canceled. We received a notification and a refund. However, we walked to the shop and discovered we had missed all the messages on email and WhatsApp. From the looks of the shop, it would have been amazing! Here is the link if you’d like to schedule.

We loved the Royal Mall!

We looked up famous chocolate places and did our own tour. Guided tours are available through Viator, private tours, and Get Your Guide. We decided to go at our own pace and do our own thing. Here is our list.

We also enjoyed a lovely waffle and coffee at Maison Dandoy – Tea Room & Waffles.

From there, we walked around the town to discover thrift stores and famous spots like the little boy statue they dress up. The statue is called Manneken Pis.

We also visited the famous Delirium Cafe. We sat in an outdoor garden cove near another renowned statue, so it was fun to watch everyone passing by.

Another famous food item is their frites, or French fries. We waited in line to get some yummy frites in a paper cone. Link to La Friterie.

We wrapped up our day by walking back to the train station. I knew we would need a nap on the train, because tonight we go to the Arc de Triomphe! I marveled at women headed to work with their babies on bikes and scooters. Look at this amazing woman caring for her baby on her back while guiding her toddler on a scooter.

Parish was fascinated at how fast the trains would go. Here is a snapshot of the train’s power, and why you can get to Brussels from Paris in about 45 minutes!

One of my favorite ways Brussels celebrates its city is by hanging decorations from the buildings.

Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate!

The square, including St. Nicholas Church. The first building pictured reminded me of Florence.