Waffles, Chocolate, and Beer...OH MY!

Before I tell you about our trip this last weekend, I have to admit a fault of mine... I am over anxious. I get too excited. I probably do too much research when looking into visiting a place and I never can wait until we're finally there. Here's my story to prove it.
A few months ago, I booked a Eurostar trip for Micah and I to go to Belgium... Brussels, specifically. After my parents left London and went back home, I knew our trip was coming up, so without even looking specifically at the dates, I printed our itinerary and told Micah to get ready because our trip was coming! We packed our backpacks on Thursday night, I looked up train times, we coordinated EVERYTHING so that we'd be meeting at Waterloo Station exactly 35 minutes before departure so that we could check in. I got to Waterloo early so that I could print our tickets... that's when I saw it. The dates for our trip. We weren't leaving that Friday - we were leaving the NEXT Friday!!! Unbelievable! For a moment I'd thought the train company screwed up, but alas, in my over-excitement, I'd gotten us ready to go a week early! So when this Friday night came around and it was ready to leave for our trip, it had an anticlimactic air. At any rate, I'm glad we were a week early, instead of a week late!!!

So, here we are... Brussels, the capital of Belgium and Europe (the European headquarters are here).
I am NOT kidding when I say that just about every other shop was a chocolate store! I was in HEAVEN! We spent a lot of time enjoying this little tea cafe J.Dandoy... though to be honest, we didn't even try their tea. We drank cappuccinos and ate waffles. Yummy!

Of course, Belgium is also known for its wide selection of brews...

And to my surprise, lace making and tapestry is a huge specialty as well! Beautiful needle work...

Lots of seafood - clams, mussels, shrimp, and more... these are in abundance here. Not just in restaurants, but roasted mussels and frites (french fries) in stands on the streets!The Grand Place - One of the most beautiful town squares in Europe, if not in the world.

A King's house, an old bread market, cafes, a church, a chocolate shop, and the chocolate museum are just a few of the buildings making up this square. It truly is a beautiful sight with its mix of architecture, cobblestone ground, and hundreds of people filling it up!

Manneken Pis - A very little statue that causes a very big stir! This statue of a little boy a somewhat "compromising" position has been a tourist attraction in Brussels for centuries! No one knows exactly why he is there or when he made his first appearance, but truth be told, there were hundreds of people there to see him. Apparently he has over 300 costumes, including Father Christmas, Elvis Presley, and Micky Mouse! Unfortunately, we enjoyed the pleasure of seeing him in ALL his glory!

Most of the time when we go on trips, I have a whole list of things to see and do, but this trip was much more relaxed... we walked outside when it wasn't raining. When it was raining, we drank coffee, talked, and ate waffles & chocolate.

We even went for a walk in the park near the Palace... I'm sure it is much more beautiful in the spring, but even the Autumn weather brought about the intriguing character of the place.

All in all, it was another fantastic trip. I am reminded again of what a wonderful world God has created and how thankful I am to be a part of it... and to be able to see so much of it!