Brussels

Just two weekends ago, I went to Belgium with a couple of friends from my study abroad program. We really wanted to go to Amsterdam and we found that the least expensive way to get there was to fly to Brussels and from there take the train. Looking back on this whirlwind of a weekend, I am elated that we chose to do this versus going straight to Amsterdam.
We flew from Alicante to Brussels via Ryanair, which is basically Southwest but on a much different level. To start off, everyone lines up at the gate about 30 minutes before they even start boarding. Once they announce that they are boarding, everyone starts pushing and nudging, trying to force themselves to the front of the line to pick which bad seat they want on the plane, meaning that every single seat is just as bad as the next, seeing as they don't recline and for the duration of the flight, you're sitting at about a 90 degree angle. Uncomfortable is just an understatement. So after being pushed and shoved by numerous people, the Ryanair staff opens the door to an enclosed area where you stand in a corral of irritable human beings. Once they open this gate, it's a mad dash to the plane; even the elderly are trotting along, hoping to get a window seat on the plane. Once you step foot onto the aircraft, your heart starts racing as the melodies of classical music are seeping into your ears and pumping blood through your veins creating an overwhelming anxiety of completing such a simple task as finding a seat. Once buckled, the music is still penetrating into your ears and the people around you are slightly less irritable and eager, but then comes the flight. The flight attendants pace up and down the aisle, selling various items such as smokeless cigarettes, food items, and other useless products. After the landing, an obnoxious jingle comes over the intercom, congratulating Ryanair for yet another on-time flight, but I consider it to be congratulating the passengers for being able to endure the flight. Congratulations, you made it out alive!

So, we landed in Brussels, and we were ecstatic. We took an airport shuttle bus and arrived in the city about an hour later, left to search for our hotel on our own. After about 30 minutes of meandering in every direction but the correct one, we finally found it. After freshening up and attempting to look impossibly pristine, we set out on the town to see as much as possible in just a little amount of time. We were trying to find the Mannequin Pis, and along the way we stumbled upon several gofre shops, so we decided to stop and indulge. They had a variety of topping options ranging from chocolate, Nutella, different fruits, powdered sugar, and anything else that could satiate any sweet tooth. So, of course I chose Nutella and some strawberries (although I ordered bananas, oops!) and it was delish!

Little did we know, the Mannequin Pis right right around the corner- go figure. We succeeded in our mission. Afterwards, we decided to try and find Delirium, a bar that was recommended to me for their infinite amounts of beer and over 2,000 different kinds. For those of you who know me, you know that I love beer and would never pass up the opportunity to try different kinds. After asking several different Belgians for directions and being harassed by restaurant employees, we finally found it. We ended up staying here for several hours, trying over 20 different kinds of beer together, and befriending the bartenders. We even found some fellow Terps and had a beer with them- gotta love UMD! Brussels is a beautiful city with amazing waffles and beer, and I loved it!