Brussels, February 2017 - a travel diary

In February i turned 21. my best-friend and i took a trip to brussels so i could remember this birthday forever and ever and ever. of course i am writing (very) retrospectively because i have only just completed my academic journey and now have a lot of free time to get down to the stuff i enjoy focussing my energy into. in the long break that i have had from updating my blog, i have found a new way of writing that i really enjoy. it isn’t poetry, but i think it is poetic. i’ve started playing with this form on my instagram and have linked that in when relevant.

This is Giovanni. our first belgian friend. (i score every vegan pizza i have aside the one i had in his restaurant – it remains unbeaten)

Restaurant details – Name: San Giocomo Location: Chaussée de Wavre, 68 Steeneeg naar Waver, 1050 Bruxelles lxelles

we return back here the next day by accident. lesson learned: when you see something you like, just buy it then.

Grote Market. hard to admire stolen gold. see instagram post.

found a book store, couple moments of healthy non-interaction.

that’s my best friend.

post scarf flick

magritte museum

good meal. left the earring in this restaurant (got it back, lost it again)

more belgian encounters, read more about these guys

survivor of the bitterest breeze europe ever exposed me to

ultimately, it was a beautiful trip and although it’s hard to pack an entire city into a weekend, brussels has a certain character about it; it reassures you that you can do it, then doesn’t make you feel bad when you realise you that you truly can’t. honestly, i recommend the city, i felt safe and i felt welcomed. belgians have the warmest hearts so that when i thought i had reason to kick-start radical defensive mode i was actually invited to have open discussions about belgium’s problematic colonial history and when i assumed my skin would offend (because europe) i was treated well, experiencing people going out of their way to accommodate me. we had the best time. nothing but good things to say about brussels and nothing but excitement for the next adventure – portugal 2017 !!

final shot of the adventure. there’s actually more happening in this picture than any mind could detect – see here