Belgium - Brussels, Bruges, and Ghent

Traveling without anything even resembling an agenda can actually be very fun. Sometimes you end up in a hotel in the opposite side of town of where you meant to be, but it actually turns out alright. This is what happened in Brussels. We completely wandered. It was wonderful. 

WWI sculpture in the city center. 

Parliament. I think. 

Selfie in front of the city hall. 

View from inside a museum in the "Grande Place" where we learned about the Mannequin Pis and his many outfits. So of course we had to go find him. 

And there he is, tiny but incredibly free Mannequin Pis. 

This is a panorama of the entire "Grande Place". 

The first "best beer in the world" I tried. 

At the Delirium Cafe trying the second "best beer in the world."

Basically amazing. 

No stop in Belgium would be complete without a waffle. 

Next we went up to Bruges. 

The weather was on the cold side so we went inside the bell tower and climbed to the top then took a horse drawn carriage tour of the city. 

This is the carillon in the bell tower, so the bell tower is basically a big music box. 

As we reached the top it started to flurry. It was one of the most amazing and beautiful things I've ever experienced. 

You can't stay out in that too long so we of course tried more beers. I love that each different beer has its own unique glass. 

This is the outside of the Basilica of the Holy Blood. I have to recommend it. The inside is beautifully decorated. There is also a lower chapel that is sparse and very serene. 

On the way back to Brussels we stopped in Ghent briefly. I later saw the movie "Monuments Men" and realized that not only had we glazed over the Ghent Alterpiece, but when we were in Bruges we didn't see the Madonna made by Michelangelo, one of his only works of art outside of Italy. 

This was a great trip because I went with great people and also because the cities we visited revealed themselves to us. It was amazing what you can learn just walking around.