I had a leisurely morning at the B&B in Bruges and ate breakfast alone; Amy having gone ahead to Brussels early in the morning to get an emergency passport at the US Consulate. I enjoyed one last stroll through the market square, then caught the train to Brussels, arriving in the early afternoon. Amy was already at the B&B having successfully gotten a new passport. Not as luxurious as the Paris and Bruges B&B, La Maison Haute was still charming; located above a soap shop (the fragrant smell of soap could be smelled throughout), the rooms were bright and airy, and simply furnished. The host Sebastian was enthusiastic and friendly, and was always around to offer assistance or baked treats.
Brussels itself was like any other large modern city; though the area around the Grand Place did retain some of its old world feel and the architecture of the surrounding buildings were each unique and opulent. There was an area of narrow alleys with small restaurants packed together like sardines in a can, the owners standing outside vying for customers, and the menus all practically identical. These sorts of places can be found in nearly all major tourist centers like Athens, Paris, Istanbul; and although entirely inauthentic, they do hold a sort of Disneyland like charm. We spend the afternoon and evening exploring central Brussels; buying more chocolates and tasting the local fare (waffles, frites, and beer). Amy departed the next day and I changed hotels (for something closer to the main train station) and will stay on an additional two days. They will mainly be down days, as I had picked up a slight cold in Iceland and want to fight it off before I fly out to Tanzania on Saturday for my Kilimanjaro climb.
