Getting from Vegas to Brussels
This was a quick, easy trip – under 22 hours! Yes, that’s a tongue-in-cheek statement about getting to Europe in general. That’s not to say that it wasn’t as smooth as possible though. Three hours early to the airport was way too much this time as there were no lines whatsoever. It even felt like first class in the economy-class ghost town. These rows were completely empty, but the one in front had a single person laying across four seats to sleep.
After eleven hours in relative comfort, it was time to see Switzerland (through panes of glass). The mountains in one direction and the surrounding trees paid homage to the country’s natural beauty, even in the most industrialized of locations. In two weeks, it’ll be time to actually see some of the country. For now, this was an enticing preview. The interior was even remarkably clean and well organized. <insert Swiss watch joke here>
Touchdown in Brussels!
After the usual long walk toward the exit, finding baggage, and navigating a new transit system, all that remained was a 10-minute walk to the hotel. Being after 9pm, the incredibly large homeless population was beginning to settle in on the sidewalks. All manner of characters were out and about, and though it was crowded enough for no one to worry about safety, it was a reminder that major transit hubs are often surrounded by run-down neighborhoods. It wouldn’t be right to judge the city by this just yet, but it’s fair to give it a mention before moving on to photos of the tourist center.
Given that it’s just a few blocks from a rougher neighborhood, and the price, the quality of this hotel room should come as no surprise. At least it’s clean, but after sitting on this bed sorting through photos and beginning to write this for the last couple of hours, it’s really apparent just how awful the mattress is. Green isn’t always the color of envy!
Walking to the Tourist Center, Grand Place
On the other side of the hotel, before getting to the glitz and glam, there was quite the assortment of “interesting” shops. Having made the snap judgment not to inquire about the “Gloryhole Cinema,” it seemed prudent to capture a quick photo to add some color to this post, then scamper off toward greener pastures.
Moving on, this was roughly the route for the night, which included the busiest areas so as not to get too isolated in an unfamiliar place. It’s nearly 3 in the morning, so what follows will be a briefly captioned set of photos taken along the way. Enjoy!
If you’ve made it this far, you get a (picture of a) pizza. Sadly not a whole lot comes up with the “Open Now” filter after a certain hour. Late-night pizza is universal. What is more regional is the assortment of fried-food shops that often center around Belgian fries (they’re not French!) and a few other popular snacks. Those will make an appearance at a later date!
