I thought I was going in the right direction to where I wanted to be. I tried Google Maps but it proved to be wholly unreliable in the twisting streets of Brussels. Frustrated I walked and if push came to shove I would find a taxi stand and climb into one. But not before I tried navigating on my own. I mean, I could find a coffee shop to rest my tired feet, or I could find a mall and do some shopping. There are worse things than that. I was all about the adventure and what I could find on the journey to the hop on hop off red tourist bus terminus.
But first things first…I experimented with travelling with a backpack in preparation for Thailand. I bought a nice 70L backpack and in hindsight, I should have bought a 40L instead. I packed it too heavily although I tried VERY hard to keep things light. It was about 10kgs, and I strained my back which needed anti-inflammatory jabs, rest and physiotherapy to help, all in a matter of the 5 short days between arriving from Belgium and leaving for Thailand with Che. That said, I will use a backpack again, it’s practical and easy to carry in and out of public transport.
©2018 Regina Martins
I found a gorgeous little Airbnb in Sablon, comfortable and in a cobbled lane closed off to vehicles. It was central to everything I needed. Sablon is trendy, filled with restaurants, coffee shops, ancient churches and loads of shopping opportunities – my kind of place. And I was delighted that it had a coffee machine.
The streets of Sablon are quaint and old-fashioned and they remind me so much of Bairro Alto in Lisbon. If you’re a regular reader of this blog you might remember that Lisbon is one of my all-time favourite places which I love visiting every year…although not this year…yet…
In the process of getting lost, I stumbled upon a remnant of the first city wall, this tower is named the Tour Anneessens, in Sablon, along the Boulevard de l’Empereur. It’s well preserved and the real surprise for me was that it’s standing in the middle of more modern buildings, like an ancient island of stone among a sea of modernity.
The Eglise Notre Dame du Sabon, Gothic in style was just around the corner and it’s a fascinating church. I will post more specifically on this church in another post. It’s beautiful, adorned with intricate carvings and stonework, and I’m intrigued at the images on the outside. I’ve just finished reading Dan Brown’s Origin, so I’m in ‘Dan Brown’ mood, and I’m wondering at the symbolism of the images carved in stone…what they mean and why they were created there.
©2018 Regina Martins
And finally, for this post, more images I took whilst getting lost…Belgium was tropical, hot weather with scarce a breeze, and it was fun watching families run through the mists of cool water in the middle of a plaza. The iron-shaped building along the Boulevard Adolphe Max was on my way to the Grand-Place where preparations were underway to welcome the Belgian soccer team back home. I arrived back in Brussels from Geetbets the following Sunday, straight into a sea a red clad soccer fans – but more about this in another post. Gosh, I’ve got a lot of material for my blog for a while.
In the process of getting lost, I did find a coffee shop where I rested my tired feet over a coffee and croissant, and a shopping mall. I have a gorgeous pair of shoes in my closet as a reminder of the day I got lost in Brussels looking for the hop on hop off red tourist bus.
