Belgium Part 1 - Brussels (Again)

Assalamualaikum.

Seperti dijanjikan, i nak update my Winter trip to Belgium! 

First stop ---> Brussels...

Okay. This is not my first time in Brussels. Dah dua kali actually. Ramai dok kata Belgium (Brussels specifically) xde apa sgt attractions which i think very true before. Satu hari dah boleh cover satu Brussels. Tapi orang silap sbnrnya...Orang dok pergi Brussels, just cari chocolate and mennekin pis. How can u conclude a country by just seeing a part of it? So not fair kan? Sbnrnya, Belgium sgt cantik. dan byk mende menarik pernah terjadi kat sini. For example, the first world war happens in Ieper, Belgium. Alhamdulillah, dgn izin-Nya, kami sempat melawat ke tempat tu. Nanti later i story details about other places in Belgium. For now.. yes now...i nak cerita tentang my trip to Brussels.

Duration : 6 days (2 days in Brussels)

By : Megabus (uk.megabus.com)

Journey : London-Brussels-Ieper-Brugges-Liege-Simont-Brussels

Belgian Waffle yang sgt maveles - November 2009, Brussels trip

Kami bertolak dari London menaiki Megabus. 

Ye.. naik bus je.. murah dan menarik.. 

Mesti korang pelik apa yang menarik naik bus kan? haha... okay...

bile naik bus, korang dpt peluang naik ferry jugak.. For my case, we all amek bus dari London Victoria menuju ke Dover (2 hours journey). After clear custom for UK Border and France Immigration, then kami naik ferry for another 2 hours which the fare has already been included with the bus ticket price. Dari Dover pulak, ferry akan menuju ke Calais, France then pastu kita akan naek bus balik untuk teruskan journey ke Brussels which took another 3 hours. Maybe penat tapi pengalaman mengajar erti kehidupan kan? hehe... So at least bila orang tanya mcm mana naek bus dr UK to France/Belgium/Amsterdam, we all can answer. Takdelah asyik depending on kapal terbang je kan. Adalah pengalaman berbeza menaiki transport yang lain-lain kan.. And yang paling best. Cuba korang teka berapa harga tiket bus i ke Brussels from London? Teka laaa.... hehehe

hurm...

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8 pound je!!!

 Harga return tiket kitorang iaitu bersamaan RM40! wootssss.... murah kann???

Murah sgt2! Tiket bus KL-JB lagi mahal i rasa. So, mmg worth it lah kami berpenat lelah naek bus, ferry bagai dengan harga tiket semurah itu! hehehe...

Kedatangan i ke Brussels utk kali kedua ini, disebabkan cik hubby tak pernah lagi sampai ke Belgium. Kebetulan juga, classmate cik hubby berasal dari Brussels. Pelik tapi benar. hehe.. Willem ni dulu pernah duduk Malaysia 1 year for student exchange under AFS (American Field Service). Jadi, kami pon contactla dia untuk bwk kitorng round-round Belgium ni. 

Cik hubby and his tablemate back at school - Willem

First day, Willem bawak kitorang tgk tempat kerja dia. He works as an Art teacher for school kids. Menarik. Sbb dapatlah kami tgk sekolah budak budak kt Belgium ni kan..

Then after tu, kitorang pergi jalan-jalan di Atomium (5 minit jalan kaki dari metro station Heysel/Heizel - Line 6). Mini Europe pon just opposite the Atomium. So, kitorang just spend our time round-round area situ. 

Cathedral near St Giles Community Area

The Atomium - us with some random Spanish

Welcome to Belgium!

Minum petang

Ossegempark

The famous mini europe - dlm ni ada miniature building popular dalam europe. I.e, Eiffel tower etc.

 Selepas itu, kitorang jalan-jalan back to city centre, around Grand Place. At first, i memang nak bwk cik hubby tgk Menneken pis. Tapi xsempat pulak. Its okay. Lagipon i rasa menneken pis tu bukan ada apa pon. Just patung budak lelaki yang tengah buang air. Pelik kan tu pon boleh jadi attraction dkt Brussels ni? hahaha...

The over rated mennekin pis - November 2009

Menneken pis chocolate

Grand Place. Belakang yang ada lampu tu, christmas tree diorang. tah pape kan? hahaha.. alasan diorang this year dah xnak letak christmas tree besar sebab tak nak kaitkan dengan agama. Maka terhasil lah pokok berlampu yang korang lihat dlm gambar ni.. LOL!

Final stop for our first day trip is to visit art studio Willem. Dia ni seorang pelukis. And i think he's very talented! Berapalah agaknya harga lukisan dia ni kan? hurmmm...

Presenting his artwork.

This is really really nice!

Pulang ke rumah, kami disambut dgn party.. First time duduk dikelilingi mat salleh. 

*Awkward*

haha.. tapi it was really a good experience.. 

The guest

Mr.hubby

Vegetarian dish for us

Willem with his friend, Anna

Classmates!

Switzerland winter dish - Raclette 

Burpp.... Kenyang... Sodap! 

Tamatlah cerita day 1 trip saya ke Brussels. Till later.

XoXo,

Sheila