Belgium
Knocked off another country from the bucket list. Beers and chocolate is what I think of when Belgium comes up. I was able to find a decent rate on United Airlines to Brussels. It has been some time that United launched its Polaris branding and marketing for business class seats. I've been teased with the idea of actually being in a Polaris seating configuration but have only come close to using the lounges and getting the amenity kits. On this trip, I was able to sit in the Polaris business seat when my upgrade cleared on the way to Newark International Airport. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to spend in the lounge at Newark but I've spent plenty of hours before. I was able to grab a quick shower during my layover. On a side note, all passengers must be a ticketed Polaris Business class passenger. No guests. I understand the policy but not a fan especially since my companion ended up being upgraded at the counter.
The Polaris seating is narrow and I did find getting into the seat tight. Once inside, it was snug. I'm not sure if someone who is very broad shouldered would feel but you're fine if you're six feet plus. The middle pods are nice for couples but it does like the side seats were spacious because the opening was bigger.
Most of my time was spent at the Grote Markt in Brussels. For this particular trip, I opted to stay at the Brussels Marriott Grand Place hotel. Overall, the hotel is in a great location with easy access to subway (right underneath) and the main train station (about 1/2 mile away). I normally don't stay at Marriotts but I had points to burn with the Starwood merger and the Marriott promotion of double credits will help me get to Platinum status. The executive lounge was fine, nothing big and nothing out of the ordinary. The breakfast option is the hotel restaurant which is also good. Nothing too out of the ordinary but I do enjoy good croissants. The machine produces really good hot chocolate.
Although Brussels has no "Chinatown" the Asian population seems to have centered around this area. There are a large number of Vietnamese restaurants and I was surprised to see how much diversity the city center attracted. I only say that because I didn't see much diversity when I walked to the Parc du Cinquantenaire.
I did have two day trips out of town. One day was devoted to Bruges and the other was Bastogne. Bruges is an easy trip via train whereas Bastogne required a car. The drive is easy, traffic inside Brussels is horrendous.
Dining
Bia Mara - fish and chips restaurant which was tastier than London. Go figure.
Balls & Glory - a meatball restaurant. Very hipster and gourmet.
Sultans of Kepab - from the website, it appears to be a German chain with some outposts in Belgium and France. It was convenient to the Marriott and open late. Definitely popular and reasonably priced.
Peck 47 - Rue du Marche aux Poulets 47, 1000 Bruxelles. On a street near the Marriott, it appeared to be a popular brunch spot. I enjoyed the food but I would definitely go back for the pistachio cake. They don't have a website but they do have a facebook and Instagram account.
Thien Long - Rue Van Artevelde 12, 1000 Bruxelles. Found a Vietnamese restaurant nearby and decided to eat here because another restaurant was packed. I'm glad I did because it was rather authentic to me. Very small restaurant operated by a couple (wife is the cook and husband runs the service).
La Rose de Damas - Rue du Marche Aux Herbes 19, 1000 Bruxelles. A mediteranean candy shop that had fantastic Turkish delights and pistachio snacks. I didn't have the stomach to try more but it was a nice interruption of all the chocolate shops in the district. They do have a facebook account.
Le Fin de Siecle - Rue des Chartreux 9A, 1000 Bruxelles. I'm not sure if this is "authentic" Belgium food but I enjoyed myself. Cash only. They do have a facebook account.
McDonald's - Dominated by either Dutch or French in Belgium, the McDonald's cater to these two groups. Overall, I was ok with the menu items. No pies but lots of ice cream options.
Maison Dandoy - cookie shop that specializes in speculoos and waffles. I couldn't go away from Belgium without having a liege waffle. Overall, it was tasty and luckily there were no lines. I don't know if I would stay in line for these waffles but they were decadent.
Elisabeth - with so many chocolatiers in the area, it really is hard to try them all. I did enjoy the almond lattice cookies. I was very tempted to return and spend more money.
La Comptoir de Mathilde - the first chocolate shop I stopped in and they had a lot of chocolate. I ended up buying a lot of gifts for family from this shop.
Hof van Rembrandt - once in Bruges, stopped at the local brewery and discovered La Trappist beer. Turned out to be a favorite for me. It was also nice to stop and have a beer after walking around all day.
Activities
101st Airborne Museum - small house that was converted to a museum. Some interesting artifacts.
Barstogne War Museum - nice museum focusing on the human interest perspective of the war. Lots of dioramas and videos.
Bruges Beer Experience - I didn't actually go to the museum spot. It was a nice break from the weather to drink in the pub area.
Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History - Learned some interesting facts about WWI and WWII. Given the location of the country, much of the fighting occurred in the area by other countries (France and Germany). They seem to have an unbiased viewpoint of WWI and WWII.
Autoworld - the largest car museum I have ever been in. At one point, Belgium was the manufacturing capital of automotive production for Europe. Definitely a car culture here.
Belgium Comic Strip Center - I don't know how comic strips were a national cultural item but I appreciated the museum. I also discovered Smurfs originally came from Belgium.
Choco Museum - chain of chocolate shops/museums throughout Belgium. They really really love chocolate.
Marc Sleen Museum - Across the street of the Comic Strip Center is a museum dedicated to a famous Belgium cartoonist.
Smurf Store at Figurine Museum - For those interested in figurines, this is your place. It's so interesting to me that collectibles seems to have a strong presence in Belgium. Is today's graphic novels and cartoonists influenced by Belgium culture? I didn't make it to the inside of the museum but did stop off at the gift shop which is really a Smurf store.
Royal Palais
Cathedral St. Michael - Close to the old city center, this cathedral is an easily accessible spot to visit. The church is still active and the architecture is impressive particularly the stained art glass.
The Polaris seating is narrow and I did find getting into the seat tight. Once inside, it was snug. I'm not sure if someone who is very broad shouldered would feel but you're fine if you're six feet plus. The middle pods are nice for couples but it does like the side seats were spacious because the opening was bigger.
 |
| United Polaris Business Class Seat |
Most of my time was spent at the Grote Markt in Brussels. For this particular trip, I opted to stay at the Brussels Marriott Grand Place hotel. Overall, the hotel is in a great location with easy access to subway (right underneath) and the main train station (about 1/2 mile away). I normally don't stay at Marriotts but I had points to burn with the Starwood merger and the Marriott promotion of double credits will help me get to Platinum status. The executive lounge was fine, nothing big and nothing out of the ordinary. The breakfast option is the hotel restaurant which is also good. Nothing too out of the ordinary but I do enjoy good croissants. The machine produces really good hot chocolate.
 |
| Balcony view from Brussels Marriott Grand Place |
I did have two day trips out of town. One day was devoted to Bruges and the other was Bastogne. Bruges is an easy trip via train whereas Bastogne required a car. The drive is easy, traffic inside Brussels is horrendous.
Dining
Bia Mara - fish and chips restaurant which was tastier than London. Go figure.
Balls & Glory - a meatball restaurant. Very hipster and gourmet.
Sultans of Kepab - from the website, it appears to be a German chain with some outposts in Belgium and France. It was convenient to the Marriott and open late. Definitely popular and reasonably priced.
Peck 47 - Rue du Marche aux Poulets 47, 1000 Bruxelles. On a street near the Marriott, it appeared to be a popular brunch spot. I enjoyed the food but I would definitely go back for the pistachio cake. They don't have a website but they do have a facebook and Instagram account.
Thien Long - Rue Van Artevelde 12, 1000 Bruxelles. Found a Vietnamese restaurant nearby and decided to eat here because another restaurant was packed. I'm glad I did because it was rather authentic to me. Very small restaurant operated by a couple (wife is the cook and husband runs the service).
La Rose de Damas - Rue du Marche Aux Herbes 19, 1000 Bruxelles. A mediteranean candy shop that had fantastic Turkish delights and pistachio snacks. I didn't have the stomach to try more but it was a nice interruption of all the chocolate shops in the district. They do have a facebook account.
Le Fin de Siecle - Rue des Chartreux 9A, 1000 Bruxelles. I'm not sure if this is "authentic" Belgium food but I enjoyed myself. Cash only. They do have a facebook account.
McDonald's - Dominated by either Dutch or French in Belgium, the McDonald's cater to these two groups. Overall, I was ok with the menu items. No pies but lots of ice cream options.
Maison Dandoy - cookie shop that specializes in speculoos and waffles. I couldn't go away from Belgium without having a liege waffle. Overall, it was tasty and luckily there were no lines. I don't know if I would stay in line for these waffles but they were decadent.
Elisabeth - with so many chocolatiers in the area, it really is hard to try them all. I did enjoy the almond lattice cookies. I was very tempted to return and spend more money.
La Comptoir de Mathilde - the first chocolate shop I stopped in and they had a lot of chocolate. I ended up buying a lot of gifts for family from this shop.
Hof van Rembrandt - once in Bruges, stopped at the local brewery and discovered La Trappist beer. Turned out to be a favorite for me. It was also nice to stop and have a beer after walking around all day.
Activities
101st Airborne Museum - small house that was converted to a museum. Some interesting artifacts.
Barstogne War Museum - nice museum focusing on the human interest perspective of the war. Lots of dioramas and videos.
Bruges Beer Experience - I didn't actually go to the museum spot. It was a nice break from the weather to drink in the pub area.
Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History - Learned some interesting facts about WWI and WWII. Given the location of the country, much of the fighting occurred in the area by other countries (France and Germany). They seem to have an unbiased viewpoint of WWI and WWII.
Autoworld - the largest car museum I have ever been in. At one point, Belgium was the manufacturing capital of automotive production for Europe. Definitely a car culture here.
Belgium Comic Strip Center - I don't know how comic strips were a national cultural item but I appreciated the museum. I also discovered Smurfs originally came from Belgium.
Choco Museum - chain of chocolate shops/museums throughout Belgium. They really really love chocolate.
Marc Sleen Museum - Across the street of the Comic Strip Center is a museum dedicated to a famous Belgium cartoonist.
Smurf Store at Figurine Museum - For those interested in figurines, this is your place. It's so interesting to me that collectibles seems to have a strong presence in Belgium. Is today's graphic novels and cartoonists influenced by Belgium culture? I didn't make it to the inside of the museum but did stop off at the gift shop which is really a Smurf store.
Royal Palais
Cathedral St. Michael - Close to the old city center, this cathedral is an easily accessible spot to visit. The church is still active and the architecture is impressive particularly the stained art glass.
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