It is time to go back to the beginning of the trip. Immediately after returning I made a point to highlight my time visiting Cantillon, then moving on to various spots in Italy without ever making mention of the rest of our time in Brussels.
The truth is that I loved Brussels and Bruges and just being in Belgium overall. Though I have to think it will not happen (since there are so many other places to visit) I would love to go back to Belgium someday both to be in Brussels again and also to see more of the country that we did not get to this time.
On the whole the people in Brussels were very pleasant and that went a long way to making us feel comfortable. Our hotel was great (including the surprise balcony), the food and the beer (of course) were wonderful, and the city was simply enjoyable to be walking around in. Had we known the travel hell that awaited us as we passed through Paris we definitely would have stayed another night in Brussels.
Sante!
So many memories…yours and mine!