Southern Yacht

My little take on plus size fashion, life, travel and smurfs

Tuesday 21 August 2018

48 hours in Brussels - something a bit different

What can you do in 48 hours in Brussels?

(Ok - to be exact we actually had 2 and a half days but you get the general idea).

Grand Place, Brussels

Brussels is a city we've visited many times before, so we felt a bit like we'd done all the obvious bits already. This time around we wanted something a bit out of the ordinary, so we planned to visit The Smurf Experience at the Brussels Expo on one day and The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History on the other.

We started off by checking into a hotel which was the most centrally located we'd ever had in Brussels. We wanted the advantage of seeing the city at night while being able to walk back to the hotel (note to future self - cobblestones are a nightmare to walk on, wear sensible shoes). The Ibis off Grand Place fitted the bill perfectly, it really was just a few minutes walk to the Grand Place itself where the evenings were spent people watching, eating ice cream, drinking beer and trying to take half decent photos.

Ibis hotel, Brussels

Grand Place, Brussels

Grand Place, Brussels

It's no secret I LOVE smurfs so of course we had to do a bit smurf spotting around the city. This year is the 60th anniversary of the smurfs so there's just a little bit extra to keep an eye out for. This mural by Brussels Central Station was unveiled in June and if you don't mind hopping out of the way of busy commuters it's fun to spot the Belgium/Brussels themed smurfs.
Smurfs in Brussels

Smurf mural, Brussels

Smurf mural, Brussels

Smurf mural, Brussels

First full day - The Smurf Experience. Now I know this isn't everyone's idea of a good day out, but stick with me. If you remember watching the smurfs on tv or enjoyed the latest movies then you'll love this. I dragged the other half along and at the end he grudgingly had to admit it was better than he thought it would be! It's on until January 2019 and tickets start at 11 euros so if you want something different to keep the little people in your life happy then this is just the thing.

The Smurf Experience, Brussels

The Smurf Experience, Brussels

The Smurf Experience, Brussels

The Smurf Experience, Brussels

The Smurf Experience, Brussels

The next day was The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History. We've been wanting to visit this for years, but always seemed to be in town on a Monday (when quite a few things are closed). This time though, we scheduled in a whole day. Even then, we missed quite a lot - you seriously need 2 days to see everything here.

The building the museum is housed in was built for the 1880 National Exhibition to celebrate 50 years of Belgium independence. It's quite obvious in places that it needs a bit of care and attention but when you have collections ranging from tanks, aircraft, weapons and uniforms, it somehow just adds a bit of character!

Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History

Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History

Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History

If you're not military minded, some of the things that might appeal include a stunning roof top view over the city, a sweet little cafe serving the best cooked lunches and the Parc du Cinquantenaire which the museum is situated in. And at only 5 euros each, it's ideal if you're on a budget or it's a rainy day.

Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History

Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History

That was our 2 and a bit days in Brussels. I'll skip over the bit where we drove through Belgian rush hour traffic (scary) and the joy we felt when the sat nav lost signal (many swear words used). We do love Belgium though and every time we visit we find something new.

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx



SHARE:

No comments

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Blogger Template Created by pipdig