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).

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.

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.

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 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!

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.

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

The best of 2017

It was a funny old year - I won't lie, it's been more downs than ups. But after seeing other people reflect on their highs and lows of the year, I thought I'd take a look at the highlights of 2017 - because it wasn't all bad you know!

First up - regular readers will know how much I love Smurfs and the wonderful friends I've made through collecting these little blue guys for over 40 years (how long?!?).

In March, we descended upon Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent for a day of smurfs, laughter and fun.

In June we spent a lovely week in Devon where we revisited old favourites and discovered new ones - I spent far too much time on the dodgems....

I found there were beautiful places on your own doorstep if you look hard enough.

I got to drive a posh new car for a while - which made me realise how short I was every time I got in it and couldn't see out the rear window...

I attended the M&Co AW press day in London and caught up with friends old and new.

Also in London we went to the Star Wars Identities exhibition at the O2 and I found out which Star Wars character I would be (a pink furry Ewok - obviously!).

We decided a break was in order in September so took a week travelling north to visit some of the places we always said we'd go and see 'one day'.

 Bamburgh Castle

 Alnwick Gardens

 Alnwick Castle

 Hartlepool Marina

Middlesborough Transporter Bridge

York - where I discovered I didn't have such a head for heights as I thought...

Luckily the timing of our trip up north coincided with the Curve Fashion Festival in Liverpool which was an amazing day.

In October, France and Belgium beckoned. We've been so many times, it's like revisiting an old friend (and of course, there were more smurfs...)

Blue Paradise Smurf Fair

Falais Castle 

Arromanche

Cherbourg

Cerisy la Foret

So that's my round-up of the year. It's actually been so helpful doing this as it's far too easy to think about only the bad things that happen during the year. And no matter what happens, it's never as bad as you think.

Thanks for reading & a Happy New Year

Cathy

xx