Thanksgiving in Belgium

This past weekend, I experienced the Thanksgiving holiday away from home for the first time in 21 years. Luckily, I was still fortunate enough to spend it in Belgium with my friend Jacob. 

Brussels is the capital of Belgium. It is a city that has a rich history that is visible through its various art and architecture. Some of the most popular tourist attractions in Brussles include the Grand Palace and the Cathedral of Saint-Michel. 

I flew into Charleroi, a city just outside of Brussels, from Prague Wedneday night. The flight took a little over an hour. Jacob flew from Berlin, where he is currently studying. Upon our arrival late Wednesday night, we didn't see much of the city, as it was dark and we were tired. After checking into our hostel and went to a Chinese restaurant for a late dinner. Though unconventional, the food was good. 

On Thursday, we explored the more tourist heavy parts of the city including the Grand Palace. By dinner time, we set out to find “American” style food, which ended up being fast food burgers. 

On Friday, we went to Bruges, a city one hour outside of Brussels and possibly the most beautiful place I’ve been other than Cesky Krumlov. 

There, we saw the popular Christmas market, and tried the notorious Belgian Waffle. It was not was I was expecting, but in the best way. I could try to describe the taste and texture, but I wouldn’t be able to do it justice. 

We ended our night at Bruges Beer Experience, where we tried about 9 different beers.

Overall, I really enjoyed my weekend in Belgium. My favorite part about the whole experience was the fact that I was able to communicate in French with everyone, something that I am unable to really do in Prague. Though I wasn’t home for the holiday, I was still very thankful to spend Thanksgiving with a friend.