Bruxelles, par moi-même

Day 4

This day marked the first of my solo adventures. I have never travelled alone before; the most I've done was take a flight by myself.

I had a 6am train from Amsterdam Centraal to Bruxelles Midi aboard the Thalys. I sleepily lugged myself to the ferry and hopped over to the station. It was too early for me to feel hungry, but I did notice that my ankle, which had felt sore the evening before, had not improved with rest.



The first thing I noticed in Brussels was the security - there were soldiers with armed rifles patrolling the station, and it definitely changed the vibe of the area.

I made my way to my hostel and dropped off my luggage and had a quick catch-up chat. Then I was off to explore!






I'll just let you know now - I got terribly lost. It was also around this time that I realized my ankle was starting to affect my walking, and it was going to need some attention.




After finally making my way to the main square, I found myself amidst the splendour of the Grand Place.




One thing I noticed is that when I travel alone, I get asked to take photos for other people a lot more.



The volatile situation in Europe was even more apparent near the major attractions. There were police vans at every corner, and inside each sat about ten or so officers, waiting. It was definitely jarring to see such a heavy police presence on just a normal day.





My ankle was giving me a lot of trouble, so I decided to head back to the hostel and check in so I could rest for a little while. I had been on the look out for pharmacies or a drugstore to buy some sort of ankle support; when I finally found one, there was a bit of a communication barrier as my French is seriously lacking. I ended up with a €16 Volataren gel.




I finally felt hungry enough to eat, and had two meals in quick succession: frites with garlic sauce and curry ketchup, and a waffle with ice cream. There were street performers right where I was eating, and it was then I really felt I had stepped into another world.




I was freezing cold after eating ice cream, and the weather began to drop further. I decided to head home before the skies got too dark, and of course... got lost finding my way back.

Now I can see just exactly how lost I get, courtesy of Google Fit. 6 hours of active time and 36 000 steps in Brussels!