Belgian waffles

Guest blogger

Ghent (Gent)

I had the rare opportunity to venture outside the windowless conference rooms of companies and see daylight for once. Luckily I happened to be in Belgium. I spent a couple of days in Ghent, which is a 30 minute express train ride from Brussels. It was the capital of Europe 500 years ago and hasn't changed much since. Gent has a waterway that runs through the heart of the city with restaurants all around. The city has a cathedral every couple of blocks and a medieval castle complete with a torture chamber. The city isn't a very well known tourist destination, but is definitely worth the trip from Brussels.

Brussels

While Gent is the old capital of Europe, Brussels is the new one with government offices for the EU. It combines the old world with the new depending on which part of the city you're in. The centerpiece of the city is the Grand Palace/Market Square, which is an open area surrounded by ornate buildings from the late 17th century. I had the world's best waffles outside a little cafe, though I can't decide if the waffles were better or the ice cream, whip cream and chocolate sauce that came on them. There are many other monuments and important looking government buildings scattered across the city and a garden that I could never track down. The famous fountain is no bigger than a doll and not worth tracking down despite being on every other thing in the tourist shops.

Travel notes

• It's probably worth spending a couple of days in Brussels and a day in Gent.
• The Marriott is central in both cities and both are less than a year old.
• The sidewalks are made of stone in both cities, so it isn't a very good idea to get lost while dragging a suit case around.
• Taxis are surprisingly difficult to track down in Brussels and expensive.
• Flemish looks like English, but the words are twice as long. Every 10th word is recognizable.
• You must check in for your flight 1 hour before scheduled departure. The fact that your flight is delayed doesn't matter. You must show up and wait in the airport.
• Belgium is know for chocolate, waffles, beer, vegetables and diamonds.