Once we landed in Paris, we knew that we had a tight timeline to catch the RER B (Blue Line) to the Paris Nord train station. We got through Customs pretty quickly – it was really hot and humid in the airport. And from there we quickly ran to pick up our bags and get on the train. Honestly, we thought two hours was enough time – but I would recommend if you are traveling to Paris Nord train station from CDG to allow three hours to get through customs and on the train. That way you aren’t running and breaking into a sweat. 🥵
When we got to Paris Nord it was really unclear on where we were supposed to go. We were looking for monitors, but overall – not a great experience. I should have done more research ahead of time, but we eventually found our train platform. Once we boarded our Thalys train we felt like we could finally relax. It would be an hour and 45 minute train ride at this point to Brussels. You gotta love high speed trains!
We couldn’t check into our Airbnb – so we checked our baggage into luggage lockers. Now that we were in Brussels we decided that it was time to have lunch. Right outside of the Brussels Midi station there are a bunch of cafes. We could see that a storm was brewing – so we based our choice off of which patio had the best umbrellas. It ended up not mattering much, because the skies opened up shortly after we placed our order and we were rushing inside.
The food was okay – and the service wasn’t stellar. However, I want to be fair. They had to move their entire patio indoors in a matter of a minute. So, they will remain nameless. 😉
I had gotten a manicure done a few days before we flew out, but by the time we had landed in Paris it had turned brown. It was a fashion emergency – and honestly, just looked disgusting. I found a nail salon that accepted walk ins and prayed that they would help my case. Even if they could just help me remove the gel.

The salon owner said she could take me – so I ended up switching out the color. Andy didn’t want to participate – so he fell asleep in a chair while he waited. I will say, this owner was extremely fast and efficient. Walked out of there feeling like a new woman!
It was time to check into our Airbnb – the last minute one that I had booked about 12-14 hours earlier. The owner met us there and gave us a quick tour before departing. We freshened up and headed directly to the Grand Place. This is a centra square in Brussels – and it is very extravagant with large elaborate buildings. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.




I had done a ton of reading ahead of time of different restaurants to visit – yes, time for more food. I had read about Mojave Tavern – which served traditional Belgian food. I had the cheese croquettes and Andy had shrimp croquettes. They were delicious, but very rich. I couldn’t even finish mine!

We ate small meals because we knew that we wanted to get a Belgian waffle. We were excited to go to Maison Dandoy – I had seen a lot of good reviews for them. That was technically our dessert – and it didn’t disappoint. Any waffle I’ve had in America could not hold up to this Belgian waffle! So crisp and delicious!


Now that we were refreshed and well-fed we decided to do our own walking tour. We were on the hunt for the Manneken-Pis. The peeing boy – I knew we were close when we rounded a corner to a bunch of people giggling and holding up their phones for pictures. This little boy is from 1388! Supposedly, I’m not sure that anyone is around to ask… this was how many people of Brussels received water. In the late 1600s, the governor gave him his first outfit… and he has hundreds since then!


The storm had cleared and we had a very beautiful night for walking – we also cruised past the Mont de Arts – a public garden. We were dead on our feet and turned back to our Airbnb where we got a restful night’s sleep.

Up Next:
-Road trip to: Luxembourg, Germany, and the Netherlands
-Museum of Luxembourg City
-Fort Thungen
-Wine tasting @ Caves St. Martin
-Valkenburg, Netherlands

































































































