Postcard #1
Christmas; my favourite time of year. I had always wanted to visit a traditional European Christmas Market, and this year I decided to make that dream come true. Belgium had been on my bucket list for years, and with such high praise towards their Christmas markets- as well as their famous waffles and chocolate- it made perfect sense to travel here for my second solo trip of the year.
As soon as I stepped foot into Brussels Grand Place, I was in heaven. The streets were beautifully lit, and simply walking around admiring the blending of old and new architecture was stunning. As I continued to explore over my trip, I fell more and more in love with the city; I was lucky enough to stumble across a performance of dancing wooden puppets, magical shopfronts decorated with traditional Christmas decorations, as well as Brussels' famous bronze urinating statues.
Of course, I must also mention how delicious the waffles were, by the end of my trip I think I had eaten one everyday!
Postcard #2
Similarly to my previous trip, I booked myself on another tour to explore more of Belgium's 'Fairy-tale' Cities: The first stop of the tour was Ghent; a city traditionally known for its medieval architecture, and confluence of rivers once traversed by the Vikings. The buildings were stunning to photograph, and viewing the city over its countless bridges was extraordinary. In my travels, I've found that there is nothing quite as beautiful as the untouched architecture you can find in Europe, and this tour was the perfect example.
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Bruges is another perfect example of this. The city captured me as if I had stepped into an old Disney movie. There were horse drawn carriages, willow trees along the river, and of course the traditional coloured buildings- with roofs designed as if they were shaped using a cookie cutter! On a boat tour across one of the canals, the city sparkled with golden lights and had such an overall sense of warmth. Our last stop was the Christmas markets, where once again the decorations and atmosphere could only be described as magical.
Postcard #3
You can't go to Belgium without visiting the world famous Atomium. The UNESCO world heritage site is located just outside of Brussels, and is definitely well worth a visit for what lies inside! As well as learning the history of the building through various architectural sketches, the views from inside each 'atom' were spectacular. Unfortunately I visited on a rather stormy day, but I can only imagine how popular this attraction must be during the warmer seasons.
An unexpected surprise from inside the Atomium, was the countless LED light displays and presentations. Each floor had a different atmosphere and concept created through the lights, and it left you fully immersed within each floor. It shows how a building that was originally designed in 1958 as a place to inspire scientific research, is in fact still achieving this goal through more modern ways of technology. Even if you're not largely interested in science or the concept of the 'Atomium', I promise you this is a spectacle worth visiting!
