If you like doing science and you love travelling, then you would be happy to know that one of the perks of being a researcher means being able to visit different places and countries while attending various conferences and organized meetings. Indeed, in my case, most of my travelling have been conference-related (except when I go home to the Philippines, which is strictly for personal vacation). It’s not all work, you know, because usually there is always an extra day or two (if you’re lucky) that we normally have “free” to roam about so we can check out the place and see what it has to offer. Of course, my most favorite of all is when I tag along with Baggy during his conferences – that means that I don’t have to work and can spend the whole time for sightseeing. 🙂
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| Maison du Roi (King’s House) at the Grand Place |
As the title suggests, my latest trip was in Brussels. When I first heard about the conference venue, I couldn’t help but ask, what is there to see in Brussels anyway? Nestled between Amsterdam and Paris, it happens to be one of those places you would probably see on a day-trip while touring the more touristy and trendy European cities (like Amsterdam and Paris, for example). It almost felt like the time when I visited Italy for the first time, and I headed to Sorrento (southern area of Italy) instead of going to the more popular Rome or Florence. Not that I had a choice, anyway, mind you. Anyway, having never visited Rome, I wondered if I was “wasting” my trip to Italy by not being able to go outside of Sorrento. I consoled myself with the thought that a visit to Rome merits an extended trip, not just one or two short days.
What I have learned from my travelling so far, is to try and appreciate the place for itself and what it has to offer. Each place will always have something unique to offer that cannot be found elsewhere. Each experience should be relished for its own sake.
I’m not here to try and convince you that Brussels should be on your list of must-see places, but if you do find yourself somewhere near Belgium, you might want to consider visiting it, if some of the things I will list down below would be enough to tickle your fancy.
Having said that, let me list down below, in no particular order, the top six things I loved about Brussels: