Spring Break in Belgium & London

It has been a while since making a new entry.. the last entry was in 2023, pointed out my friend when we met at a CNY reunion gathering in 2025. Spring heralded new beginnings and along came my niece to spend her college spring break with us in Belgium. Excited and eager to show her the sights, sounds, food and culture. I introduced her to fries, mussels, cheeses, ice creams, chocolates, delectable pastries and breads. Pain de Quotidien was a hit with her, as she loved the Atlantic Smoked Salmon and Quinoa, with a side of artisanal Nordic rye bread. My forever favorite is the Warm Goat Cheese salad, not to be passed over if you like cheese.
We also introduced her to fine dining at De Normandie, our go-to restaurant for top-notch cuisine. Unknown to many, Belgium has one of the most Michelin-starred restaurants per person in the world. That puts Belgium ahead of France, Netherlands and Singapore. It is no wonder then, that eating well is important to Belgians, whether at home or at restaurants. In addition, Belgium is best known for its 1500 types of beer and artisanal chocolates.
The best part of travelling within Europe is the extensive train network. There are different train ticket formulas for youths, weekend travel and promotions that pop-up to entice travellers to leave their cars behind and take the train instead. Good for the environment and a more sustainable way to go. Daytripping to the cities of Brussels, Gent, Bruges and the seaside. Yes, there's 61km of coastline and it is packed with local tourists in the height of summer. Across the North Sea via the under-sea channel crossing, lies United Kingdom. A must-visit for anyone who likes afternoon high teas, Enid Blyton and West-End Musicals. We took the Eurostar from Brussels to London, departing from Brussels-Midi train station and arriving in St Pancras station in London in just over 2 hours. We stayed at the Bloomsbury Mercure hotel, a mid-class hotel located walking distance to the British Museum, West End, Soho district and Chinatown. On our to-do list were Harrods on Knightsbrige, Selfridges and Marks & Spencer on Oxford street, Waterstones on Picadilly, Hamleys on Regent Street, and several cult fashion labels like Brandy Melville, Primark, Urban Outfitters etc. We also visited London's famous parks, her iconic landmarks like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge and the rest. The National Potrait Gallery and the National Gallery are another not-to-be missed visit. Just be aware to book online your visit ahead of time. I heard that most museums have nice cafés, so do bookshops and department stores. Pity for the not-so-coperative weather, we found ourselves bracing the rain and winds on the few days we were there. Still, we managed to have fun and ate lots of Acai bowls and chinese!

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