Belgium!

My first trip outside the Netherlands was to Belgium - the land of chocolate and beer.  With my friends Paula and Erik, I visited Brussels and Brugge (Bruges in English).  I must admit that my favorite part of Brussels was our trip to the chocolate museum.  The city, of course, had some beautiful architecture and some very impressive squares, but the city was spread out with many different "city centers."  The famous statue "Mannekin pis" was very disappointing.  The locals find it amusing to make a big deal and attract all the tourists to this silly little statue of a peeing boy.  Supposedly, he saved the city from a fire by peeing on it, but I don't buy it.  Atomium, the giant molecule created for the 1958 World's Fair, was actually quite cool.  It was a bit far from the city, but it was fun to see the view from the top and climb through the futuristic nearly vertical hallways.

Brugge has been my favorite city so far.  It is gorgeous, charming, and very romantic.  We climbed to the top of the Belfry (366 stairs) and were able to see a beautiful view of Belgium.  We also went to a brewery tour, tried more chocolates and waffles, and bought lace (which in one of Brugge's claim to fame).  We finished our trip with a boat tour through the canals - a great way to get a final tour of the city.