Oops, where have you been girlfriend?

So, we are leaving Brussels, well, we left Brussels, and we are on a bus to Amsterdam, which is in Holland, which is in The Netherlands, which, I did not know. How did we get here you may be thinking... Well, about a week before our trip to Brussels, we realized how close the two cities are, so we were like, "hey let's just make our four day trip a 6 day trip." And that was that; and now we are staying 2 nights in Amsterdam and then taking a bus back to Brussels, to fly back to, what will soon no longer be our home, Barcelona. So there's the back story... I also want to add because this is kind of cool, in a, definitely-can't-do-this-in-America, type a way. Flying is so cheap here, we actually just bought a new flight home from Brussels, instead of changing the departure on the round trip flight we already purchased because the cost to change the departure time cost more than the tickets. I love budget flying!!! We seriously got to get on this America! 

More about Brussels, I really, really, like this city. It's cold, which I hate, (seriously though, nobody likes dry skin) and it kind of smells like urine, quite often actually, which I also hate, but think of it this way, what big city doesn't smell like fresh pee on occasion? Except DC, DC smells like flowers, which I still don't understand how. But if you bundle, and find some Chapstick that doesn't cost 8 euros, (hello, that's $10 american, for Chapstick WTF!?) you can really find some cool attractions here. 

Let's see... My favorite part, like what I truly enjoyed the most, but is a serious tease, is the holiday cheer. That's right, I said it... Holiday Cheer. They are setting up for the Christmas markets that begin next weekend, and it's beautiful. Side note: Christmas markets are apparently awesome everywhere in Europe, and we are trying to figure out how to see some, as in more than 1. Basically they build these tiny wooden houses, and set them up around the market squares and put a big old Christmas tree right in the middle. In Brussels the tree is massive, it's not the fullest of trees, and I suspect, it's not a. Pine, but they deck it out in twinkling led lights. My god, it's beautiful. But seriously it is just so pretty. I can't wait to go back and see if there are massive ornaments to go with the twinkle lights. 

        The vendor booths look like tiny log cabins built 100+ years ago, complete with straw roofs. Ahhh, I can only imagine the Belgian hot chocolate, and slightly carmalized waffles, to come out of there next week -sad panda🐼 I wish I could be there- and of course, despite my obsession with food, there is something I like just as much... SHOPPING! Hundreds of local vendors will set up shop for the month to sell their goods, to the people, who will wrap them up with pretty paper, tie them with a bow, and set them under a tree to give to their loved ones* (*loved ones/those they feel obligated to- despite how much you just want to squeeze them most of the time). Oh Christmas, I love you Christmas, my favorite time of the year. 

Okay, enough about Christmas. Another Belgium highlight is chocolate! Damn, these people really love chocolate; and so do I, muahhahahahaha-(crazy/evil chocolate-induced laugh). You know what else I love, things that are free. You know what's free, chocolate samples. I learned we like dark chocolate best, and even more, if it has crunchy hazlenuts or rice in the middle. Quick tip though, a tip given to us by a local. Go stuff your face with free samples, but then go to a supermarket, and buy a candy bar there. You'll pay half the price for some pretty phenomonal chocolate. 

Oh snap, just got to Amsterdam: let's wrap this up. The shopping is good. There are lots of fun boutiques, with things like a toilet paper dispenser that looks like a Polaroid camera accompanied with Polaroid picture toilet paper. (Please can we get this Noah?!) Another highlight is the saturday flea market. It wasn't huge but what they lacked in space they made up for in the amount of trinkets they could sell in such a small area. So many beautiful antique tea sets, clocks, bronze candle holders, furniture and more. My head was spinning with design ideas for both our home and teenie cakes (coming soon). I wanted everything. But hello, teenie, you are already over your baggage limitations, you can't bring more things home. Oh and surprisingly there is a huge middle eastern populations so go for the halal durum, it will be fantastic.

Okay that's a wrap. Go to Brussels it's really cool I promise. 

Editors note: this was originally written in my journal and published after Amsterdam when we could find wifi.