Discovering Brussels: Toys and the Botanique

Today the weekend was finished. Bye weekend, see you soon!!! And I had an amazing weekend. I did like a million things! So I thought I will write about it because it was too good to just leave it in my head ^^

Every first sunday of the month several musea are not only open but also free! So I looked which one can I do? Not too serious please, it's sunday... So I choose the toy-museum. Yes sometimes I'm a child, I love to play. And trust me: the museum is amazing! Even all the noise of the children is acceptable over there. 

What do you find in the museum? Very very old toys in all kinds of colour, size, shape, ... it's beautiful. The antique overthere makes you wonder where all those details are now. Everything is flat, without a history and not given a history. We buy and throw away. But all those children they didn't care. They liked it! And even the adults like it ;)

So after our back-to-our-childhood-and-long-before-trip we decided to go to the Botanique. It's one of the most beautiful parks in Brussels in my opinion. The nature, oldness of the 'Botanique' and the modern buildings surrounding it, are in perfect balance. The first part is in Art-deco style (I think, I'm not an expert) and the second part is more forest-like. They also have a lot of special trees in the park which give it a bit a secret-forest/fairytale spirit... Or maybe I'm easily impressed by trees I don't know. That's also possible ^^ But I can certainly recommend it! The metro stops at the park so it's really easy to reach :)

Reminisce about 2013

Today, the second of January 2014, is a good day to reminisce about 2013. The big excitement about this new year is cooling down everywhere and I'm glad about it. Welcome back Calmness... So I thought, let me take some time to look at past year.

For me there are 2 main words for 2013: costs and amazing. Maybe it's a little bit a strange combination but that's how it is. I bought a car so that took a lot of 'I-could-do-3-travels-with-this-money'-money. And if I put the other costs of it (contribution, assurance, ...) I'm about 5 travels I think!!! It's eating my money si it's a moneymonster. The mean nephew of the cookiemonster... And I don't know which one I prefer because I'm not a big fan of monsters. Except of those of Monsters and co. So hilarious and cute!

But at the other hand 2013 was an amazing year. I made a beautiful trip to Italy. You can read about it in 'Trotting', if you not already did it! Italy was amazing. The country is beautiful, I tasted some real good food overthere, I loved the ice-creams and I enjoyed the conversations with all those lovely people I met. People from all over the world: Korea, UK, United states, France, Haïti, Japan, Italy (of course), .... It was amazing. And sometimes it's just so good to take time for yourself. I can only promote it. Take that bag, just plan the essentials  (and no, sleeping places are not one of it) and go on your own to places you wanted to go. And change plans if you get other ideas, other I-wanna-see's, ... Just be sure you can't be kidnapped. Except if you really dream about it but I'm not really in into those things... :)
I also met some lovely far-away-people here in Belgium. That's nice about couchsurfing but also having other friends who travels and make you meet their met-on-travel-friends! I really had such a lovely time with all of them.

But ok, I said earlier that the car is a moneymonster but I got my drivers licence and that's really great. A new and official danger on the road ^^ I first didn't want a car but oh my god, it's so easy. I must admit it. But I still like to take the metro in Brussels or just go by foot to the city. You meet people, you see different stuff, you discover the city in another way.  And that's great too ^^

And at the end, I met my partner in crime. Travel-lover: check. Food-lover: check. Funny/childish: check. Serious when necessary: check. Make me laugh that my stumach hurts and he thinks that my body is producing his own special drugs: check! Prefer hotel above couchsurfing: sadly, check :( But all the rest is good so I just gonna forget that.

So, I can conclude that I had an amazing year. With lovely friends, my car, the fantastic we had in Belgium and a lot of fun. I hope to you all that you had a great year and that you will have a great year.

Big hug and kisses, Me.