Brussels

Home of Tintin & Poirot!
Reading - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Listening - Crowbar by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

Podcast - Love Stories (01/02/19 - Jessie Cave)

When I took Chris on a weekend trip to Lisbon last September as a birthday surprise, it was the first time he saw how affordable a city break could be. Wasting no time he was browsing for flights at the airport on the way home, and found a cheap return journey to Brussels in March with perfect times meaning we wouldn't need any time off work. We kept an eye on it and booked on just after Christmas, and I found a well located boutique hotel for less than 65 quid a night.

March rolled around and I managed to score an early finish at work very last minute, so we decided to make the most of the bonus extra time and reserved spaces in the airport lounge prior to our departure. Our flight wasn't until 7.45pm so we booked 3 hours from 4pm to eat and drink to our hearts content. 

We landed at Charleroi airport and had pre-booked spots on the Flibco shuttle bus into the centre of Brussels, which took just under an hour. From there we jumped in an Uber to our hotel, Le Berger. It is an old meeting house for when married individuals wanted to do the dirty, and as such is very decadent with plush decor; a taxidermy peacock stands by the entrance, chandeliers hang and velvet drapes adorn the dark walls, and there is a secret elevator. It was right up my street, and we made it just in time for a margarita at the bar (with the most beautiful mural) before last orders at midnight!

The following morning we were still in work mode so woke early, and made the most of it by getting out and about in the reasonably mild weather. I'd found a place called Kaffabar to try for breakfast that was a 25 minute walk from our hotel, but it gave us the opportunity to have a gander at our surroundings, and we were greeted by the most amazing English bulldog called Marcel snoozing on the mat upon our arrival! We both chose continental style platters, with granola, fruit and yoghurt, and Chris went for a larger one that also included cheese, bread, hummus, and a pastry along with some much needed coffee.

We had booked onto a free walking tour at 1.30pm with Viva's Tours, so just spent a couple of hours beforehand ambling along the streets, popping into a few shops along the way until we met with our group at The Grand Place. It was fantastic, with the right amount of history, humour and beauty, and we covered all the main sites including Manneken Pis, The Saint Nicholas Church, Rue de Bouchers, La Bourse and St Hubert's Galleries. Being born in Brussels and still a local, the guide was also able to recommend some cool places for us to come back and visit that evening, an added bonus. When the two hours was up we ended at The Royal Palace overlooking the park, which was beautiful and a great photo opp.

As it was mid afternoon by this point, we decided to grab a bite to eat at a funky health food place called Tich, and then return to the hotel for a nap (crucial on a city break!) to prepare for heading out that evening. We ate at a international themed restaurant I had found online that looked great for veggies called Le Cercle des Voyageurs (The Circle of Travellers); the decor was almost as boujee as our hotel and we pushed the boat out by having three courses. 

To begin I got grilled aubergine with tofu and feta, and Chris had cheese croquettes, although we shared them both. They were quite pricey for starters at 12 euro a dish, but since it had been a cheap trip so far we cut ourselves some slack, and it was delicious food to be fair. For main we both went Asian fusion; I had sesame crusted salmon with teriyaki grilled vegetables and Chris got a Thai vegetable curry. We got the trio of desserts to share to end the meal, which included a Belgian chocolate mousse, lychee creme brulee and coconut pannacotta. It was genuinely one of the best dining experiences I have had; top notch gastronomy, a cosy and intimate atmosphere without being overly romantic, and stunning interior design. It was the perfect place for us!

After we had settled up, we walked to Cafe Des Halles, a big glass market hall that we had briefly visited earlier in the day on the tour, when it took on the guise of a cafe, deli and art gallery/ event space. We had been urged to return in the evening, when a DJ appears, the bar serves cool cocktails, and deckchairs are arranged to sit on, so we enjoyed a drink and soaked up the buzz of the place. Our final stop that evening was Moeder Lambic, a traditional Belgian beer hall, also another suggestion from our guide, where I enjoyed my first beer of the trip! 

In the morning we queued for over half an hour for breakfast at a place called Peck 20, but boy was it worth it! We had discovered it online (there are three other variations in the city) and when I saw that it was 5 minutes from our hotel and served savoury Belgian waffles I was completely sold. I had the leek waffle with 2 poached eggs, cheddar cheese and 'Psycho Sauce' (a kind of creamy chipotle), whilst Chris had the portobello mushroom waffle with eggs, spinach and the same sauce. After we had eaten we had a look around some of the vintage clothes shops, including one called Melting Pot Kilo where they sold items by weight, where Chris got both a denim Zara coat and a cool shirt with leopard print fur shoulder patches for €15! 

We had a quick afternoon break at Le Roy D'Espagne that my friend Emily said made the best hot chocolate (she wasn't wrong) and once we had bought all the chocolates and taken all the photos, we stopped for some classic Belgian mussels at Taverne Greenwich before ordering an Uber to the airport for our flight home.

We had such a fantastic weekend, with the ideal combo of indulgence, fun, culture and relaxation. I will definitely be recommending the city to anyone I know looking for a cheap city break.

Breakdown

Flight - £53.50 (inc hand luggage) - Ryanair

Airport shuttle -  £25.06 (return) - Flibco

Accommodation - £64.09 (2 nights based on 2 sharing) - Le Berger through Booking.com

Spending money - £188.15 (inc return airport taxi between 2 & airport lounge)

Total = £330.80

Krakow

#ellhen!
Listening - Temperature by Sean Paul
Podcast - Guys We F*cked (11/01/19 - You'd Rather Give a Bl*wjob Than A Gift?)

My lovely mate Ellie got married in April, and of course what is a wedding without a hen party? She decided early on that Krakow would be our destination, and having never even visited the country of Poland I was well up for an adventure there. The troops were rallied (13 of us to be precise) and thanks to Ellie's masterful organising skills everything was planned to perfection, which was a welcome change as I am usually chief coordinator of all the travelling I do!



We rendevouz-d with the whole group at the airport, but a few of us had congregated at Ellie's beforehand for a couple of swift gin in tins pre- journey. The flight went smoothly and we had a mini bus waiting to take us to our air b&b when we landed. It was a fair distance away, so we bagsied beds and retired to sleep pretty much instantly.

In the morning a few of us volunteered to go to the local supermarket for some breakfast stuff, snacks, and booze for pre-drinks that evening. We got absolutely loads and I can't believe how cheap it all was! We had a monster buffet with pastries, fruit, eggs, cereal; and then left the house and wandered through pretty Market Square into the Jewish quarter of the city where we started a free walking tour. 

I say started because after about half an hour some of the group were too cold so went off for hot chocolate, followed by the rest of us soon after as we had grown a little bored with the none too charismatic guide. We gave the guy a small tip to make us feel less guilty, and then sacked it off in favour of traditional Polish open sandwiches called zapiekanka and salted caramel churros from a nearby market which were delicious!  

We met up with the rest of the group in a bar/cafe called 2 Okna where I had a mulled wine and thawed out before we headed back to get ready for our first night out. We did a cocktail making class at a cool bar called Scandale Garden, where we got to make a Bramble, a Strawberry Sour and a Dark 'n' Stormy (all definitely generous with the measures) and had a few shots before moving on to a club called Opium for the rest of the night. 

It was a classic uni style club with super cheap drinks, (12 shots for less than a fiver anyone?!) questionable clientele and all the dance classics pumping, so of course we couldn't resist asking for some Sean Paul bangers. Rather worse for wear and with aching feet, we set off for home in the early hours of the morning after demolishing a Polish spin on takeaway chips. A couple of us opted to walk rather than taxi, which obviously meant that we ended up getting completely lost and rolling in an hour later than everyone else! 

On the Sunday we had a spa day booked at Lesne Spa, so a minibus arrived to whisk us away for a day of pampering. We had a couple of glasses of fizz, and relaxed in the jacuzzi, sauna and steam room before each getting an individual massage which was exactly what was needed after a night on the tiles.

That evening we had a slightly more refined night, starting with a three course meal at a gorgeous restaurant in the main square called Wesele. It was very decadent inside with a mirrored ceiling, wood panelled walls and floral decorations everywhere, and the service was excellent. I had the trio of sheep cheese to start, followed by lentil pierogi (Polish dumplings) in mushroom sauce, and finally dessert was apple pie, all of which were well presented and very tasty. Afterwards a small group of us continued the celebrations with a drink in nearby bar Budda before we joined the early birds back at the apartment.

Our final morning dawned and we packed our bags ready to check out. Luckily the owner of the air b&b was happy to look after our cases until we had to leave at 3pm, so we dropped them off and went for breakfast at a very Instagrammable cafe called Zalipianki. I had a carrot, apple and orange fresh juice and a mushroom, cheese and spinach omelette, clearly trying desperately to get back on that health train!

We walked up the hill to the castle where there is a famous dragon sculpture and perfect views of the city and across the river. After multiple group photos we dispersed to go shopping or for coffee and cake; I tried on a few things in Zara before giving up, and bought a salted caramel doughnut dipped in white chocolate from a cute pattisserie. We went back to collect our bags later and the minibus returned to transfer us to the airport to fly home.

My first experience of Poland was a very positive one; friendly people, lots to see and do, and helped infinitely by how cheap everything was. I shall almost certainly be back!

Breakdown
Flights  - £92 (inc assigned seat & hand baggage)

Accommodation - £70 (3 nights based on 13 sharing)

 Spending Money - £105.50 (inc taxi one way between 5 & airport spending)

Misc - £89 (spa day, cocktail making & transport)

Total = £356.50