Surrounded by restaurants, with slick men out the front, trying to grab our attention, we wandered on through trying to choose between everything on offer. I have two rules when it comes to restaurants; Never trust an establishment that has to encourage people to come in off the street with slimy waiters out the front, and always trust a place with fairy lights.
We decided to keep on walking, following the restaurants through the narrow lanes. The streets became smaller and smaller and the buildings overhead blocked out the light.
And then suddenly we came into an open space. I don't know where we had turned or how we had made it, but as we looked up, the looming buildings stared down, delicate gold details catching the sun. We were in the main square, the Grand Place, and magnificent isn't even close to describing it.
It's quite something to stumble into something you weren't expecting. So often you go to a place and know exactly where you are going and what you will see. You stare endlessly at photographs and know the ins and outs of a city before you even step foot in it.
But this, for us, was a shock. Of course, I had flicked through a couple of photos, but Brussels had been a quick stop over. A place of convenience and a gateway to far more beautiful cities. I hadn't thought about how beautiful the city could be.
It was getting close to two by this time, and the eateries were shutting for the afternoon. We decided to grab a Belgian Waffle (something I had been desperate to try since the moment we had decided on Belgium) from a nearby stand and explore the Grand Place for the rest of the afternoon, keen not to miss anything.
The waffle was okay, though disappointing. I had imagined delicate, crispy batter and a rich Belgian chocolate. However, what we ended up with was a little soggy and very sickly. It was completely our own fault for choosing a place so close to the square, where they were churning them out quickly, to queues of tourists who were limited to the main square.
Stomachs lined, and rain starting to gently fall, we decided to take cover in the Grand Place Museum.
With a huge mixture of objects, from early medieval carvings, to tapestries, to pottery and a large selection of art, the museum is well worth a visit. Each room within the building is dedicated to a different array of objects.
Reaching the top floor, the space opened out. An exhibition dedicated to the centenary of the war unfolded in front of us. Flags, clothing and cartoons, of which Brussels is famous for, filled the whole room.
A lot of the items on show were extremely controversial, not just at the time, but now. However it was an insight into the minds of those on the continent, during the period, something that is very rarely seen within British collections.
We ended up spending a good couple of hours in the museum, and I cannot recommend it enough.
As we retreated back to the centre of the square, to find the heavens had opened. We needed somewhere else close to hide from the rain. And a bar seemed the perfect place.
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