Play. Shop. Eat. Belgium

Belgium offers a lot of old world charm. And their chocolate is heavenly. If a trip to Brussels, Belgium is in your future this list will help you discover how to play, shop and eat in a city (and country as a whole) that learns three languages in school (Dutch, English and French). Don't be surprised to hear them speak French before Dutch, especially in the Southern end of Belgium! A local lace shop owner told me that the Northern end speaks Dutch (they are called the Flanders) and the Southern end speaks French (they are called the Walloons). And the Flanders and Walloons cannot stand each other. Ironic, no? I was surprised that a Dutch country would speak French.

Play
This first stop will "wow" you. Not to be missed. The second you arrive go to the Grand Place (Market Place). Gawk, snap pictures, gawk, capture it on video, gawk, discover a street artist mimicking its surroundings and then gawk some more. You will not forget standing in the middle of this majestic place. Ever.

Shop
Belgium is all about lace and chocolate. And the Saint Hubertus Royal Gallery is a perfect place to start. It's a glass covered outdoor mall that is breathtakingly beautiful in person. (Enter through the Rue de la Montagne or Rue des Bouchers, 1000 Brussels.) Be sure to walk in the Topismes book shop (pictured above) it's gorgeous.

Eat
There are a plethora of chocolate shops to explore in the land of Belgian sweets that's known for the Belgian waffle. And for those who love beer the Delerium Cafe offers over 2,000 on tap. And the streets around the Saint Hubertus Royal Gallery offer a ton of one-stop restaurants. The owners will try to lure you in. A lot of them serve mussels and french fries. Not sure why that combination is popular, but it's popular there.

Read more Play.Shop.Eat posts.

Photo: CopyStrands