Brussels

I'm going to be honest with you all: last time I was in Paris, I really wanted to take a day trip to Brussels, but I was too insecure and afraid to travel alone. This time around, after facing my fears and having conquered London and Paris as a solo traveler, there was no excuse for me not to visit Belgium.

Grand Place | Groote-Markt

To be quite frank, I really don't remember much about the history of Brussels or the importance of any of the monuments I saw. During my walking tour, I was mostly distracted by the pouring rain and how hungry I was. Every street I strolled down emanated the mouthwatering scents of fresh Belgian waffles, savory fries and sweet melted chocolate. I can say with absolute certainty that Brussels is the most delicious smelling city I've ever visited. I imagine it to be exactly how Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory smells. That within itself is worth a visit to Brussels.

Manneken Pis, voted the world's most "disappointing" tourist attraction

Needless to say, the highlights of my day trip to Brussels were finding gluten free Belgian chocolate cake, stuffing myself with fries (do not call them "French" fries there... the people of Belgium take full credit for inventing these greasy, addictive treats), and making many trips to charming chocolate shops with arguably the best cocoa I've ever tasted in my entire life. When I wasn't stuffing myself with ridiculously unhealthy snacks, I got lost in the stunning architecture of Grand Place/Groote-Markt, explored the quaint shops within the city center, and admired the unique street art that adorns otherwise barren buildings.

Voluntarily sacrificing one day in Paris is a very big deal to me, but I can say without a doubt that taking a day trip to Brussels was well worth it. 

Typical Belgian treats

Mercado de San Miguel

Mercado de San Miguel is undoubtedly one of my favorite spots in Madrid. It's really no surprise, considering this place is foodie heaven. I could spend hours wandering around the various stalls and trying all of the different treats. Need a glass of wine? Craving paella? Just want to snack on some gourmet cheese and chorizo? Mercado de San Miguel has all of the delicious goods you could ever dream of. 

Not to mention: this place is absolutely gorgeous. It may not be as vast as the famed Boqueria in Barcelona, but it's certainly much more beautiful. This bustling market has done a fine job of winning over my heart (and my stomach). 

Un Petit Picnic Parisien

While I was in Paris, my friend Mila came to visit and we rented the cutest apartment in the 15th arrondissement through Airbnb. On Mila's first day in Paris, it was pouring down rain. (Okay, so, it pretty much rained the whole week, but this day was especially bad.) We spent a good half of our day drenched and spiteful of the Seattle-esque weather. 

As we settled into our apartment, it became increasingly evident that wine was much needed. And since it's Paris, you can't have wine without cheese. And if you're going to buy cheese, you might as well try three different kinds of delicious French cheese. And if you're going to get that much cheese, you should probably also get proscuitto, caprese and sun dried tomatoes...

You see where I'm going here? 

So, we had the most delightful, mouthwatering, perfect little picnic on the charming balcony of our darling French apartment. Living like locals really isn't so bad.