Our first visit to Belgium was all about enjoying grand, guilded architecture, walking along quiet canals and consuming some seriously delicious goodies. How can you not like a country famous for chocolate, waffles and fries? We only spent two nights in Belgium, which was just enough to make us long to come back one day. We took the train from Paris to Brussels, where we had a bit of trouble storing our luggage in a locker at the train station, and got a bit lost trying to find the Grand Place. The effort was more than worth while though, when we walked around a corner into the stunning gold-plated, over-the-top square. We spent a couple of hours soaking in the beauty, and of course trying our first Belgian frites with mayo and Belgian waffles with decadent toppings. Then we caught a train to the smaller, and quainter, city of Bruges. The train itself was an adventure, as we meandered through cute little Belgian villages with farms full of animals, and we decided on the next trip we will rent a car and explore these backroads. Bruges was even cuter than we had hoped, though you need to be prepared for the day tripping crowds. The architecture is beautiful, and with enough effort you can escape down back alleys to have a bit of peace and quiet. We enjoyed one of our favorite evenings of the trip here, sitting in the main square at sunset, watching the lights come on and enjoying a box of fresh Belgian chocolates we had purchased from a shop we read about in the guide book earlier in the day. We enjoyed some art and music while we were there, but mostly we just enjoyed the beautiful canals and old-world feel. Below are photos of some of our favorite Belgian memories.