And who would have thought that our very "political" Brussels would also be very interesting to visit? And I imagined it so boring.. 🤔 Small but not even that much, it is, as you already know, the seat of the European Parliament: very modern with many tall concrete buildings but still with a lot of greenery; in fact, parks and groves surround a large part of the city. And then there's him... this sumptuous molecule-shaped structure... basically the symbol of the Belgian capital: the Atomium. Obviously it is worth a visit inside. In fact you can go up and visit the aviation history museum (very interesting especially for those who, like me, have always wanted to become an air hostess! 🤩). Then for those who want there is a restaurant, a playroom for children and of course a panoramic terrace where you can see the city from above (see photo). But Brussels is not just Atomium! In fact, you cannot miss a visit to the main square, called Grand Place, which is majestic yet very concentrated. Very flashy especially in the evening.

Another small symbol of the city is the "Manneken Pisse". A statuette depicting a naked child peeing... nothing special in my humble opinion, but it's famous and we're here... so we just have to go and take a look at it and take a couple of photos! :) Finally, Brussels is also the home of murals... In fact, it is full of them! You can admire them from time to time on the walls of houses while you are walking through the streets of the centre. Furthermore, if you like chocolate you are in the right place! In fact, this city is also famous for its countless chocolate shops! All you have to do is book a flight and go have a nice feast of chocolate in one of the numerous sweet shops in the city! 🤪 Regarding accommodation, this time I booked through Booking.com and our hotel was a simple 3*, but very modern and quite close to the centre. It was called Hotel Siru , I recommend it for the good quality/price ratio.

Like Brussels, Amsterdam is obviously full of greenery. In my opinion the best time to visit is in fact spring. For those who love flowers and nature like me there is no more harmonious and colorful city. With its channels then... if you also catch a beautiful sunny day it's the TOP! For those who know...it vaguely remembers the Navigli in Milan...very vaguely!! 😋 It's just to give you an idea. Imagine them with much less smog and much bigger obviously!! 

We went during the long weekend of April 25th...we arrived directly from Brussels with the Thalys, the fast train that connects the two cities. In this case we did 2 days in Brussels and 3 in Amsterdam. In fact, we left on the evening of the 21st and returned on the evening of the 25th with a combination outbound Brussels Airlines and return Ryan Air to and from Malpensa.

In addition to visiting the city, in this case we dedicated an entire day to a day trip out of town, always booked with GetYourGuide. In fact, I wanted to visit the botanical park of  Keukenhof an hour's drive from Amsterdam. Also in this case we only took advantage of the bus that took us from the city center to the park entrance. Unfortunately we didn't have the ideal day because it was a bit gloomy... but I still fell in love with it!! Tulips...tulips everywhere!! A beautiful combination of colors & smells! And then fountains, lakes, benches... if I have to imagine Eden I imagine it exactly like this! Be careful, it's really huge! Now let me explain why the excursion lasts a whole day!! Furthermore, inside there are kiosks and bars where you can eat something and take a break before continuing to wander around nature. Then obviously when it was time to leave we all met at the agreed meeting point and took the bus back to the city.

We spent the other 2 days visiting the centre... a bit by tram, a bit on foot or by bike, a bit by boat. In fact, we rented bikes (obviously it's a MUST here!), and took a boat tour of the canals. Amsterdam is beautiful from every angle! Furthermore, as usual, during the period in which we went there was an amusement park in the square so I can say that I also saw it from above having climbed on the Ferris wheel!! 😋 Beautiful, colourful, fragrant, lively and yes... even perverse! In fact, here is the famous red light district which transforms at night! Obviously it's not worth it during the day... but in the evening everything changes! In fact, it deserves a night visit... you will be shocked... or at least... that's how it was for me! 🤪 In practice, I highly recommend Amsterdam... and if you think it's only for stoners or drunks who take advantage of it to crash and smoke Marijuana at stag parties or birthdays, you're very wrong! 

Again I booked the hotel via Booking.com. As a city you have to admit that it is a bit expensive! I really worked hard to find her a decent hotel at a "cheap" price. Eventually I came across the Hotel de Munck a 2* hotel near the center that convinced me and I must say I wasn't disappointed at all, on the contrary! It had a sort of hostel feel, especially in the break room which I liked. The room wasn't that great but it was clean and had a private bathroom and that was enough to make me happy! :)