Brussels

Anxious to make the most of our neighbouring European cities, we jump on the Thalys train from Amsterdam and spend the weekend in Belgium. Famous for its waffles, beers and chocolate, it seemed to have the perfect recipe for a calorific extravaganza.

From what we could see, there's two sides to Brussels; the very impressive and well restored touristy parts (which the majority of the pictures below reflect) and the regular slightly run-down everyday Belgium parts (which demonstrate what a city looks like when it has low tax rates).

Hats off to Brussels' Grand Place central square though which is home to some very impressive baroque style buildings, night time lighting effects and an endless procession of camera-toting tourists. It truly delivers the wow factor and you'd be happy to visit the city for this spectacle alone.

We managed all of the culinary delights on offer and can now profess that Belgian waffles with a pint of Stella is about as heavenly as it gets! Another must-see destination is neighbouring city Bruges which is on our to-taste list. Bring it on!