Wednesday, 20 November 2013

Any Belgian Readers?

I'm trying to find shelter in Brussels for one of my globetrotting Pretend Sons. Anyone have any ideas? Where should the cash-strapped young Catholic gent go when he gets to Brussels?

8 comments:

MCN Hobbs said...

If he's all right with couchsurfing, a lot of my friends have had tonnes of luck with it...

couchsurfing.org/n/places/brussels-brussels-belgium

Anonymous said...

Well, I'm in Belgium, but don't know anyone in Brussels. I don't know lot about the city either. Sorry.

Seraphic said...

He's okay with couch surfing--thank you!

Anonymous said...

The Brothers of St John have a massive old monastery in Rue de Jette with lots of spare rooms. Donation only. Details on St John Community website.

Seraphic said...

Awesome! Thank you very much!

Urszula said...

To him and to any other travelers - I've had luck with airbnb.com as well!

I hope he has fun in Brussels! I personally found it a bit of a gloomy city when I was living there...

Seraphic said...

All I know about cultural life in Belgium is Magritte and Hergé, since obviously Hercules Poirot doesn't count. I imagine Brussels is utterly dominated by European Union business, which probably means high hotel and restaurant prices as eurocrats charge everything to expense accounts the groaning, highly taxed European masses have to pay. Not that I'm bitter. But I'm glad there is a nice monastery that shelters us poor Catholics.

Urszula said...

There are some pretty churches, and the Grand Place and the buildings are it are worth seeing, but otherwise it's pretty much as you described it! With the addition of perennial fog/unhappy people and dirty subways.

Not that I'm being objective. I just didn't particularly enjoy my 6 months there, but apparently that's the turning point where you start to love the city. I left before I could experience that ;)

But oh! The Herge museum in Louvain-la-Neuve! Pretend son should definitely go there!