Belgian Waffles: They really are THAT good

Blogging while traveling, a lot, is hard. Really hard.

Which means really long blog posts about every single thing I did in said country, with a lot of photos.

That being said….here we go.

 

When Sjors and I awoke at 11am the next day in Gent, we had to check out of our hostel and start heading back to Holland because Sjors had work the next day. But, before we did that, he said we had a little time so we decided to explore Gent for a little bit more. And let me tell you, Gent? Absolutely unbelievable. For such a small city, you wouldn’t expect much. But there was just so much to see. Maybe not a lot to do seeing that it was Sunday, but you keep thinking there’s nothing left to see and then you turn a corner and BAM! There’s more. But what blew our minds the most were the churches. Between the stained glass, wood work, and the size in general, I couldn’t even begin to tell you how extraordinary they were.

 

Before I left on my trip, I asked a few people, if you had to recommend one place in Brussels, where should I go? And I got pretty much the same answer: Bruges and Gent. Although we didn’t make it to Bruges, we heard it was pretty much a replica of Gent, but smaller. So for all of those backpacking and trying to add countries/cities to your list. I am telling you now, Gent is on there (and so is Galway, but I’m skipping 3 countries ahead)

Around 2pm we knew we had to head out, especially with a transfer in Antwerp. So we hopped on the train and headed an hour to Antwerp. I didn’t see much of it since our next train left in about an hour. So we walked around the city really fast, got a quick tour, and then did what anybody should do when they are in Belgium. Grab a waffle. I don’t care if you’re gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, starving, full, or anti-social. Regardless of your status in Belgium, you go find a waffle. And I have to say, the ones in Antwerp Train Station were probably the best possible ones around. We asked a few locals and all of them led us there. I got one with chocolate and whipped cream on top and Sjors got whipped cream and cherries. Yes, you will feel nauseous after eating it, and yes, you will want to go into a deep coma, but you will not regret it one bit. They’re warm, sweet, delicious, and worth every Euro.

5pm and we are on the train to Hilversum, Holland (where Sjors lives), and on the train ride he explains how the railway works in regards to tickets and right now, I am going to try and break this down for any future travelers so you understand because it took me about 2 hours and I hate this system to this day.

TIP: So this card is called the ov-chipkaart (the card itself costs 7 Euro). It works in the same sense as any card or the subway in NYC. You put money on it and you swipe it when you go in. But here’s the kicker. So this card, you have to tap it when you enter the station and when you leave your final destination. Only then will you tap it again and be charged based on your distance (DO NOT TAP IT WHEN WAITING FOR A CONNECTING TRAIN) You MUST tap your card before getting on the train. People come around and check to see if you did (sometimes they don’t show up at all but don’t take that risk), and if you didn’t tap your card prior to entering, there is a 60 Euro fee that you cannot argue. (Luckily I never forgot to swipe). Here’s the semi tricky part. First of all, ALWAYS get the card because if you decide against the card and just buy a ticket every time, you get charged an extra Euro. Also, your card has to ALWAYS have a minimum of 20 Euros on it. So if you put 25 Euros on it, travel from Amsterdam to Hilversum and back, it’s 5.60 so you will be denied entry after that until you put more money on it. If you travel on discount, you only need a minimum of 10 Euros on it. How you get a discount isn’t hard if you are just friendly to anybody on the train. Any student or young adult in Holland gets a discount pass, if you go to the booth and select discount card, you get about ½ off the regular price on the ride but if the person comes around to check your card and sees it’s on discount, they may ask whose discount you’re on. That’s when you have to become friendly. Ask anybody around prior to the train ride if you can ride on their discount. If they say sure, then you’re all set. It’s that simple. But this card helps you save money but is also the biggest pain in the ass ever.

TIP: Credit and Debit cards!!! Some train stations in Holland only accept cards with the chip on the front. Anyone from the US, doesn’t have one, so always have cash on you if possible.

If none of that made sense, you can go to the ticket booth and they will explain everything!

Next up…Amsterdam!