French Fries for Dinner? Yes, Please!

 May 25, 2026

Today was our last day in London. We were up and out of the airbnb by 7am so we could make it to St. Pancras station. Some of us were more excited than others to be taking the underwater chunnel to Brussels Belgium. We had to go through security and passport control to get on the train, but unlike the previous day's train journey, this one had guaranteed seats and AC. We settled in for our 3 hour journey. We saw a bit of the London countryside before going into a black tunnel and popping up in the French countryside; eventually making it to the city of Brussels. Our Airbnb was a 30 minute walk from the train station so we decided to brave the walk and see the city along the way. It. Was. Disgusting. There were overflowing garbage cans and garbage lining the streets and sidewalks. I couldn't believe my eyes. Were we really in Europe? Had I really brought my parents here? What was our accommodation going to be like and what were we going to do all day if the streets looked like this

We dropped our luggage at the Airbnb and luckily right near us was an italian eatery that had a packed patio (and no garbage in sight). We sat and had lunch and then dad headed back for a nap while Evan, mom and I sat on a nearby patio and tried some local beers (and an irish coffee) while we planned the next two days of our trip. We wanted to daytrip to Ghent and Bruges and had to book our train tickets in addition to a few other activities. 

After spending the afternoon outside we went to the grocery store to get some essentials for our Airbnb. We had found a top rated restaurant for Belgian fries (because apparently Belgium is known for its fries!?!) and we each enjoyed a bowl of fries for dinner. Mine and mom's had parmesan and caviar and the caviar made it so salty and delicious. I really liked this combo. Dad had green onion, cheese and bacon and Evan had BBQ chicken and cheese. We heard Belgian has the best fries and this place definitely proved true for that. We walked home feeling full and tired.