This Week I'm Heading to Belgium for the first time!

**photo of Brussels by Barnyz on Flckr CC**

This Week I’m Heading to Belgium for the first time!

My two-month travels and pet sitting assignments around Scotland are just finishing. On Monday, June 10^th I fly to Belgium for the first time, where I’ll begin my 90-day tour around a few select countries in Europe.

By the time you read this article, I’ll actually already be in Brussels, Belgium’s regal capital. But I’m writing this post beforehand, from Glasgow, Scotland, at my last pet-sitting home. Here are my perspectives on my upcoming travels around Belgium..

First of all, it recently dawned on me that my life is about to change rather abruptly and drastically when I land in Belgium. To start with, I will suddenly be dealing with a new currency (Euros) and exploring a country that is not primarily English speaking (Belgians primarily speak French, Flemish and/or Dutch).

I’ll also begin staying at a series of paid Airbnb accommodations during the month of June, rather than having ‘free’ accommodation at peoples’ homes in exchange for taking care of their beloved pets. Which brings up the biggest upcoming change to my daily life: I will suddenly no longer be taking care of any dogs or cats. No more dogs to walk, feed and play with. No more cats to pet and cuddle. For the entire month of June.

I’ll also immediately start visiting dozens of luxury hotels in various cities around Belgium. Suddenly, I’ll jump back into reviewing luxury hotels for a living.

Of all these sudden changes, the easiest will be dealing with a new currency, the Euro. In fact, I more or less consider that a non-issue, a minor adjustment. For one thing, I have used Euros before while traveling around various Eastern European countries in 2019 & 2020.

This small adjustment will just be a matter of remembering the value of the Euro to the $US, rather than GBP that I’ve been using in Scotland for two months. Converting to new currencies is a normal part of international travel, which I’ve grown accustomed to long ago. I’ve had 27 years of experience dealing with new currencies.

The strangest change to deal with will be the lack of pets to look after. I’ve become so accustomed to my responsibilities as a pet sitter that it’s practically ingrained in me now.

Every morning since mid-April, my first task has been to let the dogs out to pee and feeding them breakfast. Then I could get around to my own face washing, yoga and breakfast preparations. Sometime soon after my breakfast, I’ve gone out walking the dog(s) every morning, often also every afternoon.

Then of course, there was giving them companionship and attention throughout the day, playing games, petting and chatting to them, giving them meals, letting them out into the garden, etc.

I’m sure it will be very strange to wake up each day in Belgium and not have any responsibilities to another creature. Just myself. Then again, I’m sure it won’t take long to slip back into my usual (pre pet-sitting) solo morning routines.

Instead, I’ll be busy preparing and heading out to visit two or three luxury hotels each day. Most likely, I’ll find it all be a nice change of pace for a while. After all, I do love visiting luxury hotels!

Getting around in a country where most people don’t speak English will be another huge adjustment. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a country where I don’t speak the language.

Thinking back, I realize that the last countries I visited where I don’t speak the language were Turkey and Georgia, back in 2021. For the three years since then, I’ve been traveling in countries where I can easily interact with locals in their own language, either English or Spanish.

So arriving in Belgium will probably be a bit of a shock for communications. I just hope it won’t be too much of a problem.

My Belgium Itinerary

My travel itinerary and destinations in Scotland were determined solely by the pet sits that I secured around the country. Those took me all around Scotland, to major cities, small beach-side towns, forests and a real Scottish ‘loch’ (sea inlet). So that worked out very well.

In contrast, my itinerary for Belgium has been determined completely by my hotel reviews assignment.

I’ve been assigned 23 luxury and boutique hotels to visit in three major Belgian cities, namely, Brussels, Antwerp and Bruges. So that’s essentially where I’m going during the month of June.

It will actually be a rather quick and bustling itinerary for me, lasting only 2.5 weeks, from June 11th-June 28^th.

First I’ll spend one week in Brussels, then head to Antwerp for five days. That’s followed by another five days in Bruges. That is considerably faster than I’m accustomed to traveling and not my ideal choice.

Unfortunately, accommodation in Belgium is, of course, expensive, so I’ll have to visit each city as quickly as I can. Staying more or less just enough time to visit all the hotels. I do hope I’ll also have the time & energy to explore these three gorgeous cities on the side.

I didn’t intend my Belgian travels to turn out this way. Ever since February I’ve been searching for, and applying to, dozens of pet sits around Belgium during the months of June, July and August. Much to my astonishment, I have not been chosen for any of them!

That’s in great contrast to my experience applying for pet sits in Scotland and Holland, where I’ve secured many pet sits, all rather easily. I have no idea what’s going on with the Belgian (and ex-pat) pet owners? They always seem to pick other applicants.

In the end, as June was drawing closer and closer, I just went ahead and booked Airbnb accommodations, back to back, in the three cities that I must visit in Belgium. So now I’m all set for accommodations.

In retrospect, however, it is actually better that I don’t have to take care of any pets while I’m busy going out to visit hotels every day. That would be like holding down two jobs simultaneously. No doubt it would be exhausting.

So it’s all for the best. And it will probably be nice to have a break from taking care of pets for a short while.

On June 28^th, I head to Rotterdam, Netherlands to begin another pet sit. Most of July and August are filled with various pet sitting assignments around Holland. Most are in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. But that’s another story…

Three things I’m most looking forward to in Belgium

1. Number 1, without question, is chocolate!

In case you didn’t know, Belgium is most famous for its gourmet, hand-made chocolates. Probably the most famous Belgian chocolatier, outside Belgium, is Godiva. I’ve been a Godiva fan since my early 20s, when I first discovered the elegant Godiva Shop on 5th Ave, NYC.

I’ve since been told by various Belgian travelers that they consider Godiva to be one of the lower brand chocolatiers! What?! What could possibly be more exquisite than Godiva chocolate?

Needless to say, for decades I’ve been eagerly awaiting my chance to get to Belgium to sample their very best chocolatiers. I’ve already researched, written down all the best names in chocolate, and located their shops in Brussels, Antwerp and Bruges. I plan to sample gourmet chocolate every day.

Belgian chocolate, here I come!

2. Exploring gorgeous Brussels, Antwerp and Bruges

While researching for my trip to Belgium, I discovered how utterly beautiful these three historic cities are. Each is packed with spectacular & ornate historic architecture. Antwerp and Bruges are also accented by stunning canals, much like Amsterdam, Holland.

I just hope I have sufficient time and energy to admire the many buildings, plazas, canals and neighborhoods in these three charmers.

3. Visiting luxury and boutique hotels

I’ve been earning most of my income from reviewing luxury & boutique hotels since late 2016. Most of them have been in Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Turkey / N Africa region.

This will be my first time reviewing luxury hotels in the major cities of western Europe. I assume that the world’s standards for luxury accommodations originated in, and are still held by, western European countries. So I’m very curious and eager to see how these hotels stack up to those I’ve visited in others countries.

I’m expecting the cream of the crop. BUT, I have experienced some utterly astonishing hotels in Morocco, Istanbul, Brazil, Buenos Aires and Mexico. So I’m also wondering how any hotels could top them. I’ll soon find out and let you know!

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