City life.
This review isn't about
a thing we've been testing, nor is it about a collection of things
you can buy. Instead, this is a look at a flight, a hotel, and at a
European capital city. In the first of our destination features we
take a leisurely wander around the Belgian capital of Brussels.
Why? Well, our good
chums at bmi Regional offer regular, inexpensive and quick flights to
the city, departing from Newcastle International Airport. Our Editor
Howard had the opportunity to try the route out, spending a couple of
days in Brussels, before returning back to Blighty. Here's what he
made of it:
If somebody offers you a free flight anywhere, you'd jump at it, right? I did just that when bmi Regional told me all about their flights from Newcastle to Brussels; a city I had never been to, nor really knew all that much about. With my bag packed, and with no real idea of what to expect, I headed off.
Newcastle Airport is a
relatively small and uncomplicated place, yet they offer flights to
pretty far-reaching destinations. From check-in to moving through
security and waiting at the gate, there is very little walking to do
and I was set to board the early morning flight without the airport
part of the journey having been a big, time-consuming deal.
However, what was a big
deal was the aircraft bmi Regional used for the flight... or rather a
small deal. It was the smallest jet I'd ever been on, with only about
30 seats, and a row of single seats along the left side of the cabin.
It felt more like a first class train carriage than a plane, with all
seats having plenty of leg room and aligned with the windows. It reminded me of a private jet, but one I shared with a bunch of strangers. By the way - did you know you can have fractional private jet ownership (although you don't NEED it to fly private if you know what to look for)?
Although the flight was
scheduled to take 1 hour 25 minutes, it only actually took an hour.
During the flight the single flight attendant served drinks and hot
sandwiches (definitely welcome at 6.30am), and was very chatty and
friendly. The route between the two cities takes you mostly over the
North Sea, but there was some great scenery to spy as we took off
over Newcastle and came down over the windmill and solar panel-filled
landscapes of Belgium. It was a smooth flight that was made all the
more exhilarating due to the aircraft's relatively small size.
Brussels Airport is a
bit of a beast, being a connecting point for flights from every
corner of the world. However, once through border control it was a
short walk to the airport's subterranean train station, and only a 20
minute ride to Brussels Central, right in the heart of the old city.
But I wasn't staying there, so first I trudged on out to the more
modern European Quarter to the east of the city, home of the EU
Commission and the European Parliament. There I found my hotel, the
Aloft Brussels Schuman.
The hotel is probably
one of the most unique I've ever stayed in, and that was apparent
even from the reception area. The Reception desk is circular, and
most of the staff were walking around informally anyway, chatting to
guests as they went. The Foyer, bar, restaurant, and breakfast area
are all open-plan, and there is even a closed off quiet space to the
rear for meetings and for guests to do some work. Dogs are welcome at
the Aoft Brussels, and there is even a welcoming dog bed for your
pooch to rest in while you check in.
The room was clean,
minimally appointed, and decorated with unique, locally-themed art
works. Mine was a huge mural of Belgian chips, something that I would
come to learn are very important here. As I entered the room the TV
screen came to life with a nice welcome message with my name on it,
and I discovered had my very own pod coffee machine. Which, after an
early morning flight, was a very welcome sight.
The room features a
walk-in shower area, toilet with sliding door, wash basin area open
to the room, and also a safe big enough to accommodate a laptop. In
the room proper there was a king sized bed with plenty of pillows, a
desk area with phone and light, a short sofa beneath the large
window, and also a fridge. Business types (or indeed any normal human
alive today) will be happy to learn that he Aloft Brussels Schuman
hotel's WiFi was the strongest and most reliable of any hotel I've
ever been in. And it was free.
Once settled in the
room I headed out into the city. The Schuman area is right in the
centre of the European Quarter, so if you're travelling to Brussels
for business at the EU, you're laughing. However if you're there to
see the old sights of the city you'll first have to walk about a mile
or so to do so. There is a Metro station just around the corner from
the hotel, named, appropriately, Schuman, but I never bothered with
it, enjoying the walk into the city instead. As I mentioned in the
film, the EU area is noticeably void of many shops, although there is
a handy convenience store right next to the hotel.
The old part of the
city is a fascinating mix of the old and the new. I walked by the
immense and grand Royal Palace one moment, and through a
glass-ceiling shopping mall the next. Everything is crammed in tight,
but because the city is largely flat it was easy enough to navigate.
The very centre of the city is a maze of tight ancient streets and
confusing shortcuts that take you through and under other buildings,
so I heartily recommend either a clear and simplified map, or plenty
of power on your phone for Google Maps. I used the latter throughout,
and never felt like having my expensive smartphone in my hand most of
the time was a risk. The city felt like a safe and friendly place all
of the time I was there.
Eventually I found
myself wandering into the Grand Place. This is the de facto centre of
Brussels, and certainly houses some of the city's most charming older
buildings. It is a pretty place to be during the day, but at night
the square comes alive as people fill the few bars and cafes that
line the edge. In fact, the same can be said for the whole of the
city, as Brussels at night takes on a livelier feel.
That isn't to say that
people are bashing around, going from pub to pub, and being crazy –
as in the UK – but rather it felt like night time was Brussels'
natural time to shine, and shops and cafes stayed open till late.
Again, walking from the centre of the rowdy city and back through the
quieter districts to my hotel never felt intimidating.
The Aloft Brussels also
came alive at night. As the furniture in the reception-cum-bar area
was all modular, the space itself actually changed to accommodate
revellers. The bar is open to both guests and non-guests, and some
evenings even feature live music. The atmosphere was great, and the
cocktails were delicious – something the staff were keen for me to
try. Were they trying to get me drunk, I wonder? Well, hotels are
pretty sexy places...
The next day, and after
enjoying a buffet continental breakfast of fruit, pastries, cold
meats, and Belgian waffles, I headed back out into the city, this
time to try the Metro. Brussels' Metro system is pretty good, and I
never had to wait more than ten minutes for a train. The lines seem
to wrap around the centre of the city without travelling directly
beneath it – something the main overground line to the airport
does. I jumped on at Arts-Loi station to travel on line 6 all the way
to Heysel station to visit the Atomium.
I'd only been vaguely
aware of what the Atomium was prior to my visit, always thinking of
it as that big silver atom thing in Belgium. The structure in real
life is pretty striking, being more than 100 metres in height and
still possessing a futuristic aesthetic, despite now being 60 years
old. Entry was a reasonable 12 Euros, with the visit beginning with a
high-speed elevator ride up the central column.
At the top you can
enjoy a panoramic view over Brussels and the surrounding area, as
well as a sit-down restaurant should you wish. Once you've had enough
of the view (which, as someone who isn't from Brussels and didn't
really know what I was looking at, wasn't all that long) you descend
back down to the ground floor, only to them be immediately ushered
back up an escalator. For me, this is where the fun really began as I
explored the different spheres and tubes on foot; some requiring
stairs to access, other using long escalators through tubes with
flashing lights and ominous space-age sounds.
The whole experience
was fascinating and truly bizarre, and the Atomiun has to be the
strangest building I've ever been in. Fans of unconventional
architecture will love it, as will those with a penchant for the
sci-fi ideals of the late 1950s.
With the trip almost
over I headed back into the city and caught a connecting train back
to the airport. Once again the bmi Regional flight was a small plane
with a single flight attendant, and once again the journey was
complete in just one hour – or half the time it takes to get from
York to London on the train, and for less money too. Just saying.
Brussels is a strange
place, I must say. It feels like a totally blended city, with half
the population speaking French and the other half speaking Dutch.
However, every single person I spoke to, be they the hotel staff,
waiters in restaurants, or the police (and soldiers!) I asked for
directions, all spoke clear and fluent English. It feels like the
most appropriate place to have a parliament for a united Europe, as
in the course of just two days I felt like I walked around
representations of all the member states of the EU - and beyond –
in one compact city. It's a fantastic and lively place to spend a
long weekend, and both bmi Regional and Aloft Brussels Schuman are
great organisations to consider to make it happen.
Visit
https://www.flybmi.com/
And find out more about
Brussels at https://visit.brussels/en