Do brands matter? It’s a million-dollar question for its time relevance. Brands matter mainly for quality, trust and performance. However, we, with my friends, grabbed a fantastic deal in Brussels: 92 pounds ($111.60) for the four of us going to and 58 pounds coming back from Brussels.

But our joy vanished, first, the flight was delayed by one hour, and then we had a horrible experience at a hotel in the heart of Brussels. That night, the heavy rain left us with no choice but to hire a taxi at a high cost. Shockingly, the hotel reception had no attendant, nor was anyone there to pick up the phone.

What to do in such a situation? Of course, we ended up paying 220 pounds at the nearby hotel, which spoiled the joy of grabbing a cheap deal. Anything can happen, so don’t let your holiday be spoiled.

The following day, we woke up to a sunny morning; a clear blue sky poured energy and spirit to explore charming medieval Brussels, a city of amazing character, often beckoned as the "capital of Europe."

Every day comes with a new dawn, and hence, the best is to move on! As we stepped into the busiest weekend in Brussels, the challenge was exploring the maximum of it in minimum time. Yasar proposed hiring electric scooters to utilize our time in the best possible way. Thanks to the modern technology that turns imaginary ideas into reality.

Wandering around the city center

Brussels is rich in mobility, which gives you a broader choice to pick from various companies’ bikes and scooters, including Lime, Dott, Bird, Bolt, Tier, VOI, Pony and Poppy. A scooter is a better choice than hiring a cab – economical, fast and fun.

These electric scooter companies offer various packages. All you need to do is download an app on your mobile phone and pay by debit/credit card to get it started.

I had no prior experience of riding an electric scooter, but even if I don’t have any previous knowledge of driving it, don’t worry at all; it’s cool and easy to be piloting.

Each scooter company’s website is specially tailored to train newbies easily. Anyone who can ride a bicycle or a bike can easily drive an electric scooter. The best remedy for declining payments abroad is to inform the bank before departing overseas. This conserves time and, of course, unnecessary embarrassment.

Hotel Europa City is located close to the metro station, tourist attractions, restaurants and high street. If you fancy local traditional breakfasts, then book a hotel without a breakfast deal.

Having breakfast at Candy Licious, located on Passage du Nord Street, I noticed its resemblance to the Victoria Quarters in Leeds. A truly Belgian breakfast should include a Creperie, also written as crepes.

But if you fancy a Turkish or Lebanese breakfast, there are several places in the nearby streets, although slightly expensive but still better choices in the European capital. Remember, foodies, tipping is not a celebrated practice because it is embedded in the bill around 10%-15%.

Too often, walking in European cities, one can easily detect resemblances in the grandeur. As we continued walking towards La Grande Place through the busiest high street packed with shoppers, I noticed street performers offering amazing art, music and paintings.

Grand Place experience

The feeling of standing in the middle of one of the world’s prettiest squares is different than reading about it. One can have a virtual tour, too, but believe me, being physically present there would be a different experience.

How do you describe La Grande Place in words? It's probably a jewel of the City of Brussels. It is undoubtedly an iconic place, known for its decorative and aesthetic wealth, and is surrounded by the City Hall, Maison du Roi, and guild houses.

These historic buildings dating back to the 17th century have so much to offer to the spectators. Feelings in medieval Europe while standing up in the square in present times.

On Saturday, Oct. 17, 2023, La Grande Place invited special guests to witness the Vrije Universiteit graduation ceremony. Honestly, the Brussels trip would be tasteless without visiting La Grande Place.

The adjacent street, Rue Charles Buls, offers traditional waffles, though sugary but mouth-watering and super delicious; one should try them.

Another must-visit tourist place closest to La Grande Place is the Chocolate Museum located at Rue de I’Etuve Street.

Here, I took a picture of a fine piece of art painted on the wall of a building next to the chocolate museum featuring two persons running down with a little dog. As I stood there to figure out the message, my travel partner whispered in my ear, no time to probe into paintings, let’s go!

Thanks to the scooter that carried me to tourist places in Brussels safely and promptly, the European Parliament was next on the list.

We briefly stopped at the Natural Science Museum (Rue Vautier), and to witness a giant dinosaur sculpture at the museum entrance, we rushed to the Parliament.

European Parliament

Weather conditions cannot stop ambitious travelers, so we continued to drive toward the European Parliament. Outside, one can witness a single theme in round-the-clock advertising: democracy.

I lifted my head and started reading the advertising in the rounded square at the entrance. The most striking of all images was on the Russian invasion of Ukraine: "Defending democracy: We will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes."

At the front of the building, a blue frame is waiting for those wanting to capture these moments, and it resembles a portrait. Here, Europe disseminates two powerful words: Humanity and democracy! Everyone appreciates these words, but sadly, in reality, it’s just an untrue dream.

Brussels Royal Palace

Each year, millions of tourists visit the U.K. to witness "historical royal landmarks," and the same is true in the case of the Belgian monarchy. Unfortunately, the dream to observe the magnificent palace in Brussels didn’t come true as it was closed for renovation.

The next opening is programmed for the summer of 2024. But still, one can spend quality time in the adjacent garden, which reminds you of the Buckingham Palace garden, also known as the Memorial Gardens.

In a couple of hours, we visited Square Ambiorix, Square Marie Louise, Le parc du Cinquantenaire, Le Botanique and Leopold Quarter and found time to pray at the Grand Mosque of Brussels.

Our exploration of Brussels came to an end. We parked the scooters near the train station and headed toward Luxembourg.