Brussels wasn't originally on the list of cities that I had hoped to visit while abroad. That said, I stopped there for the evening on my way to Amsterdam to save some money on flights. Luckily, my friend Chris has been living there for three years and happened to be in town!
The plan when I got in was to drop my bags at his office in the city center and walk around and get a quick tour of the sights. When I arrived, the weather was possibly my least favorite kind -- chilly with rain that's almost like mist so umbrellas are useless. So you can guess that our preference was to skip the sightseeing and instead go see what Brussels is really all about. We went to a beer hall with a menu that looked very similar to a phone book, with thousands of beers to choose from! I'm certainly not a beer expert, but if I were - I would have been in heaven there I think. I let Chris do the ordering.
Overall, my time in Brussels was rather uneventful - with the exception of one thing. Chris, who had to leave very early the next morning left a key in the door for me on the inside so that I would be able to come and go the following day before my train. What he wasn't counting on is not being able to unlock his door from the outside when there was a key in the other side. Please see below the following sequence of events:
(1) Chris tries for 10 minutes to push the other key out of the lock with his key
(2) We go to the pub on the corner and ask for the number for a locksmith
(2a) Waitress laughs at us for thinking there would be a locksmith working at that time of evening (note: it was 11pm)
(2b) Bus boy suggests that we call the police to have them break down Chris' door
(3) Waitress agrees to give us a series of bobbi and safety pins so that Chris can attempt to pick his own lock
(3a) Chris tries this for 15 minutes with no luck, although I must say, it was amusing to watch
(4) Chris considers jumping out the window in the hallway and trying to break into his apartment that way
(4a) Idea quickly dismissed after looking at the drop down from the window
(5) Chris makes series of phone calls and finally finds a locksmith to come out
(6) Locksmith opens door in less than 30 seconds
