The drive from Brussels to Mechelen was quick. In less than half an hour I arrived in Mechelen however it seems that the streets have changed because my GPS keeps sending me back to the one-way street where my hotel is nearby located. I managed to go around and found my hotel which is actually a church. Yes, I stayed in an ecclesiastical hotel! It was a cool experience and will soon post an entry about this.
Time check and its 19:00 in Mechelen but its already very dark. Luckily my hotel is located in the centre and it’s just a few minutes’ walk to the Vismarkt and Grote Markt (main market square).
The Gouden Carolus, Mechelen’s local brew. Really yummy, I like that its strong, tangy and full.
It’s still early for dinner and most people are just ordering drinks on the terraces so I decided to investigate the menus and peek at restaurants on the Grote Markt. This is always a hard decision; I do not know why but it takes me ages to pick a restaurant. I want a nice place that is not too busy and not too quiet as well. I am dining alone and its annoying when people stare at me because I am alone. This happens usually when I enter a busy and well-lighted restaurant.
Finally I stepped inside Brasserie-Restaurant Carlton. The waiter was a nice man who made sure I enjoyed my dinner. He recommended Gouden Carolus when I asked for a beer. I am in Belgium so it’s a must to order beer for my first night in Mechelen. Gouden Carolus is actually a locally brewed beer in Mechelen, so it’s easy to say that this is the city’s pride.
For starters, they gave me a warm yummy pastry—forgot the name, this is 5 stars out of 5. Then I had some salad greens—4 stars. For my main, I had Scampi in tomato crème sauce—4.5 stars. To finish off, I had espresso with Toblerone chocolate and a tiny waffle.
To sum up, the dinner was nice.
Now its time to slowly walk back to my apostolic hotel and experience sleeping inside a house of worship.
And here is Mechelen (the Grote Markt, main market square) at night:
Travel Period: November 2011
Destination: Mechelen (Antwerp), Belgium