We had a wonderful stay at Bruno's place in central Brussels. Bruno was an excellent host. He met us at the train station with his bike to port our luggage. After loading the bike, he walked us the ten minutes to the apartment, giving us an impromptu tour along the way, pointing out architectural highlights and interesting places to explore later. As we settled in at the apartment, we chatted with him and his girlfriend, learning about life in Brussels and receiving recommendations for dinner (both places we tried were delicious!) and an antique market about a mile away and well worth the walk.
The apartment itself was stunning. Situated on the top floor of a 6-story building, it was bright (so many windows!), spacious and cheerful. The rooms were tastefully furnished with antiques from around Brussels and a few other places like Japan. Everything was clean and well-maintained (we loved the rain shower). The bedroom had a lot of character with a slanted ceiling and a floor made of the wood from an old windmill and a window that let in a strip of bright sunlight during the day. The window was equipped with curtains (as opposed to the sheer blinds over the living room windows) so insomniacs like us were not awoken by first light. In spite of its central location, the apartment was quiet, even on Friday and Saturday nights. We spent a lot of time on the balcony watching the neighborhood below and admiring the main spire of the grand place that rose above the rooftops.
All the way around a great place to stay in central Brussels. We could not have been happier. Thanks again, Bruno!