Brussels Airlines is the flag carrier and largest airline of Belgium, based and headquartered at Brussels Airport. It basically rose from the ashes of the defunct SABENA [wiki]. We only had the displeasure of flying this airline once in our early teens. The last thing we recall is the rattling of the overhead stowage doors and wondering whether the plane would fall out of the sky.

One of the nice things about flying on multiple airlines in rapid succession is that each experience remains fresh in your mind. Checking out the different liveries, appearance of the interiors, approach of the staff on board and the food (readers crying out in pain at the thought) is one aspect of international travel. It all awakens those senses and, whether we’re prepared to admit it or not, inspires us. Catching inspiration can be tiring, so you catch up on sleep too when and where you can.

The original flight schedule booked would have seen us leave Budapest (how did we get there? Check [here]) before lunch, arrive in Brussels around lunchtime, allow us time to visit the city, eat Pommes Frites (not french fries, at least not while you’re in Belgium). We would have eaten waffles, chocolates, and Moules-frites (mussels). We would have laughed at the Manneken Pis sculpture.

Instead, we were rerouted by leaving in the late afternoon from Budapest. Land in Brussels (at least the airport complex of the city) and take off after a brief transit for Venice. Very efficient if your intention was to maximise the number of takeoffs and landings.

The kind lady in Budapest let us off the hook with overweight luggage (36 Kilo) AND allocated us emergency exit seats on both legs of the journey.

The brief sojourn in Brussels was pleasant enough. They had some nice sitting pods for weary travelers but no waffles.

So basically, we left Budapest in the afternoon and landed in Venice after 11 pm. Developing a cold on the way that would stick with us for a week thereafter.