We were recently in Paris and Brussels and had a really wonderful time with our young adult children and had the privilege to meet with extremely nice friends who brought us around Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp. 
To go around Europe and visit many cities, it is best to pack light and have a combination of small and easy-to-carry wheeled bags and sturdy and highly flexible backpacks, and that's what we did.
We had a really grand time and soaked in the experience and the atmosphere. We had all gone to Europe previously, but it was our first time together as a complete family, so it was special.
In Paris we went to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, Champs Élysées, the Montmartre area and all the popular spots, curious points and more museums and galleries then one would typically fit into a single trip. For sure we made very good use of the 5-day Paris Pass (highly recommended, it even includes Versailles).
In Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp, aside from museums of rare historical pieces and also of contemporary art, we had the opportunity through our friends to visit the Cornē Port-Royal Belgian Chocolatiers outlet shop!
Here you had row upon row of all sorts of specialty chocolates, pralines, truffles, alcohol-infused chocolates, and any chocolate mix and shape you could fancy! And all available for tasting to your hearts content!
They had extensive varieties of prettily packaged chocolates, but our friends suggested we get the 1 kg boxes if they were for our personal consumption, since they are the same chocolates but at better value, which was to the tune of 3 boxes or 3 kg of pralines at Euro 34! A great price indeed, so we got..... 6 boxes!! That's 6 kilos about the size of 6 shoe boxes added to our luggage!
And so the Rimowa medium sized luggage comes into the picture.
Having purchased a Rimowa with the Lufthansa branding in Frankfurt last year, I knew how good the price was in Frankfurt and already considered getting a medium-sized Rimowa for short 4 to 6-day trips. But I didn't know I would absolutely need the bag to bring home the chocolates! Good thing the prices in France were also very good. I opted for the Matte Black Rimowa Salsa at Euro 489 from The Galeries Lafayette (read my blog about Branded shopping in Paris) and it packed all our extra stuff from Europe beautifully!
Here you see the three Rimowa's I brought (aside from having 5 big and small backpacks!), ready to go for our pick up from our nice and cozy place in Montmartre, Paris.
The Rinowa's are indeed a good investment in luggages. Here you see the inside of the new Rimowa with the modern gray-toned pattern, with the usual sturdy and well-designed interior separators and straps.
Thank God for a wonderful time in Paris with loved ones - family and friends, and for keeping us all safe.
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!”
