It is day two of our whirlwind tour of several European countries, eight to be exact. We have settled in and defeated jet lag for the most part but I am awake at 5:30 AM on Saturday writing this report.
Our focus today was on the sights, sounds, and smells of Brussels, Belgium, the capital city of the European Union. We began the day with a traditional stop at a patisserie for a couple of pain au chocolat and a butter croissant, plus a traditional cappuccino. Then we made our way to one of the many tram lines running around the city to find the Grand Place or Grote Markt. Apparently, I did not communicate where I wanted to go very well to the young lady at the hotel reception so we ended up on the wrong tram line, which dropped us about a mile from where we wanted to be but we discovered a lovely sculpture garden in the process.
We wandered down many cobblestone streets and passed chocolate shops, art museums, and cafes en route to the square. We finally arrived at this gorgeous plaza around 10:45 AM and immediately remarked that we had 'found the tourists' because the square was filled with people taking pictures, tour guides with umbrellas, and cafes getting ready for the day.
The buildings on the square had dates on them ranging back to the 1600s. It is a truly remarkable place and we even saw a lucky bride getting married in one of these stately structures. The whole wedding party appeared on one of the terraces as she prepared to toss the bouquet!
We spotted an outdoor cafe on the west end of the square and made our way over for what turned out to be an early lunch. Kate had a mini lamb burger w/ frites, Grace had a beef burger w/ frites, and I enjoyed a traditional Belgian brown ale w/ frites. Only after we had ordered did we notice the waffles the staff was serving! Oh my, Belgians know how to make waffles and top them with delicious stuff.
From here we were off to see the second site on my list, Manneken Pis. This little statue of a toddler has been 'peeing' into the fountain for nearly 700 years! Today, he was all dressed up, though I could not figure out why. There was even a replica of him 'peeing' on the crowds that gathered around. The chocolate shop next to the fountain had miniature mannekens in various colors but I resisted the urge to buy a box. I did, however, acquire a box of chocolates containing a bit of champagne! I can just feel my skin breaking out already.
After a short break at the hotel, Grace and I went out to explore the shopping scene in central Brussels. We ended up at my third checkpoint...
Delirium Village, a collection of taprooms with over 2000 beers available! I chose the cherry red delirium ale, which tasted like smooth cherry cola. Grace had a coke, her first in Europe. The atmosphere was rustic and the service was excellent. The music was a bit too loud but tolerable.
Finally, the obligatory Belgian Waffle before wandering off through the markets back to the hotel. Grace found a necklace with a sparkling papillon charm as her souvenir from Brussels. We ended the day with a great meal at Pizza Pronto a few steps from Delirium Village, which required, of course, an encore visit for a second cherry red ale to end a nearly perfect Belgian day.
Next up: Bruges and Zeebruges. Au revoir.
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