We have visited many countries during our time here and I have to say...without a doubt.....Belgium is our favorite. Cool brick homes with unique architecture, beautiful countryside, and of course amazing food. How amazing? If I could survive on nothing but Belgium Waffles alone I would do it.
We are almost ashamed to admit that we have lived in Europe for well over 2 years now and we have not made it to the wonderful city of Brussels...until this past weekend. Brussels, with a population of approximately 2 million, is known for many things: it is the capital of Belgium, the unofficial capital of the European Union, and the headquarters of NATO. And it is all located less than 2 hours from where we live. Again, shameful.
So with no real agenda, as usual, we found the first parking garage we came to and headed out to explore the city.
One of the first sights we decided to check out was the Grand Place that is located in the heart of the downtown area. Navigating Brussels is quite easy thanks to the many helpful signs. Finding the Grand Place is also very easy thanks to the very tall tower on top of the Town Hall seen below......
The Grand Place is filled with unique 17th century architecture, making it a very popular meeting spot.
With waffles on the mind we set out to find a mid-afternoon snack....until we walked past this chocolate shop. The temptation to dip my finger in the chocolate for a quick taste was nearly overwhelming...so we had to move on.
Did you know that our beloved French Fries originated from Belgium? Of course they don't call them Fries and they certainly don't utter the word 'French' when speaking of these tasty potato creations. They are called 'Frites' and they are normally served with a mayonnaise dipping sauce....which you can elect to skip (I usually do). I have to say....the Frites were good, but I don't think I would fly over from the states just to give them a try.
A little more wandering around and we found this group of people smiling and taking pictures of this tiny little statue. Huh.....I should move closer for a better look.....
Oh....it's dressed up in a graduation cap and gown. How cute. But wait.....the statue is a small boy and is he.....
...yes, he is fact "relieving himself". This infamous statue is called Manneken Pis and is considered a great representation for the spirit and humor of Brussels. Nobody knows the true origin of the statue (there are some unique stories out there) but the city has come to embrace this lil' fella as their unofficial mascot. And that is no joke: you can buy stickers, magnets, bottle openers....almost everything you can imagine bearing this humorous image.
Back to the exploring. The architecture found throughout the downtown area is impressive and these pictures certainly don't do it justice.....
We noticed the streets were filled with people and later learned (the hard way) that our visit coincided with the official kick-off celebration for the Carolus V Festival.....which begins with a parade filled with crazy, bizarre creations. We always seem to have good timing for finding a festival......I like it!
After a few hours of exploring we sought out the popular Delirium Cafe to quench our thirst. The place is sort of hard to find in the narrow alleys of "food alley", but you'll know it when you find it (as seen below).
The old school signs and copper kettles welcome you as you enter the cafe'.....
The downstairs room is quick a sight. The ceiling is covered with hundreds of server trays from all over the world....
With the thirst quenched and feet rested, we set out to resume our exploration. It didn't take long for us to remember the one key task that had not yet been completed: finding the ultimate waffle. Of course this display found in the Royal Saint Hubert Galleries was a good reminder......
I am happy to report that we did in fact complete our last task. It was decided to include Nutella and bananas for a topping because EVERYTHING tastes better with Nutella! And even though it has been a few days since that tasty treat, I can still remember how good it tasted.....now THAT is worth flying over for!!
And just like that the afternoon was gone and we made our way home. There is SO much more to see and explore in Brussels that we have already begun to make plans for returning sometime in June. It will be a hard choice on where to go. Spend the day at the Atomium, once the sight for 1958 World's Fair and the Mini Europe park nearby, or visit a few of the great museums like the Magritte? Of course there is the Comic Strip museum which they say is fun to see....I think we may have to schedule more than one trip to see it all....which is fine by us. As long as they serve up fresh waffles, I'm quite certain we will be happy to visit as many times as it takes to see it all.
We are almost ashamed to admit that we have lived in Europe for well over 2 years now and we have not made it to the wonderful city of Brussels...until this past weekend. Brussels, with a population of approximately 2 million, is known for many things: it is the capital of Belgium, the unofficial capital of the European Union, and the headquarters of NATO. And it is all located less than 2 hours from where we live. Again, shameful.
So with no real agenda, as usual, we found the first parking garage we came to and headed out to explore the city.
One of the first sights we decided to check out was the Grand Place that is located in the heart of the downtown area. Navigating Brussels is quite easy thanks to the many helpful signs. Finding the Grand Place is also very easy thanks to the very tall tower on top of the Town Hall seen below......
...and here the Town Hall up close and personal.
The Grand Place is filled with unique 17th century architecture, making it a very popular meeting spot.
With waffles on the mind we set out to find a mid-afternoon snack....until we walked past this chocolate shop. The temptation to dip my finger in the chocolate for a quick taste was nearly overwhelming...so we had to move on.
Did you know that our beloved French Fries originated from Belgium? Of course they don't call them Fries and they certainly don't utter the word 'French' when speaking of these tasty potato creations. They are called 'Frites' and they are normally served with a mayonnaise dipping sauce....which you can elect to skip (I usually do). I have to say....the Frites were good, but I don't think I would fly over from the states just to give them a try.
A little more wandering around and we found this group of people smiling and taking pictures of this tiny little statue. Huh.....I should move closer for a better look.....
Oh....it's dressed up in a graduation cap and gown. How cute. But wait.....the statue is a small boy and is he.....
...yes, he is fact "relieving himself". This infamous statue is called Manneken Pis and is considered a great representation for the spirit and humor of Brussels. Nobody knows the true origin of the statue (there are some unique stories out there) but the city has come to embrace this lil' fella as their unofficial mascot. And that is no joke: you can buy stickers, magnets, bottle openers....almost everything you can imagine bearing this humorous image.
Back to the exploring. The architecture found throughout the downtown area is impressive and these pictures certainly don't do it justice.....
We noticed the streets were filled with people and later learned (the hard way) that our visit coincided with the official kick-off celebration for the Carolus V Festival.....which begins with a parade filled with crazy, bizarre creations. We always seem to have good timing for finding a festival......I like it!
After a few hours of exploring we sought out the popular Delirium Cafe to quench our thirst. The place is sort of hard to find in the narrow alleys of "food alley", but you'll know it when you find it (as seen below).
The old school signs and copper kettles welcome you as you enter the cafe'.....
The downstairs room is quick a sight. The ceiling is covered with hundreds of server trays from all over the world....
With the thirst quenched and feet rested, we set out to resume our exploration. It didn't take long for us to remember the one key task that had not yet been completed: finding the ultimate waffle. Of course this display found in the Royal Saint Hubert Galleries was a good reminder......
I am happy to report that we did in fact complete our last task. It was decided to include Nutella and bananas for a topping because EVERYTHING tastes better with Nutella! And even though it has been a few days since that tasty treat, I can still remember how good it tasted.....now THAT is worth flying over for!!
And just like that the afternoon was gone and we made our way home. There is SO much more to see and explore in Brussels that we have already begun to make plans for returning sometime in June. It will be a hard choice on where to go. Spend the day at the Atomium, once the sight for 1958 World's Fair and the Mini Europe park nearby, or visit a few of the great museums like the Magritte? Of course there is the Comic Strip museum which they say is fun to see....I think we may have to schedule more than one trip to see it all....which is fine by us. As long as they serve up fresh waffles, I'm quite certain we will be happy to visit as many times as it takes to see it all.
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