Brussels, Belgium

 Grand Sablon - Brussels , BelgiumWe just returned from a few days in Brussels. It's one of those cities you might not think to visit when in Europe, but really surprises you when you do - it's a gem! If you have any interest in chocolate, food, beer, waffles, art and history, (in any order) put it on your list.

We stayed at the Phileas Fogg (yes, Around The World In Eighty Days, that guy) - we had a "communal European" experience. It's located in the center of the city and was recommend by a friend in Brussels.

Jeanne spent Friday in a meeting (one of the reasons we went to Brussels) while Summer and I wandered the city. We visited a few places, but mostly just walked for hours through the city. We sat in cafes and talked with people. There was a writer from Manhattan named Debra we got to know. Her friends showed up too - Belgian and American - but they've all lived in Brussels for decades. It's like a scene from a movie, talking art and politics in a cafe in Europe. Great stuff! In the late afternoon, we ended up in the center of Brussels at the "Grand-Place". We were treated to dinner at the Rosa Blanche in the heart of the square. The food in Brussels is, without doubt, some of the best we've ever had in Europe - this was no exception.  

"One of the most beautiful town squares in Europe, if not in the world", is a phrase often heard when visitors in  Brussels try to describe the beauty of the central market square. French-speakers refer to it as the 'Grand-Place', whereas in Dutch it is called 'de grote Markt'. The tourists of the 21th century are not alone in their admiration . Archduchess Isabella, daughter of Filip II of Spain wrote about the square during her visit to Brussels on September the 5th 1599:  "Never have I seen something so beautiful and exquisite as the town square of the city where the town hall rises up into the sky. The decoration of the houses is most remarkable".

Oh yes! The waffles - how can you not indulge? Foodies?Writers like Victor Hugo and Charles Baudelaire were also struck by the charm of the market square with its beautiful set of Guild houses dominated by the Town hall and the King's house.

The origins of the Grand-Place, however, are humble. The site still formed a sand-bank between two brooks which ran downhill to the river Senne. Once the sand-bank was reclaimed it turned into the "Niedermerckt", or 'lower market'. Already in the 12th century Brussels had become a commercial crossroads between Bruges (in Flanders) , Cologne, Germany , and France. English wool, French wines and German beer were sold in the harbor and on the  market.

We ate at a place called, "The Ultimate Hallucination (De Ultime Hallucinatie)" Thursday night. We had an appetizer of fried croquettes with North Sea Shrimp (traditional Belgium shrimp croquettes are made with North Sea shrimp, called brown shrimp — small, and very flavorful, and not readily available in the United States) and cheese - they served it with arugula covered with olive oil and vinegar - wow! I've never experienced such a wonderful taste/experience! I had the "Mussels from Brussels Casserole - it was ~20 of the best mussels I've ever tasted, boiled with stocks of celery. Jeanne had a steak with béarnaise sauce and Summer had North Sea Shrimp and a potato. We fell in love with the Trappist beers, too - Wellemalle Triple, Chimay, Rochefort and many others. The beer is the best in world.

A little boy pissing in a fountain - cool! At first glance, you'd think (the image above - brass figure) is sculpture of Jesus. It's not, it's Everard 't Serclaes - you can read about it here. I was asking (just like an 'Ugly American') if Jesus really had a dog. I wished we would have video taped some of the reactions. Then it was onto the Manneken Pis (little peeing boy) statue - The question I asked, "Why is the baby Jesus peeing?" It was awesome. Like, "Ugly American Goes Candid Camera On Brussels" - yummy! We got a kitsch piece of the Manneken Pis - it's a small statue and his penis is a cork screw.

Chocolate - need I say more? We met with Carl and friends on Saturday. There's a group of artists and collectors (photography aficionados) that meet every Saturday morning at the Café Leffe, near the Grand Sablon. We joined them Saturday. We had coffee and talked. Then, we went down a side street and I set up my dark-box and made plates for a couple of hours. It was great to do this for such an intense and interested group of people. I made two group portraits and one plate of a sculpture. I'll post some photos when Carl sends them (we were busy making plates, didn't get any snaps).

We ended our trip with a stop for some chocolate, waffles and beer. We're home now, and we'll savor every sip and every bite. We had a wonderful time and made some great memories.  It was a 3.5 hour drive home and we drove in three countries - Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany.

Brussels has some of the best chocolate in Europe!

Rub it for good luck - yeah, I believe in that kind of stuff, sure.