Day 54: Brussels
Our lovely apartment in Ghent was ideally situated, just a 20 minute walk from downtown, and less than a ten minute walk to the train station. Even more conveniently, all the major cities in Belgium were less than an hour away, making day trips simple and easy.
We started off our second full day in Belgium with a trip to Brussels, where we met up at the Grand Place, the central square of Brussels, for a free walking tour.
The Grand Place itself was bustling and beautiful, surrounded by elegantly furnished buildings on all sides, most notably the Town Hall and the Museum of the City of Brussels.
The small winding streets around the Grand Place were equally charming, filled with 1 euro waffle shops and chocolateries. I was tempted to stop every few steps for sweets, and did end up get a small baklava-type pistachio pastry before long.
Our first stop on the tour was at the Manneken Pis statue, a tiny fountain of a small boy peeing, and a renowned landmark of Belgium. The statue is dressed in various costumes several times a week and even has his own personal tailor. While there are many different stories about the origin of the boy, the most famous one takes place in the 12th century. The two-year old boy, Duke Godfrey III of Leuven, was placed in a tree by his troops for protection from an invading army. From the top of the tree, the little lord urinated on the invading troops, who subsequently lost the battle. Our guide told us how occasionally, a beer keg would be hooked up to the fountain and passerby could enjoy free beer from the peeing statue.
On many of the street walls, there were also murals featuring cartoons, such as Tintin, which originated in Belgium.
Other notable points that we passed on the first half of the tour were the stock exchange building and the Monnaie Opera, both very impressive buildings.
Following this, we stopped for a half hour break at a bar and I tried a fruity Lambic beer. I am not much of a beer drinker, however, Belgium boasts greatly of its beer, chocolate, and waffles, so it didn't feel right to go without trying one.
The second half of the tour took us through the Galeries Saint Hubert, an indoor mall that stretched through many streets of the city.
Inside was an abundance of chocolate stores and our tour guide took this opportunity to tell us how the hype over Belgium chocolate was not overrated. While most countries considered chocolate to be any product with at least 1% cocoa, Belgium required a minimum of 35% cocoa in all chocolate products. From the few pieces I'd tried, I could certainly vouch for its magnificence.
Following the Galeries Saint-Hubert, we passed by a park and a church that resembled a lesser version of Paris's Notre Dame cathedral.
The Brussels Palace was a short way from there. Our guide chose this spot to tell us about King Leopold II and the darkest part of Belgium history -- the exploitation of the Congo Free State in which 20% of the indigenous population was killed in order to provide Leopold II with materials such as ivory, rubber, and other minerals for his private use.
We concluded our tour at the Mont des Arts, which offered one of the most beautiful views in the city, then headed back towards the Grand Place to seek lunch.
We found a place that our guide had recommended called Chez Leon. It was one of the best meals of my life. I had Belgian fries and gratin mussels -- mussels baked in cheese, butter, garlic, and oil -- and Julie had a seafood pasta. It was divine.
Afterwards, we stopped by Delirium, which was conveniently right next door. Rated as one of the top activities to check out in Brussels, Delirium is a very famous bar known for having a selection of over 3000 beers.
Right outside the bar, we also saw the female version of the Manneken Pis fountain, the Jeanneke Pis.
From there, we took a leisurely walk back to the church and took a look inside, which was frankly disappointing.
We walked around the park outside the church for a bit as well, then headed back to downtown in search of a waffle before catching the train to Antwerp.
There was no shortage of selection for waffles downtown. Every other shop along the main streets sold them for very competitive prices. We took our pick, then sat on a curb near the Grand Place to enjoy them.
After a final view of the beautiful square, we began to slowly make our way to the train station.
On the way there, we still managed to pass by some final cool sights, such as another mural depicting a Belgian comic, as well as some ruins right in the city centre.
Photos by Julie Zhang.