Brussels, Belgium

Mannekin Pis
Originally uploaded by radix999

Next stop Brussels!

From Berlin we took the ICE trains ( intercity express ) to Brussels. They go at speeds of up to 250km/hr, pretty fast! And comfortable too. We were fortunate enough to be in one of the front cabins, and got to see through the train driver's window of the landscape zooming past in a blur.
Brussels is famous for chocolates, beer and Belgian lace. It is also the EU headquarters and the centre of Europe. It is a multicultural city, evident as soon as you step foot in it, with a strong African influence thrown in. What was unexpected was how grimy and dirty the city looked. Lots of graffiti everywhere, streets are dirty, watch out for the very frequent dog poo, lots of chewing gum stains, in short irst impressions are not very good. Granted we were in the older part of the city, but still... Anyhow, we did the usual touristy things and visited the famous Grote Market ( Grand Place ) with its square of beautiful old 17th century buildings on all four sides, and artists peddling their wares in the centre with restaurants on the sides, perfect for sitting down and enjoying the famous Belgian beers and people-watching.

Wandered through the streets to the Royal Palace, with its well manicured gardens, and of course the Grand Sablon area which is the yuppie area with cafes and antique stores. Must not forget the chocolates too! Heaps of shops selling chocolates in all sorts of combination deals, and the handmade ones too. Tried some champagne truffles, which were delicious! Didn't really get into the beer testing, although Jesse did try the Leffe Blonde and Hooegarten. There is just simply too many beers to sample. A couple of the streets are similar to the Latin Quarter in Paris, with restaurants lining the streets, all competing for customers, and some pretty decent meal deals. We had dinner in Le Petit Brussels, which was very nice, and a glass of complementary Grappa was thrown in at the end of our meal. Grappa is a liquor made from grapes, smells like vodka but tastes much better. Apparently it aids digestion! :)

Next we're off to Angouleme, in the South-West of France.

- YM