One of the joys of living in London (actually, anywhere in Europe), is that "everything is so close".
Our first trip abroad was to Brussels.
St Pancras Station is the start of the two hour Eurostar train ride from London, under the English Channel, to Brussels.
I love this station - huge, old and historical combined with modern touches.
Brussels is the capital of Belgium, home to the UN and NATO. It would be safe to describe it as a very international city.
I will not embarrass myself or pretend to be a tour guide director or expert. So here are a couple of highlights for me....
The Town Hall is a beautiful stately building.
Now, take a closer look and notice the lack of symmetry.
Over the course of years that it took to build it there were several contractors, that, neglected to confer with each other. A legacy example of poor communication.
Guildhall buildings compete for "grandness" in the Grand Place.
The brewers guild had the most grandiose facade.
The Belgian Brewers is one of the oldest professional associations in the world.
Now that is a nation that knows and protects its priorities!
Speaking of getting priorities straight, John would not have felt complete without having a Beer Tour in Brussels.
Purely for educational purposes.... or so he claims.
Mannekin Pis was modestly clothed for our visit.
It almost seemed like every street led to this statue, as we went by it numerous times - each day. (I'm not sure if that had anything to do with navigating skills.)
It absolutely baffles me that a small statue of a naked boy peeing has so much allure and is such a tourist draw. It baffles me even more that he has about 600 costumes and a museum to house them.
Having said that, I did have to join the throngs to get my pictures - each day we passed him.
This church took a l-o-n-g time to complete, so there is a combination of architecture - Roman, Gothic and Baroque.
The Grand Place looks stunning and majestic at night.
I would be remiss if I didn't talk about food.
Lots of chocolate. It is amazing it is not a fat nation.
And seafood. Mussels are a specialty.
We went to an iconic restaurant for a seafood dinner on our first night. We ate from the bow of a fishing boat.
I ordered a platter of mussels and there must have been at least 40 on my plate! If I had known that we would have ordered one and just split it.
Dinner on our last night - who did we sit beside - but two business men from Texas.
What a small world.
Brussels is the capital of Belgium, home to the UN and NATO. It would be safe to describe it as a very international city.
I will not embarrass myself or pretend to be a tour guide director or expert. So here are a couple of highlights for me....
The Town Hall is a beautiful stately building.
Now, take a closer look and notice the lack of symmetry.
Over the course of years that it took to build it there were several contractors, that, neglected to confer with each other. A legacy example of poor communication.
The brewers guild had the most grandiose facade.
The Belgian Brewers is one of the oldest professional associations in the world.
Now that is a nation that knows and protects its priorities!
Speaking of getting priorities straight, John would not have felt complete without having a Beer Tour in Brussels.
Purely for educational purposes.... or so he claims.
Mannekin Pis was modestly clothed for our visit.
It almost seemed like every street led to this statue, as we went by it numerous times - each day. (I'm not sure if that had anything to do with navigating skills.)
It absolutely baffles me that a small statue of a naked boy peeing has so much allure and is such a tourist draw. It baffles me even more that he has about 600 costumes and a museum to house them.
Having said that, I did have to join the throngs to get my pictures - each day we passed him.
This church took a l-o-n-g time to complete, so there is a combination of architecture - Roman, Gothic and Baroque.
The Grand Place looks stunning and majestic at night.
I would be remiss if I didn't talk about food.
Lots of chocolate. It is amazing it is not a fat nation.
And seafood. Mussels are a specialty.
We went to an iconic restaurant for a seafood dinner on our first night. We ate from the bow of a fishing boat.
I ordered a platter of mussels and there must have been at least 40 on my plate! If I had known that we would have ordered one and just split it.
Dinner on our last night - who did we sit beside - but two business men from Texas.
What a small world.
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