Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Day tour in Brussels, Belgium

Brussels’ narrow cobbled streets open to the Grand Platz – the social and economic heart of Brussels since the Middle Ages. The Grand Platz is just so breathtaking - there's beautiful architecture all around -






Even the artworks for sale feature Brussels' beautiful architecture - 


A popular tourist attraction when in Brussels is the Mannekin Pis.  What is the Mannekin Pis?  It's a bronze statue of a urinating boy! 


But don't get fooled.  The statue is just small!  How small?  Only about 2 feet tall!


So what is the story behind Mannekin Pis?   Done in the 1660s, some say that it’s in reference to the legend of peasant lads who extinguish fire with their urine and others say it’s an image of a boy who once lived on the street where it stands.  Despite its vague history, it remains to be one of Brussels' top tourist attractions. :)

BTW, the statue is just walking distance from the Grand Platz. You can enjoy the sight of human statues along the way like this Van Gogh living statue. :) 



Other must-tries: 

Belgian chocolates. They’re so smooth and soft and they melt in your mouth! They sell for about 1 euro (P65) per piece but you can get them for almost half the price if you buy in bulk. Yummy!




Mussels. They are popular in Brussels. We finished 3 buckets over lunch!  Haha..

The last spot we visited while in Brussels was the Atomium.  It was originally constructed in 1958 for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair.  It's now a museum. 



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This trip is part of a 20-day, 7-country Best of Europe adventure. Budget requirement is approximately USD3,500 (including airfare, accommodation, land arrangement and travel taxes).