My whole reason for my trip to Europe was to see my trael buddy, Elen. She lives in Belgium, and I was able to use her house as a home base. I couldgo anywhere from where she is, so I took day trips, weekend trips, etc from her location.
While I was there the first time, I did a hop on bus tour. Here is some of the info I learned from this tour:
- Brussels is known for having a large number of museums - 10 museums are within 100 meters from the Grand Palace.
- There are over 100 museums in Belgium
- It is the Art nu'voue (sp?) capitol of the world.
- Brussels is only 162 sq.meters
- The mayor is called a "burgermeister"
- 2012 was the year of gastronomy....there was a campaign called "Brusselicious"
- Brussels has its own copy of the Parisian SacreCure (sp?)
- The Atomonium is Brussels symbol (like the Eiffel Tower is to Paris) and in 1954 it was presented at the World's Fair. It hs 9 spheres and is the model of an Atom magnified 165 times.
- Basilica of Sacred Heart is the largest Basilica in the world.
- There are over 5,000 diplomated in Belgium (used to be the old capital of the EU)
- There are 45 cartoon murals in Brussels (its known for its cartoons, smurfs and Tin Tin included)
- The Mannekin Piss is the famous statue in Brussels...a statue of a little boy peeing. Sometimes he is dressed up (I saw him dressed in khakis, polo, and baseball hat). There are various stories as to how this statue came about. One story is that during one of the wars, he put out a fire by peeing on it, another story is that he was a lost child and when his father found him, he was peeing.
- The Congo used to be a Belgium colony
- Brussels is known for having a large number of museums - 10 museums are within 100 meters from the Grand Palace.
- There are over 100 museums in Belgium
- It is the Art nu'voue (sp?) capitol of the world.
- Brussels is only 162 sq.meters
- The mayor is called a "burgermeister"
- 2012 was the year of gastronomy....there was a campaign called "Brusselicious"
- Brussels has its own copy of the Parisian SacreCure (sp?)
- The Atomonium is Brussels symbol (like the Eiffel Tower is to Paris) and in 1954 it was presented at the World's Fair. It hs 9 spheres and is the model of an Atom magnified 165 times.
- Basilica of Sacred Heart is the largest Basilica in the world.
- There are over 5,000 diplomated in Belgium (used to be the old capital of the EU)
- There are 45 cartoon murals in Brussels (its known for its cartoons, smurfs and Tin Tin included)
- The Mannekin Piss is the famous statue in Brussels...a statue of a little boy peeing. Sometimes he is dressed up (I saw him dressed in khakis, polo, and baseball hat). There are various stories as to how this statue came about. One story is that during one of the wars, he put out a fire by peeing on it, another story is that he was a lost child and when his father found him, he was peeing.
- The Congo used to be a Belgium colony
While I was in Brussels, I took trips to Brugges, Ghent, and Antwerp...
Brugges
- Tower of Our Lady is the tallest building in Brugge
- Brugge was famous for its linen
- The oldest building here is 600 years old
- Tower of Our Lady is the tallest building in Brugge
- Brugge was famous for its linen
- The oldest building here is 600 years old
While I was in Brugge, I spent the morning seeing the town via a day tour, and then did a canal cruise. The city has canals all throughout it, and we were able to see much of the city. Then I had an afternoon beer tasting with a few people on my tour. Then, it was time for Ghent for the afternoon.
Ghent
- 1000 years old
- The biggest painting in Ghent has a panel that has been stolen. It is somewhere in Ghent, but no one knows where. Due to this, even the copies have the panel removed.
- The dragon is the symbol of Ghent
- Ghent and Brugges used to be enemies
- The 3 towers of Ghent are 1) St. Baso Cathedral, 2) Belfry - made in 1613, 3)St. Nicholas Church
- You can see all 3 towers from the main square
- 1000 years old
- The biggest painting in Ghent has a panel that has been stolen. It is somewhere in Ghent, but no one knows where. Due to this, even the copies have the panel removed.
- The dragon is the symbol of Ghent
- Ghent and Brugges used to be enemies
- The 3 towers of Ghent are 1) St. Baso Cathedral, 2) Belfry - made in 1613, 3)St. Nicholas Church
- You can see all 3 towers from the main square
We did not stay long in Ghent. Just long enough to see the 3 towers, and walk to the bridge overlooking the harbor.
Antwerp
Another day, I headed to Antwerp with a girl I had met the week before. We hopped on the train and headed to the city. Once in, we grabbed a bus tour, and saw the main sites. The Grand Central Station is apparently the most beautiful station in Europe (I would have to agree with this!). It even has a zoo attached to it. Antwerp is known for its diamonds, and you can even visit diamond workshops to see how they are cut.
Another day, I headed to Antwerp with a girl I had met the week before. We hopped on the train and headed to the city. Once in, we grabbed a bus tour, and saw the main sites. The Grand Central Station is apparently the most beautiful station in Europe (I would have to agree with this!). It even has a zoo attached to it. Antwerp is known for its diamonds, and you can even visit diamond workshops to see how they are cut.
We grabbed lunch in one of the squares, and came upon a FABULOUS special; bread, soup, salad, fries, and the main course for only 12euros! We couldnt believe it! It was very delicious (I got the pork skewers as my main course) and then we got free shots of Ameretto after our meal.
Afterwards we headed to the main port, which was were all the business used to happen (it was a trading port back in the old days). We got to see tons of ships still there, and then we headed back to the main station to head back to Brussels.
While in Brussels I made sure to try the popular foods:
- Beer; there is over 2000 belgium beers I believe. I went to Delirium Cafe where they have that many on the menu. It is a Guiness Book of World Reords spot, as in 2004 it was named as the cafe with the most beers being on hand to be served.
- Waffles; there are 3 different kinds (I tried all 3). The first is the regular Brussels Waffle. Nothing TOO special about it, but it was good. Then is the Lietse (sp?) Waffle...MY FAVORITE!! When you bite into it, there are little pockets of sugar.MMMMM. The last is the Tourist Waffle. It is a normal belgium waffle, with toppings. I had one with strawberries, chocolate, and whipped cream.
- Chocolate; YES. YES it is worth the hype. A few of us made up a "chocolate crawl" and hit a whole street of chocolate shops. We had 2 chocolates in each shop. By the end, we were all chocolated out (for the next hour). Pralines originally come from Belgium, so I made sure to try various ones. The chocolate here is soft and rich. I love it. The place I like the best is Leonidas (Elen recommended it to me, and I agree with her recommendation).
- Fries; yes french fries. They actually come from Belgium, and come in a paper cone. There are fry stands EVERYWHERE, and you can choose from a variety of different sauces for the fries. Most Belgiums put mayo on their fries. I tried them with Andalouse sauce, and then later with ketchup and mayo.
- Mussels; apprently Mussels in Brussels is a very traditional dish. Since it can be pricey in the returants, Elen made some for me at her house, and yes they were delicious.
- Beer; there is over 2000 belgium beers I believe. I went to Delirium Cafe where they have that many on the menu. It is a Guiness Book of World Reords spot, as in 2004 it was named as the cafe with the most beers being on hand to be served.
- Waffles; there are 3 different kinds (I tried all 3). The first is the regular Brussels Waffle. Nothing TOO special about it, but it was good. Then is the Lietse (sp?) Waffle...MY FAVORITE!! When you bite into it, there are little pockets of sugar.MMMMM. The last is the Tourist Waffle. It is a normal belgium waffle, with toppings. I had one with strawberries, chocolate, and whipped cream.
- Chocolate; YES. YES it is worth the hype. A few of us made up a "chocolate crawl" and hit a whole street of chocolate shops. We had 2 chocolates in each shop. By the end, we were all chocolated out (for the next hour). Pralines originally come from Belgium, so I made sure to try various ones. The chocolate here is soft and rich. I love it. The place I like the best is Leonidas (Elen recommended it to me, and I agree with her recommendation).
- Fries; yes french fries. They actually come from Belgium, and come in a paper cone. There are fry stands EVERYWHERE, and you can choose from a variety of different sauces for the fries. Most Belgiums put mayo on their fries. I tried them with Andalouse sauce, and then later with ketchup and mayo.
- Mussels; apprently Mussels in Brussels is a very traditional dish. Since it can be pricey in the returants, Elen made some for me at her house, and yes they were delicious.
Whelp, now that I've spent a ton of time in Belgium, its time to move on....
Dag,
Apes :)
Apes :)
