Brussels Exploration……

This morning we awoke to the beautiful view from our room of a local antiques market in the Grand Sablon.
After breakfast we decided to start our day with a look around the many chocolate shops, cafes and the, currently under restoration, Ėglise Notre Dame Cathedral in the Grand Sablon, before making our way into the city centre.

From Sablon we headed towards Place Royale, where the city’s major art museums and the Palace are situated. Although, the Belgian art collection is very extensive, and includes major works from Magritte and Dali the weather was too beautiful, and we did not really have enough time to go in.

Next in our itinerary was the Old England Building which now houses the Museum of Musical Instruments. Both of us really liked this 1899 example of Art Nouveau architecture, maybe not as breathtaking as some of the Victor Horta buildings we discovered later in the day but still a well-detailed building.

Onwards, or “downwards”, we headed through the beautifully stepped manicured gardens of Mont des Arts and the 1940/50’s (not so beautiful but rather imposing) government buildings. By now I had caught a glimpse of the Hotel de Ville tower, located in the centre of Grand Place and was very intrigued to see the rest of the building! Grigoria kept promising that “it is only around the corner”.

Well, the Grand Place was certainly worth the wait! Approaching the square, through the narrow medieval streets you are not prepared for the magnificent buildings that surround the large open square. The Hotel de Ville (the town hall) and the Maison du Roi (never actually used as a palace and is currently a museum) dominate the square with their highly decorative, gothic style.

Although the weather was beautiful Grigoria suggested that we go for a coffee (or a hot chocolate in her case!) to La Brouette, one of the famous coffee houses is the Grand Place. From our vantage point, looking out of the first floor window, we were able to take in the wonderful details of the old Belgian guild houses surrounding the square.

In terms of landmarks Brussels is known for the Grand Place, the Atomium (a model of an Iron atom build for the world exhibition at the beginning of the last century, the Belgian answer to the Eiffel tower) and last, but not least the Manneken Pis, the statue of a little boy relieving himself (and saving the city the Brussels from a great fire as the legend would have it!).

Tucked in a corner behind the Grand Place the Manneken Pis is a small (tiny) statue and can only described as a shrine like affair, attracting thousands of tourists every year. The original bronze statue was cast in the 1600’s but today’s mould has come from previous smashed statues. Often it is dressed in military, folklore or even downright bizarre gear, from chaps to golfers, as Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. Today it donned a “Boy Scout” uniform!

To keep the theme of characters going, next stop had to be the “Tin Tin” Shop. Tin Tin still very much a Belgian institution and something which I did (and still do) enjoy reading when I was a bit younger. Of course these days it’s very commercial but still it was fun looking around in the shop.

On our way to lunch we briefly wondered around the Galleries Saint Hubert, the first shopping arcade in Europe. Built in 1847, their spectacular roof shields pedestrians from the outside elements whilst still allowing ample light in. The shops in the Gallery are very old, and usually very expensive (I could not believe that handbags could cost the same as a car!) but still beautiful to look at.

For lunch Grigoria took me to the Arcadi Café, a small café/bistro with a Parisian feel, which makes wonderful quiches and desserts. After a well-deserved break we were ready for part 2 of the day.

In the time honoured tradition of cathedral building, it took five centuries to complete the Cathédrale des Sts Michel & St Gudula, the patron saints of Brussels. Begun in 1226, it was only consecrated in 1961 and is one of Belgium’s earliest Gothic works. Both the inside and the outside design is much more simple than other European cathedrals (no comparison to the highly ornate design of the Toledo cathedral or the Segrada Familia) but St Michel is nevertheless a beautiful and serene place.

Perhaps surprisingly so, especially to those who struggle to mention any famous Belgians, Belgium has a rich heritage in the art of cartoons. The Centre Belge de La Bande Dessinée http://www.awn.com/mag/issue4.03/4.03pages/moinsbrussels.php3 is a museum devoted to the “9th art”, featuring designs from the most famous cartoon artists. Housed in a restored Art Nouveau department store designed by Horta this was a must in our itenary!

Next up was the EU Quarter, where the majority of the European Union buildings are situated. I think generally most visitors wouldn’t head towards the EU Quarter, especially on a short weekend break, but given that Grigoria’s family lived here for ten years it was nice to see the area.

By the time we had finished walking around Grigoria’s old neighbourhood we were absolutely shattered, and had just enough strength to return to our hotel for some well deserved rest!

After a couple of hours in the hotel we headed out across town to a traditional Belgian restaurant, recommended by one of Grigoria’s friends, called Ìn ‘t Spinnekopke or “the spider’s web”http://www.spinnekopke.be/baseAN.html
This is one of the restaurants that unless someone tells you where it is you would never be able to find it! Very popular with the locals (always a good sign) we were very lucky to sneak in without a reservation and enjoy a beautiful meal.
Despite Grigoria’s grand plans of having a desert in Grand Palace, the day finally took its toll on us and we were both asleep by 10:30!