In all the premonitions I had about my Europe travels never did I expect I would end up in Brussels, Belgium. Having worked at the restaurant/bakery chain Le Pain Quotidien over the past year the only Belgian facts I knew about the country were restaurant related history and the food. I don’t speak a word of French, however, my friends Kat and Hudson from my Commedia program encouraged me to tag along with them on their travels to Brussels convincing me of the beauty that is Belgium. Boy were they right!
The architecture reminds me of Holland in its quaint Dutch village aesthetic that makes you feel welcome on any street. I visited and ate at the original LPQ location and felt right at home.
Brussels also incorporates a great modern twist with intricate comic strip art graffiti and futuristic titanium balls of the Atomium! This structure was constructed for the 1958 World Fair held in Brussels inspired by the structure of an atom (obviously). It was designed for people to walk in amongst the particles, exploring the different sections, and getting to see an amazing view from the top ball. The high speed elevator to take you from the bottom of the atom to the top was the first elevator constructed in all of Europe at the time. Today each ball contains historical exhibitions as well as modern art. The current expo, Out of Control, is a variety of light installations exploring the inevitable advent of technology overtaking as a virus through light show performances.
Another must-see monument in Brussels is the Manneken Pis; a small bronze naked boy urinating into a fountain below. There are many legends surrounding the identity of the boy and the mannequin has apparently been stolen several times. Today he lives near the Grand Place and is costumed frequently especially on holidays. He was naked when we saw him, though, and was much smaller than I expected in every way…
What is even more amusing is seeing the different variations of the little boy peeing various stores and artists create. Below is the local’s Manneken Pis dog version.
My time in Brussels wouldn’t be a true Belgian experience without indulging in all its treats, particularly Belgian beer. We went to SkyScanner’s recommendation, Moeder Lambic, for a beer sampling and though I am not the biggest beer fan I did discover a couple favorites from the darker ales!
The Aderladus on the far left was by far the best with a dark, mild, cinnamon taste.
Bring it Brussels!
Ciao, Paloma
Destination: To be determined 
Thanks, again….brings back memories. When we visited Brussels years ago we did see the pissing boy and dog, but our main memory is of seeing Jesus Christ Superstar in Flemish on stage with JC dressed in leather and finally electrocuted on a huge vertical wire mesh instead of Beijing crucified!! It was pouring when we got out and we had to walk back to our hotel.
Bet you enjoyed the food markets as much as we did, too.
Lovya!!!!!!
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