Back to the train station for another adventure. This weekend is the annual
Flower Carpet Exhibition in Brussels.
It takes about 2 hours to get to Brussels by train, but it goes quicker than you would think. The fact that we went with lots of friends probably helped. :0) The Central Station is about a block from the Grand Place, so it's very convenient.
Although it was pretty crowded in the Grand Place, people were considerate of each other, and it was easy to get a great view of the Flower carpet.
When we got out first look at the carpet, we were amazed. It was stunning. These pictures don't do it justice. The colors were beautiful! For a mere 3 euro, you can go up on the balcony of the Town Hall and get a view of the carpet from above. The line was pretty long, so we decided to just check it out from ground level.
I love the fact that they put a fountain in the center of the design this year. It looked like it has always been there.
The Flower Carpet takes place every 2 years, on the even numbers. Check out the link I included above to see pictures of past designs.
The design is started about a year in advance. The day before the flower part of the carpet construction is started, the grass is laid out. Then, the following day, over 750,000 flowers are quickly placed on the ground. (No soil is used, but they do cover the cobblestones with a thin sheet of plastic). It takes about 4 hours to complete the entire design.
The Flower Carpet Exhibition has been taking place in the Grand Place of Brussels since 1971, but it was going on in other places around Belgium long before that.
The Carpet is constructed entirely of Begonias (and some grass to complete the pattern). Belgium is the largest
producer of Begonias in the world, growing an average of 60 million a year.
After checking out the Carpet, we walked around the city a little bit. There were lots of little markets sprinkled around.
At first, I thought that this was real beer, but upon closer inspection, I realized that they were candles. They looked so real!
The Royal Palace in Belgium is only open for tours for a short time each summer. The entrance is free, and the line moves rather quickly.
It's a beautiful building. My only complaint is that they didn't allow you to take pictures inside. In fact, they don't even let you take your camera in there. You have to check your bags and cameras at the door when you enter. Sadness. You know how I
love my pictures.
A trip to Brussels wouldn't be complete without a visit to the world famous
Manneken Pis.
This is his big brother, who apparently was hungry for some of the cities delicious waffles. I know. It's pretty disturbing. He couldn't even wait to finish his business before he grabbed a snack. We had a talk about manners, but he pretty much ignored what I had to say.
I feel bad about the last image, so I'll show you some something to take it out of your mind. We picked up some of these before heading back to the train station and hopping our ride back home. You're welcome. And yes, they were as delicious as they looked.
When I heard about the corn maze in Peer, I just had to check it out. Take a peek at this picture that I borrowed from their web site. Not only did they make a really fun maze that covers two acres of farmland, they also carved out a big picture and words in the corn. I know....it's a-maize-ing! 
Russ was out taking part in another big bike ride today, so the kids and I decided to head over to the maze and see if we could make it through. For only 2,50 euro, it was a bargain. 
Jess is a master puzzle solver, and she has a unbelievable memory for maps. I didn't mention to her that they had an aerial picture of the maze on their website. (At least not until we were actually at the entrance.) She was a little unhappy with me, but I wanted this to be more of a challenge for her. I knew if I let her take a peek at it before hand, she'd lead us right through to the end in about 5 minutes flat. Brandon is more of a "fly by the seat of your pants" type of adventurer, so we let him lead us along. Jess' job was to keep track of where we were going, so we could actually find our way back out again. 
When you pay your entrance fee, the ladies give each person a little form with a list of questions on it, and a corn stalk pen. You are supposed to find clues to answer the questions on the form, as you wander through the maze. By reading the signs, you also learn interesting facts about farming and agriculture. When you are done, you turn in the paper for a chance to win a nice prize. You get to keep the cute pens. 
We wandered around for a while, with Brandon pointed the way and Jess occasionally helping out when we got too far off task. Thanks to our navigational skills, we made it through pretty quickly. The ladies said we could try it again in reverse, so off we went. It didn't take long for me and Brandon to get hopelessly lost. (It's a lot harder going backwards.) Finally, we gave up and asked Jess if she could lead us back out again. She gave us a look that clearly said "Are you serious? Of course I can!" and proceeded to lead us back to the exit in a couple of minutes. 
We took our cute corn pens and toodled on home. I wonder if they would open the maze back up for Halloween. Wouldn't that be fun? I'd love to try it again at night with a group of people. (Jess is on my team.)
There are three runners here at 
In Spain, they have the running of the bulls. In Belgium, we have the running of the geese. Don't laugh. These beasts are every bit as ferocious as the bulls. They refused to give up the bike path to the runners, and insisted on running along in front of the group. 
They stubby little legs gave out rather quickly, and they decided to rest on the side of the canal. Apparently they don't have any more tolerance for the 
After the goose episode, things quieted down. Thank goodness. We took off along another canal and ended up in another country. (How often can you say that?) We actually rode our bikes into the Netherlands. That's another thing I can cross off of my Bucket List! Then we went down a little street that is apparently favored by artists. This sculpture is called "De 
I also like the quote on the plaque from 
Here is a better look at the sculpture. 
And just a little bit of a closer look. 
While out riding our bikes along local canals the other day, we came upon this memorial. It was sitting quietly beside the water, at the edge of the treeline. It was placed there in 2004, on the 60
I thought it was a classy touch to have the Memorial plaque printed in both English and Dutch. 
I've started a new obsession...um, I mean collection. Actually, I think I've showed great 
Each one has the name of a city or country. (They have them for US cities, too, and I'm working on getting some of those.) On the back of each mug is a building, statue or object that the city is known for. Amsterdam has a bike. Aachen has a fountain. I like to think of them as a kind of scrapbook. A cup of memories, if you will. When I drink my morning coffee out of one of them, I think back to our visit to that area. 
When I use the Munich mug (
When I use the Antwerp mug, I remember a day full of laughter with Jess, Erika and Rayna. I think about goofing around in the train station (having just missed our train!) and sipping on 
This is one of the things that we came to see. It's the Cathedral of Our Lady. Even though she was having a little work done, she was still beautiful! She is also the tallest building in the entire city. 
I know what you are thinking. Is that another Shakespearean statute? Why, yes. Yes, it is.
