Brussels Flower Carpet 2010!

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.