Brussels By Train

This has been a very busy and adventurous week. Yesterday, I went Polish pottery shopping in the Netherlands, had sushi for lunch in Aachen, Germany, and then returned home to Belgium. As if that wasn't complicated enough, a friend and I decided to take the train to Brussels this morning after the kids got on their buses for school. Turns out, it's pretty easy to do, and we had a super time. (It helps if you find a kind, English speaking local who points out that the train splits in half on the return trip, and if you aren't in the front, then you will end up somewhere you don't want to be. Who on earth designed that feature?) Anyway, things worked out perfectly, and we came out of Brussels Central Station just a couple of blocks from the Grand Place. The Town Hall is the most impressive of all the buildings in this square. This is my favorite spot in Brussels. You can just stand in the center of the square and slowly spin. Everywhere you look is amazing. The last time the family and I visited this area, it was November and pretty chilly. Today, the weather was warm and there were flower vender's out in full force. This are is at the center of the old Brussels. This is the House of the King, which was originally a covered bread market. Now it's the city museum of Brussels. This statue of Everard 't Serclaes is just off of the Grand Place, at the entrance to the little road leading to the Manneken-Pis. He was a hero that was murdered in the 14th century. It's said that rubbing the statue will bring you good luck and happiness for the next year, so people crowd around to touch and rub the statue. I'm not sure why he is considered lucky, because he was murdered, but who am I to question tradition? Yes, I rubbed the statue. You never know, right? You can't talk about Brussels without showing a picture of their delicious waffles. There are several stands in the area selling these. There he is. The delightful Manneken-Pis. The last time we saw him, he had a little blue outfit on , but today...he was au natural. I suppose he, too, was enjoying the warm Spring weather. There was a group of school kids in front of the statue, and their teacher was telling them the story of behind the statue. Essentially, a rich man lost his son in a crowd during a celebration. He was found five days later, on the corner of the rue de l'Etuve, tinkling. I'm not sure why they made a statue of this, but it has proved to be quite popular, and it's known all over the world. The kid has a nice set of abs, doesn't he? We strolled around the streets of Brussels, taking in more of the sites. I thought this was pretty funny. The men will surely appreciate it. This window was more my style. I don't know what kind of food it was, but it was really pretty.The Gardens on the Mont-des Arts were beautiful, and you have a great view of the city from here. This is the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. I saw it on the last visit here, but this time, we actually got to go inside of it. Like all of the cathedrals we've visited in Europe, it was beautiful. The original structure dated back to around 615. Over the years, the church was damaged and rebuilt in different styles. This version of the church was built between the 1200's and the 1500's, in the Gothic style. There were stained glass windows all around, and the detail in them was stunning. They all told stories. You can just imagine how fantastic the organ must sound during services.

Soon, it was time to head back home, so back to the train station we went. We had a smooth and uneventful trip back to our lovely little town. It was a very exciting day in the big city of Brussels, but I really enjoy my country life. Who knows what adventures lie ahead. After all, I did rub the lucky statue...

No Sunshine For Stanley

Stanley decided to keep me company while I ran errands yesterday. That took us to the nearby town of Peer. Peer gets its name from the Dutch word perre or parre, which is an enclosed settlement in an unsafe area. A long time ago, Peer was entirely surrounded by a huge wall. Today, that wall is gone, but on it's foundation is a road that forms a large ring around the city's Centrum. The Centrum is the center of the city. Each city and town in Belgium has a Centrum, and at the heart of the Centrum is the local church. The Sint Trudo Church is in Peer. It's open one month in the summer for tours, and on one special day of the year, you can actually climb a circular staircase up to the top of the church steeple. Stanley was very sad that today was not that day. I told him that he'd have to come back and visit us this summer so that he could climb the steeple with us. The weather was pretty normal for a winter's day in Belgium. It was cold and rainy. Although we've gotten a lot of snow this winter, this is what is typical for this region. It's OK, though. A wet winter means a beautiful and green Spring!

This is the old Stadhuis (Town Hall) in Peer. It was built in 1637. When they built a new Town Hall, they turned this one into the Visitor's Center. Then they decided to make another change. The Visitor's Center moved down the street to a larger building, and they renovated the Town Hall and reopened it as a lovely restaurant. They did a great job, because they kept most of the structure the way it was. The outside looks the same, and you can still see the original wooden beams in the ceiling when you go inside.

Stanley and I decided to get out of the cold rain, and relax for a little bit with a warm drink. Ahhhhhh. Nothing warms you up like a nice cup of hot chocolate! (Especially when you are in Belgium!)