Brussels - a vibrant, modern yet traditional city

In the streets of Brussels

On the steps of the Stock Exchange

Brussels is a city that is vibrant and colourful.  It is famous for its open and highly progressive culture that accepts and celebrates both the young and the new along with the old and the traditional.  It is a fine blend of history and modernity.

The super-cute and friendly Belgian cat!

She wanted to spend time with us!

We stayed in an Air B&B apartment right in the heart of the city and found it extremely convenient to walk around and cover a lot of places.

The streets are narrow and one gets to experience more by strolling around at a leisurely pace, stopping every few strides to let the place, people and sights slowly sink into our consciousness.

The very grand Grand Place

Grand Place building

First on our itinerary was the Grand Place that is situated in the heart of the city.  This is a huge and impressive square, with cobblestone paths, surrounded on all four sides by extremely tall, spired buildings.   We spent several minutes just taking in the panoramic 360 degree view and the sheer grandeur of the place. The buildings date back to the late 17^th century, and are covered with baroque gables.  One of the buildings is the City Hall and has several sculptures lining the downstairs entry way.  We witnessed a gay marriage - the couple stood on the first floor balcony and waved to the crowd assembled below while everyone cheered and celebrated their union.

 

Manneken Pis - Brussels' most famous icon

Zinneke Pis - meaning Dog Pissing - a street sculpture

We then walked through the narrow cobblestone paths and proceeded to see the much- loved iconic Belgian symbol – the Manneken Pis.  This literally means ‘Boy Pissing’ and it is exactly that – bronze statue of a young naked boy urinating into a fountain’s basin that was created in the early 1600s. Legend has it that the boy who was named Julien found enemies trying to use gun powder to attack the city of Brussels.  He put out the burning fuse by peeing on it and thus became a hero.   We also spent some time locating the other urinating statues - Jeanneke Pis( Girl pissing) and Zinneke Pis (Dog Pissing).

TinTin and Captain Haddock - on a roadside wall

Brussels is home to the famous writer Herge – who introduced TinTin to the world.  We were excited to find a huge painting of TinTin on a building wall.  And of course, we stopped to take pictures with the young and famous investigative reporter!  In fact, we learnt that there are nearly 30 murals of Belgian cartoon characters painted on building walls throughout the city.

Inside Les Galeries Royale St.Hubert

A shop display

We then wandered through the high-end shopping street called the Les Galeries Royales Saint Hubert.  This is a beautiful glass-roofed shopping arcade, lined with cafes, and stores selling luxury labels.  We took a leisurely stroll, stopping at places to admire the display.   

Outside the cathedral of St.Michael and St.Gudula 

The beautifully sculptured pillars of apostles

Our next stop was the highly impressive 11^th century historic church – the Cathedral of St Michael and St.Gudula.  This has been constructed on a hill and the first view, as we approached the church was spectacular.  It took nearly 300 years to be completed, with each Brabant king adding a specific structure.  It is dedicated to and named after Brussels’s patron saints Michael and Gudula.  The church building is nearly 100m in length and we slowly went around admiring the various statues – noted among them are those of the 12 apostles -, the gothic architecture, the beautiful glass-stained windows, the stone columns, the grand ceiling.  Over the centuries, the church has been witness to several coronations and royal weddings – every pillar and every wall is steeped in history and that made for a memorable experience.

A chocolate lovers' heaven - with free samples too!

Tasty Belgian fries

Brussels is famous for chocolate, waffles, beer and potato fries, and not necessarily in that order!  While walking around, we stepped into a couple of small, attractive shops and were magically transported to a flavourful world of chocolates, chocolates and more chocolates.   The shop assistants let us sample a variety of chocolates before we bought a few.  It was a heavenly experience!   We visited the popular Fritland Fries store to try out the famous Belgian fries.  We were certainly not disappointed. – they tasted  great with some unique sauces to accompany them.

Drag Queen!

The Grand Place is lined with quaint little cafes offering tasty fare.  We took a table at a roadside café, had some great locally brewed beer, and listened to live music.  Later in the evening, we were surprised to see men dressed in women’s clothing, with complete accessories and heavy make-up and parading through the Square.   This is the Drag Queen culture that is extremely popular in Europe.  

Thus, we spent a fascinating day in the beautiful city of Brussels - admiring its past and imbibing its present.