Brussels | Day 2
Today, we had a tough start. We woke up for breakfast, and then went right back to sleep. We finally made it out around 1pm. We walked past the Grand Place and found Central Station, some royal buildings, and a park. We had lunch at the Danish Tavern and I tried my first Framboise (frahn-bwaz), raspberry beer, which I loved! We finally had Belgium Frites (fries), which are supposed to be the best in the world because they are deep fried twice. What a let down! For this type of reputation, we didn’t expect them to taste exactly the same.
Grand Place: Hotel de Ville, Brussels Town Hall.
Gothic Architecture.
Classic statue at the corner of Rue Du Vieux Marche Aux Grains: The street of our hotel.
Danish Tavern: Framboise #1.
Michael’s 3rd kind of beer.
We meandered around killing time, trying to learn our way around the small alleys and cobblestone streets. Then, came the case study of Mr. Piss. I think it is time to introduce you to Manneken-Pis. This little guy is infamous for pissing with carefree abandon like many little boys do. He can be seen on the corner of the street in his own personal sanctuary, as well as in every place imaginable, from key rings, corkscrews, and T-shirts to actual signs for waffle shops. You cannot miss this character if you tried.
The official renowned fountain.
He comes prepared in any size, color, & material.
After enjoying the sights, we went to the La Maison Des Maitres Chocolatiers for a special demonstration on how chocolate is made. We learned many things about the coco bean, sampled different delights, and bought packages to bring home and share with our families.
Michael was immediately drawn to the design of the shop and made friends with the owner.
Coco beans & ingredients.
We even got to make our own chocolate.
Police Minivans?
Unused & used
We came back and relaxed before heading out to dinner. Much more satisfying than last night; Bonsouir Clara was exactly what we had in mind. Sea Bass and a Rack of Lamb… yum! We had a crepe for dessert too. Now, Brussels is getting fun! We made our plan for tomorrow and are excited for more.
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