We took a morning train to Brussels to see our friends the von der Felsens. On the train, Jackson and Grace made friends with 3 French kids speaking the universal language of DS. Eventually, they all settled with sharing crayons to color. The von der Felsens were on the platform when we arrived. It was a very happy reunion. Our tour of Brussels was about to begin with a printed itinerary of all the streets and sites that Anja and Jan titled, "Bauer family goes Brussels (Comics, beer and chocolate)," so we knew we were in for a good time. It started with a metro ride from Gare du Midi to Justice Palace. The kids had no problem reacquainting themselves. In no time, they were climbing statues, crawling in bushes and running in circles -- lots and lots of laughter. It didn't take long until we stopped for our first chocolate tasting at Pierre Marcolini. The presentation was like Tiffany's. Jack and I bought lots of samples to try since many in Brussels say it is the best. Next store was Leffe brewery so we stopped for some libations while the kids ate incredible ice cream cones purchased at Pierre Marcolini. Jackson, Grace and Kai had vanilla ice cream with raspberry sorbet inside a sugar cone lined with chocolate. It was extremely good. Amely had caramel ice cream. Our walked continued as we went past the Royal Palace which is filled with many art museums, including Musée Magritte. It wouldn't be a visit to Brussels without going to Mannekin Pis. The kids found it hilarious to see a fountain with a statue of a boy peeing. There were many tourists enjoying the site. Next door was a waffle shop so we got Belgian waffles with many different toppings: strawberries, vanilla, bananas, chocolate sauce and powder sugar. All tasted great but very hard to eat while standing. Next part of the tour was the comic murals. Examples of some of the murals were Victor Sackville by Carin and several Tin Tin by Hergè. We spend some time in the Grand Place, the central square of Brussels, where the wealthy merchants lived and had their shops. It is beautiful with these amazing buildings each craved with different designs. We spend some time looking for a swan and wheelbarrow. It also brought back a memory of my dad when a gypsy kid tried to pick-pocket him. Unbeknownst to this child, my dad was used to us trying to steal his wallet. So when the child tried to stick his hand in my dad's coat pocket, my dad slapped the kid's hand and told the kid to scram. It started to rain so we raced to see Mannikin Pis' sister Jannekin Pis, not a popular tourist spot but is just past the bar Delerium and its neighbor, Delerium Tremens. With all the kids begging to go to the von der Felsen home, we skipped the planned beer at La Mort Subite to try "sudden death" but had a short stroll through Galeries St. Herbert. Galeries St. Herbet is an arcade built in 1847 and considered the oldest shopping arcade in continental Europe. Some say it is also the most elegant and based on what I saw, it definitely ranks high. Our downtown tour ended with a street car ride to Tervuren where the von der Felsen's live. The kids said this is where the real fun began. Anja made a fabulous treat - beef bourguignon and spätzle (the German-French version) with chocolate mouse for desserts. It was mouthwatering and definitely the best meal we have had in Europe.
No comments:
Post a Comment