Brussels, Belgium

Day 9 - 09.12.13

We took a bus to the main part of the city and went to explore the Grand Place - the central square of Brussels. There was a vendor in the middle of the square selling watercolor paintings. I ended up buying two, and they are yet to be framed. I'll get around to it eventually. My conclusion from the two days in Belgium: beautiful buildings! The architecture is really something. There were a lot of worn down buildings, but those just added to the historical vibe of Brussels.

We then went to see the Manneken Pis - a statue of a peeing boy made in 1618 to resemble the rebellious spirit of Brussels. During big events, they dress him in different costumes. We weren't there during anything special, so he was just naked. Right next to the statue was a waffle place. I had mine with chocolate and strawberries. A little tough to eat but delicious nonetheless. 

Fries, or frites, were eaten twice that day — both times yummy. The weird thing is Belgians eat their fries with mayonnaise. I hate mayo, but luckily it was completely different than the American version. I'm not sure if it's any better for you, but it was good! We also got to feed the pigeons straight from our hands.  

We did a bit more roaming around and visited a few cathedrals. Also, finding a free public restroom can be quite difficult in Europe. After some searching, there was a library, and we were able to use that. The bathroom was clean, smelled good, and there was no fuss. 

Couldn't leave Belgium without getting some chocolate goodies to take home. 

"Find life experiences and swallow them whole. Travel. Meet many people. Go down some dark alleys. Try everything. Exhaust yourself in the glorious pursuit of life." 

-Lawrence K. Fish