Brussels & Bruges

I didn't have many expectations of Belgium prior to going to Brussels and Bruges, but anyone I talked to about it told me not to leave without sampling: beer, chocolate, waffles, french fries, and mussels.  Luckily, we got to do that and much more.

Overall I was not all that impressed with Brussels: maybe we were there on the wrong day but it was one of the dirtiest cities I've ever seen in my life.  It also felt kind of sketchy and unsafe walking around at night.

We saw Mannekin Pis-- this is Brussel's most famous landmark: a not even 2 foot tall statue of a little boy peeing, which is supposed to represent Belgian's more relaxed lifestyle or something.  Apparently they also dress him up in various costumes!

We also saw the Atomium, a HUGE sculpture in the shape of a molecule which was built for the 1958 World Fair.

Parc de Cinquantenaire with a massive Arc de Triomphe.

Besides that, we walked around the Grand Place, saw an old fish canal, and did lots of wandering around.

The next day we went to Bruges.  I still haven't seen the movie In Bruges but apparently when I do I'll recognize lots of the setting!  The city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and there are lots of canals: it is sometimes referred to as the "Venice of the North" (along with Amsterdam!)

One of the reasons why Bruges is so awesome is because alot of its original medieval architecture is still intact.  There is a huge 13th century belltower which has 47 bells: the city still employs a full-time bell-ringer!

We started the day by wandering around the old squares, then took a boat cruise in the canals.  Then we shopped for chocolate, had a great lunch in Burg Square, did some more wandering, and enjoyed the weather!  

Cheers!