My last city in Belgium, and of course the largest, but I had only 1 full and 2 half days to experience it all! The key, I think, was staying within easy walking distance of the Grand Place around which are many of the sights I wanted to see.
As it was a much larger area to explore, I not only walked a lot but also used the bus and tube. Both were relatively easy to figure out and tickets can be bought at the stations. Bus tickets can be bought on the buses as well at a slightly higher price.
Day 1
I reached Brussels around 430 pm and by the time I'd found and settled into my accommodation it was almost 530 pm.
As my phone adapter was not compatible with Europe, I needed to buy one asap (my BnB host had lent me one in Brugge!). Google suggested a store nearby and I headed out. Once I had the adapter I realized I was almost at the Grand Place and so headed there.
The Grand Place is the central square of the city of Brussels. It is surrounded by various old guild houses, The City Hall and The Maison du Roi or King's House which now holds the City Museum. The buildings are ornate and highly decorated and it is considered one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Despite there being a huge stage and scaffolding put up for a concert the next day blocking one side of the square, I marveled at the architectural beauty around me- it really was exquisite. A buzzing place with tourists and locals milling about,
the square had a great energy about it.
I didn't linger too long as I had a task- I wanted to find the very famous, famous and hardly known 3 Pis's of Brussels- Mannekin Pis, Jenneke Pis and Zenneke Pis.
Mannekin Pis or little pee man in Flemish is a small bronze fountain statue in the center of Brussels. There are many interesting stories as to his origin - gifted by a tourist father who received help from villagers to locate his lost son in the city; a more daring legend where the boy was a spy during a siege of the city and literally put out a ploy to bomb the city by urinating on the explosives or even a symbol of the beer culture in the area- to name a few, but no one knows for sure.
He is not just a cute tourist attraction but an integral part of Brussels's culture and is a part of every celebration and apparently has over 6000 outfits to party in! From Santa suits to national outfits of other countries, Mannekin Pis is always dressed for the occasion by a personal tailor and 3 dressers and some of his wardrobe can be seen in the museum in the Grand Place.
On special occasions, brass bands play at the fountain and Belgian beer is poured from his "fountain tip" and given to the public!! Anything for free beer!!
Over my time in Brussels our paths crossed daily and I saw him naked twice and dressed in
his military outfit once!
Jenneke Pis was built as a playmate for Mannekin Pis but she is lesser known and hides in an alleyway a short distance away. Her origin as inscribed on a plaque is that " the fountain was built in honor of loyalty. A very old custom has it that your wish will be granted if you throw a coin into the bowl of the fountain". The coins thrown in are supposed to represent the feeling of "tenderness, virtue and admiration" for a loved one and a desire to remain faithful and loyal to them.
Het Zenneke( also wrongly referred to as Zenneke Pis!) was built centuries after the original Pis's and seems to complete the Pis family. Also lifesize, he differs in that he is not a pissing fountain but simply a bronze statue. He is not as well known as his masters probably because he is a more recent addition and not really a part of any legend.
I had to walk a fair bit into some remote area to find him but find him I did!! Mission accomplished I headed back home for some well deserved rest!
Day 2
This was the day I was going to pack loads into- a free walking tour, mussels and frites(had to) and the Atomium were on the list but first a good ole Starbucks coffee in the Grand Place to warm up on what looked like a gloomy rainy day.
As I sat outdoors nursing my cappuccino, I wondered if the employees ever appreciated the beautiful location they worked in- the view was superb and my coffee tasted better for it!!
Coffee with a view
I met up with the Sandman's free walking tour group and for the next 3 hours or so we explored Brussels with Peter who turned out to be a hilarious guide and made the day totally worth it!
We saw the Cathedral of St.Michael and St. Gudula
Royal Palace of Brussels
Mots des Arts
Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert with its speciality chocolate shops
Famous Murals
and even stopped for a beer in between!
The tour ended just in time for lunch and I got a recommendation from Peter for a good place for Moules n Frites- walked and reached there just as it started to rain! Sat outdoors under the awning and enjoyed my lunch, but if I'm honest the food tasted the same as anywhere else I've tried- the only difference was I had ticked off having mussels in Brussels from my list!!!!
Well fed and the rain having lessened I thought Id try to get to the Atomium by metro as it was quite far. Locating the station proved to be a challenge due to the construction all around plus the fact the entrance wasn't well marked but I eventually found it. Next came buying the tickets- how hard could it be? Apparently very as I just couldn't figure out how to change options at the machine- eventually a youngling came by and showed me( you don't PRESS buttons here, you TURN them!!!!) and I was on my way.
On the way I spotted the European Union Zone with its station nd wished I had time to get off and explore. Its a little city of its own!
As luck would have it the train decided to change its route and again I had to grab a stranger and ask for guidance- minor hiccup and I eventually reached the final stop. Its a 10 min or so walk to get to the Atomium but along a lovely route with the bonus of getting photos of the Atomium from all distances and angles!!
I did not have time to go up to the spheres as I had to find a way to get back to the city before dark- I had realized on my way in that there was no place to buy tickets for the train at the stop and I wasn't sure if they were available on the train itself. NOTE: buy return ticket wherever you go as it is easier.
Walking around I spotted a sign saying free shuttles to the city and not believing my luck I asked the lady in charge if it was true! It seems it was the last day of a huge expo in the exhibition center adjacent to the Atomium and these were the feeder buses for the participants! I asked if I could hop on and was told off course so, thanking my lucky stars, I got a lovely free ride back!!!!
Dinner was at the famous Maison Dandoy at the Galaries Royale and was their specialty waffles!
Again the waffles were super pretty but I still felt my roadside waffles tasted better!!!!
Off home it was after dinner and I was so ready to get off my feet- loads of walking and I was looking forward to bed!!
Day 3
My train back to London was in the afternoon but I had to vacate my accommodation by 10am- this put me in a bind as I has 1 last place to visit and 1 more thing to eat and didn't want to drag my luggage around- could I manage to do it all before 10am was the question.
It meant a really early start on a cold windy day but I had to try!
I packed up my things and left for my last adventure by local bus- destination Parc Du Cinquantenaire or Jubelpark. Luckily as it was a park it opened early and timings weren't an issue. The bus took me there and back fairly efficiently and I spent a quick half an hour exploring. Lovely, beautiful and peaceful park with its imposing arch and branches on one side, it was built to commemorate Belgium's 50 years of independence. Although possible to climb to the top of the arch for great views I didn't have time for this or to visit the several museums located in the extending arms.
Great way to spend a relaxing day if you can make time.
My breakfast/lunch HAD to be the savory waffles Id seen walking around yesterday and I raced to the Waffle Factory near the Grand Place. Joined the back of an alarmingly long queue and prayed Id get my order on time. Got a burger waffle with a plain sweet one free with it but had no time to eat as I raced off to release my room just in the nick of time! I was already exhausted and it wasn't even 10am!
Reached the station hours before time but was happy to just sit around and eat my burger waffle and boy was it yummy despite it not being hot n crisp any more- so worth the rushing around! The sweet one I had on the train and it was the best waffle of my trip- it was a Leige waffle and I wish I'd discovered it sooner.
Waffles 101
There are 2 types of waffles: Brussels and Leige
A Brussels waffle is crispy on the outside, amazingly soft on the inside .These rectangular treats are most commonly dotted with either 15 or 24 square pockets but........
A Liege waffle is filled with unevenly distributed clusters of caramelized pearl sugar, which gives a slightly bitter contrast with the buttery waffle dough. They have distinctly rounded corners typically surround a 3-by-4 square pattern. Tastes as good hot or cold!
F-A-V-O-U-R-I-T-E!!!!
My solo trip to Belgium was over too soon but I loved every hectic minute of it! Had no issues of safety and met some lovely people to pass time with- would love to come back some day and get to know Belgium even better xx