bruxelles

I have three pieces of chocolate from Brussels left in the box I brought for myself (it was a small box…sort of). Since I vowed that these fantastic, luscious, chocolate-coma-inducing delights will not be eaten until I post a blog about Brussels, I better get to it.

And we thought we would have time for a side trip to Bruges. In The Traveling Professor’s Guide to Paris, Professor Stephen C. Solosky characterizes Brussels as “one of my favorite day trips” that is an easy 1 ½ hour train ride out of Paris. It was an easy train ride, but I’m not sure I could or would want to do Brussels in a day.

Solosky also says Brussels is “funky” and “gothic.” The professor was probably talking about the architecture, but Brussels funkiness extends to almost everything in the city, people included. The first night there we had to have the Belgian special: beer, moules (mussels), and frites (twice-fried fries, absolute heaven). Our waiter, who flirted a bit with Rebecca and me but then really turned it on for the single, beautiful young woman eating alone at the next table, practically ordered for us. “Beer, salad, mussels, and frites,” was what was said, but who said what first is still fuzzy. The mussels, frites, and beer were fantastic as expected, but it was the salad that I especially remember. There was lettuce there somewhere, but it was covered with shrimp, chicken, sliced beef, and I think ham but am still not totally sure. After all that protein, yet another beer, chocolate cake (we were in Brussels after all), and flirty waiter who helped me on with my coat while upping the charm with beautiful young woman, we could only laugh at the whole experience as we sauntered back to the hotel.

So, so good

Even the museums have a certain funkiness that is wonderfully charming. At the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the René Magritte exhibit is funkiness personified, the young woman at the museum who dissed Magritte was quite hip, and the Musical Instrument Museum, where each visitor is supplied with earphones to plug in and listen to the instruments, was the coolest ever. Mix in Mannekin Pis, the statue of a young boy doing exactly what you think he’s doing, a huge clock complete with bells and figures that does not chime at all, as well as chocolate shops everywhere, and bottom line is that this is my kind of city.

I can’t even begin to describe the waffle topped with chocolate.

Doesn't it look like it should do something?

If you look closely....