We woke up on our last morning in Brussels with a sense of purpose. We had just three hours before leaving for the airport and had some unfinished business.
The outer walls of some of Brussels’s city center buildings are adorned with large murals by some of Belgium’s most famous comic book artists. The style, especially hose drawn in the 1970s, heavily influenced artists around the world, the results of which can still be seen today.
Started in 1991 as a colorful way to decorate the mono color streets of the city, more than 50 murals can be found throughout the city. We followed the Comic Book Trail from Grand Place to the south end of the city. It’s a bit like a treasure hunt as some are tucked away down side streets while others jump out at you.
Along the way, we crossed off the final must-see. Mannekin Pis, a 17th century sculpture of a little boy peeing into a fountain, is arguably Brussels’s most famous landmark. Considering its usage in marketing at so many shops around town, it’s a bit shocking to arrive at the fountain to find the statue standing just two-feet tall and wedged into the corner of an intersection.
His impish grin instant brings out he 12-year-old boy in all of us. A steady stream empties into the fountain below. People stop, take a picture and maybe a selfie and move on. It’s impressive and not all at the same time, but definitely light-hearted and amusing.
Mannekin has a “sister” hidden away down Impasse de la Fidélité, a small alleyway near Grand Place. Jeanneke Pis was commissioned in the 1980s and features a little girl squatting.
Click any photo in the gallery to see a larger version and start a slideshow view
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
The Brussels Comic Strip Trail
Click any photo in the gallery to see a larger version and start a slideshow view
Manneken Pis
Manneken Pis
Manneken Pis
Manneken Pis
Jeanneke Pis.
More Photo of the Day posts from our January-March 2016 trip to Europe
The historic medieval city of Bruges (Brugge), about an hour northwest of Brussels by train, is considered one the world’s most beautiful cities. The canals that run between its cobblestone streets have earned it the nickname of “Venice of the North.”
We visited on a very rainy day, which soured our experience quite a bit. We were soaked by the time we reached the park that doubles as the entrance to the old city and the weather never relented.
We did our best to capture the city, dodging raindrops and wiping the camera lens with sopping shirt tails, but could only manage a few good shots. By the time we reached the 300-foot, 750-year-old Belfry (pictured above), our Gore-Tex had been soundly defeated by Mother Nature. We cut our losses and headed back to Brussels. Bruges will have to wait until next time!
A row of houses built in the early 1700s have been restored to pristine condition.The Béguinage was built in the 1200s as a community for women who considered themselves devoutly religious, but did not want to become nuns. Since 1927, it’s been a convent for Benedictine nuns.One of the canals in Bruges that give it the moniker of “Venice of the North.”Some of the old facaded buildings that line the main square.Another old neighborhood further from the town center. Many of the buildings here were built in the 1500-1600s, including a pub that celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2015.
More Photo of the Day posts from our January-March 2016 trip to Europe
I’m always glad when we get to spend a weekend in a city during our travels, especially in Europe where public markets pop up like tulips in the spring. On Sunday in Brussels, we could barely turn a corner without running into one.
The Marché de la Gare du Midi is a wild combination of produce and flea market packed into a tight space under a highway overpass. The large Turkish and Moroccan immigrant population lives at this end of the city and dominates the market. Bowls of olives overflow next to hot griddles cooking up golzeme and flatbread.
We sought out a specific stand making flatbread wraps filled with feta cheese, olives, figs, onions, roasted bell peppers, dried tomatoes and even a whole dolma, then drizzled with honey. To top it off, it’s served with a glass of fresh mint tea. The flavors were truly a party in your mouth. The figs and honey act as a sweet hostess greeting you at the door while the stuffed grape leaf in the middle is like the intellectual philosophizing on the couch to anyone who will listen. By the end, everything is blended together, no longer distinguishable from one another.
Up the street, the Place du Jeu de Balle flea market is literally a public square full of junk. Sure, you can find some decent art and maybe some nice silverware or dishes. But you’ll have to navigate the eccentric deal-hunters pouring over broken boomboxes, naked Barbie dolls and “art” like the large framed photo of someone’s grandmother circa 1999.
With no room in our carry-on for one man’s treasure, we rode the glass elevator up to the viewpoint near Palais de Justice and tried to board the tram to our next destination. Apparently the tram was parked at the terminus, not at a stop. The driver tried to explain this in French, but after seeing our blank stares, he smiled and told us it was okay to get on because “you’re not from here.”
The tram took us to Place Flagey in the Ixelles neighborhood. A local market was just closing up for the day, but that was fine because we were there for frites! The line at Frit Flagey reminded me of Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland. Lining up for snack food seems ridiculous and I’m sure the locals scoff at the tourists who do so (just like in downtown PDX), but the product is worth it. Crispy and airy, most of the potato is fried away, leaving a dense, salty frit behind.
In true “When in Brussels…” form, we took a bus from Flagey to nearby Jourdanplein to try what are widely-considered the best frites in Brussels. Maison Antoine has been serving up frites for more than 60 years. The large stand is clearly king of the neighborhood as the surrounding bars all proclaim “Frites Welcome” in a variety of language, encouraging the visiting tourists to have a beer with their snack.
Maison Antoine didn’t disappoint with a more perfect frit, soft in the middle with a crispy shell. Each layer is salted instead of relying on gravity to do the work. Maison Antoine is a must-try during a stay in Brussels.
The public bus back toward our hotel became a hop-on, hop-off as it wound through the Sablon neighborhood, known for its antiques market and up-and-coming Belgian chocolate shops. We bought a few pieces of artisanal choco goodness at Passion Chocolates and walked around the neighborhood.
Nearby, we found views overlooking the city, including the central plaza of Grand Place. The town hall, completed in 1420, is the highlight of the plaza with its 315-feet tall bell tower. It’s surrounded by equally grand buildings, many highlighted with gold-foil details. It’s often ranked as the most beautiful public square in Europe and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.
A statue called “La Cycliste” by Alain Séchas features a cat on a bicycle overlooking a traffic intersection.An olive vendor’s bounty at Marché de la Gare du Midi.The crazy wrap at the Marché de la Gare du Midi.The insanity of Place du Jeu de Balle flea market.A vendor selling silverware and dishes at the Place du Jeu de Balle flea market. An argument broke out nearby after a customer stepped on and broke a plate then pretended she didn’t do it.View of Brussels from near Palais de Justice.Waiting in line at Frit Flagey.A sculpture outside the 60-year-old frites institution of Maison Antoine.Looking toward the Grand Place from up above Sablon.
The town hall building at Grand Place.
More Photo of the Day posts from our January-March 2016 trip to Europe
Day 26 was a travel day with a twist. We booked bus tickets to make the short trip from Amsterdam to Brussels, Belgium. We had to split up on the crowded bus. Viktoria landed a front seat next to a lady who watched Harry Potter on her laptop. I got stuck next to a fussy baby and a giant Spaniard who, despite his best efforts, took a quarter of my seat along with his. About 10 minutes in, the driver announced that we’d be delayed about an hour due to construction.
All in all, the bus ride turned out OK. The gentle giant offered me a swig from his water bottle about halfway through the journey (which I politely declined). The fussy baby stopped crying and spent most of the journey sleeping while his young mother thumbed through her Bible. The driver announced that he’d found a detour and we’d only have a slight delay.
Once in Brussels, we turned to the business of finding our hotel and then finding food. No trip to Belgium is complete without trying waffles, frites (don’t call them french fries), local beer and handmade chocolate. We arrived during the dunch hours (halfway between lunch and dinner), so breakfast food seemed like a logical way to start checking items off the list.
Waffle cafe Peck 47 was packed on a Saturday afternoon and there was no waiting list. Seating was divvied up kill-or-be-killed style; if you see a table empty, grab it before someone else does. We ordered two savory waffles, topped with melted cheddar cheese and something called Psycho Sauce, along with two local craft beers. Everything was delicious!
We walked around the old city center for a bit, then crossed off the next item on the must-eat list. Frites may seem like french fries to the uninitiated, but there’s an art to Belgium’s favorite snack. The potatoes are sweet and yellow and are fried twice, leaving the inside soft and potato-y and the outside golden and crispy. They’re always served in a paper cone with plenty of salt and a standard choice of a dozen-and-a-half sauces. The frites at Fritland were probably the least-good of the ones we tried in Brussels, but we’re still better than most french fries I’ve ever had.
We finished up the day at the highly-recommended and very crowded Moeder Lambic, a craft beer bar featuring mostly Belgian-made brews. We tried a Troubadour Magma (a hoppish blonde), a Noir de Dottignies (a dark ale) and a Monk’s Stout (an imperial stout). Verdict: Belgian beers are the best we’ve had in Europe (but still not as good as Oregon beers!).
Frites… check! Waffles… check! Beer… check! Chocolate would have to wait for another day.
Savory waffles at Peck 47.The rainy streets of Brussels. The tower of the Town Hall in Grand Place can be seen at the left.Our first Belgian frites at Fritland!Troubadour Magma and Noir de Dottignies at Moeder Lambic.Manneken Pis, Brussels’s famous 17th century statue of a little boy peeing, has been co-opted throughout town. Here, he’s eating a waffle… while peeing.We didn’t try the frites here for obvious reasons.
More Photo of the Day posts from our January-March 2016 trip to Europe
