Tuesday, October 27, 2020

The Trip that was: October 27, 2009/2017

 2009

Brussels!! 

The view from our hotel room.  Which took us FOREVER to find! We books through a travel agent...which was a thing then, when I was unsure of what to do in Europe. But she booked us in an Ibis hotel, of which there were THREE in the same area.  Thanks to a lovely concierge at the wrong hotel, we found it.  And I have to say, the view was lovely.  If slightly spooky.  And we were steps away from the Grote Markt. 



The Brussels Stock Exchange, which we passed often on the way to the Grote Markt. 



The Grote Markt! One of the most beautiful squares I've ever seen.   Destroyed in 1695 by the French Army, it was rebuilt by the guilds and completed by 1700.  









The Breadhouse, The Kings House, or The Brussels City Museum.  Whatever it is called, it's beautiful.

You can't go to Brussels and not see Manneken Pis.  I was excited.  Dutchboy warned me I would be disappointed.  He's tiny. He's...pissing. What is there to see? It's a landmark! It's something you read about! How can you not be excited?

If it hadn't been for the crowd of people, I would have never even NOTICED it.  Teensy Weensy fountain. He wasn't even wearing one of his famous outfits. Then you find out this isn't even the ORIGINAL fountain that was placed there in 1619. This is a copy put there in 1965! The original is in a museum!!! 









Egmont and Hornes Fountain in  Petit Sablon Park. 

A long walk to the top of the hills of Brussels takes you to the Palais de Justice.










Gorgeous building designed by Paul Saintenoy. It was a department store, but is now a musical instrument museum.



Magritte, anyone? 



Mont des Arts Park. The spire in the background is the Brussels City Hall, in the Grote Markt.













2017

Can't have a rainbow without a little rain.  Dutch skies smiling through my tears.



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