the world of adventures: Brussels

23rd December 2014 - 26th December 2014

Belgium (Brussels)

w. ellie

Did Brussels for Christmas this year. I have no regrets because Christmas is all about the chocolates, waffles and beers. Belgium is all of the above.

I chose the right place.

Plus, I had my much needed female company.
And I exercised my very degraded French due to lack of use.

Belg does Dutch, French, English and sometimes Spanish.
As long as you're fluent in one of them, you're good to go.

I made my way from London-Brussels via coach.
At first, I thought they were going to load my coach on a ferry across the English Channel.
Until they load my coach into a train.
Don't worry, don't freak out (like me). You are not a victim of human trafficking (that's what I thought I got myself into).
The train is basically equipped with toilets at the front car. You can hop off the bus but there's nothing about the train. It feels like cargo train, really.
However, the coach's engine will turned off and so, the train will be cooler than the inside of the coach.
Coach from London-Belgium was around 5hours.

UPDATE:
When I was about to leave Amsterdam to take my flight home to London, I got detained at the customs for like 5 minutes. It was my most exciting immigration check in my whole life yet.
What happened was I did not get a stamp on my passport for my entry into Belgium (or Amsterdam). That was a problem because they could not identify when I was in the country or if I was an immigrant ~~stealing their jobs~~.
On hindsight, I did wonder about the lax of border security but I thought it was due to EU's free movement. Still, it should have occurred to me that it should not have been that free.
So, I produced my coach tickets (from London-Brussels & Brussels-Amsterdam) to the officer. They checked the validity of it, did a replacement stamp on my passport to prove my entry and let me off.
Wasn't even late for boarding (I was actually early by 30 minutes).

Lesson of the day: Stamp your passport when crossing the borders. I asked the immigration officer and she told me the bus driver should have made sure everyone got a stamp. But if case he missed, you should tell the driver about your 'immigrant' status.

In my defence, it happened to both, me and Bear, when we enter Belgium. The holiday season must be intoxicating the driver both occasions to forget about this. To add, we took coaches from two different companies (Student Agency vs. National Express), on two different days (23rd December vs. 26th December), heading to two different destinations (mine was heading to Prague, Bear's was heading up north).

A comment on the coaches, pick Student Agency between the two. I took National Express from Brussels-Amsterdam as well. But Student Agency's bus had coffee & newspaper facilities and telly for every seat. On National Express, you only got a seat. (end)

The old Stock Exchange building and also the site of the Christmas Market.

One of the 10 brands of Trappist beers in the entire world.
Trappist beer is the perfect combo between your alcohol fix and your karma points.
This type of beer is produced in Trappist breweries, managed by monks.
The monks will take away the percentage needed to cover the cost of production for the beer and the rest of it will be given to charity.
Like I said, perfect balance.

For someone not in love with alcohol, I've learned wine in Sydney, whiskey in Scotland and beer in Brussels.

Beers can be divided into 4 types (usually): Pills, Blonde, Brune and Trappist.
Pills are the cheapest quality (such as Juniper, Heineken).
I realize I prefer pils. My taste buds are cheap.

I was told that chocolate manufacturers in Belgium are regulated, in that the chocolates must contain at least 35% cocoa.

No wonder everything tastes better.

If you've never tried (almost) pure cocoa before, do so in Brussels.
At 88%, there's almost no sweetness to the chocolate. You taste the real cocoa.
After you've tried them, give a second thought to the amount of sweetness injected into the chocolates we consume daily in comparison.

Gourmet chocolates (those behind glass cases) are priced around EUR6.50 - EUR 8.50 for 250g.

Leonidas' (chain chocolate manufacturer) chocolate prices were lower than some other smaller chocolate retailers.

I could only guess that the smaller shops have higher cost (smaller production numbers, homemade, etc) and Leonidas' mass production helps the lower price tag.

But if you're buying pretty chocolate souvenirs, Leonidas' is the place. They have a wide variety of beautifully decorated boxes made ready.

The non-gourmet chocolates (those you can pick yourself) are about EUR3.50 per 100g

They taste just as good as the gourmet for me, if not the same.

I could only assume that there are different cocoa contents/types of cocoa beans in the two types.

You have tried waffles until you've done Belgian Waffles.

Not only does it have the right amount of crunch, it's so damn fluffy.

Fluffy i tell you, like marshmallow.

Waffles are usually around EUR2.50-EUR3.50 (plain) and EUR1-EUR2 for added toppings.

There's a difference between a Brussels waffle and a Liege waffle.

Brussels waffle: No added sugar in the batter;

Liege waffle: With added sugar in the bater.

I prefer Brussels waffle, tastes more towards savoury than sweet.

Try Waffle Factory @ Rue du Lombard (its between the Manneken Piss and the Grand Place).

It is crazy packed with people but best I've tried so far.

Also, don't complain about the mere two dollop of chocolate sauce. The two dollop was just nice for me. I had dark chocolate and even then, it would be too sweet had the added more.

We love toppings but I promise it'll be worth it to go au-naturel.

Try plain and then another with just icing sugar.

Yums.

In comparison to many churches in England, the interior of the church in Belgium were white plaster, with the exterior made of brick work.

England's structures were brick work inside-out.

Churches were mainly of a neo-gothic influence.

'Brusselization' is a term heavily linked to Brussels for its careless development between 1960s-1970s.

It's basically development without regard to the future (ie, putting high density residential condo in an already highly populated area).

To be honest, the architecture of every building is so unique.
They may be careless city planners, but they were masterminds of beautiful architecture.
If this is the effect, bring it on!

The Opera House, La Monnaie De Munt.

A revolution began from this place decades ago.
Figures that the Frenchmen's take to 'dramatize' everything rubbed off on its neighbour, Belgium.
The skating rink in conjunction with Christmas is also located right in front of the Opera House.
The reflection made for a beautiful picture.

Did you know fries (frites) in Belgium are fried TWICE in animal fat.

Walk into any frites stand and you'll see fried fries waiting to be fried again.

And there's a galaxy of sauces you could choose from.

It is wonderful.
I initially questioned the taste of the fries for fear that it would have a too-strong animal fat taste.
I was wrong.
This could convert vegetarians.

The Grand Place during Christmas is a dream on fire.

Grand Place can get quite crowded.
So don't take your eyes off your valuables!
Personal experience.
Literally, hug your valuables.
Had two friends lost their belongings in Brussels on two difference trips.

Tip from my dad:
My dad almost got pickpocket in Milan a few weeks before my trip.
Luckily, he saw the thieving scum and shouted at the person.
Scum apologised and return the item.
So, make a hell a lot of racket when you discover someone stole your stuff.
If they return it (yes, it does happen), DON'T ATTACK the person.
The police might have to detain you in the country and you won't be able to leave on your return flight.
So, give them Hades' stare & walk away.

The best part of my Brussel's trip.

I went for the show 3 consecutive nights because it was so beautiful.
The video did no justice to the actual music/atmosphere.
Max Richter's recomposition of The Four Season (Vivaldi) on Spring 1 is my new favourite.
I feel the need to hear the orchestra live!

The mini-Manneken Piss boy peeing beer.

Couple of years ago, I was told the actual Manneken did pee actual beer.

Stayed at Marie from Airbnb.
It was a studio, with kitchen and all, at Saint Giles.
Although I originally thought the kitchen would not be used at all, I came to appreciate its availability.
Me and Ellie take away most of our meals because we could never finish them.
The kitchen helped to re-heat our food.
I guess, even a microwave would have been sufficient.

You could get discount off your first stay with Airbnb with code below:
www.airbnb.co.uk/c/vchew11?s=8

Went on a free walking tour with Sandeman-Brussels.

I had Charlie for a tour guide. I highly recommend them to anyone visiting Brussels. He was so knowledgable about Belgian history (specifically Brussels), even though he was British.

Tipped his at the end of the tour but was quite disappointed with some people walking away without tipping. I thought he did a very good job.
Tip him guys.

The famous peeing boy.

Read some of the legends that accompanies this monument. Trust me, it's a good laugh.

"Quite Harry Potter-ish is the first legend. It tells the story of an old witch who lived in Rue de l'Etuve and who convicted a little boy of a sad punishment. He had relieved himself on her front door, so she decided to transform him into a stone statue. Fortunately, a good old man appeared with a statue similar to the little boy. When the witch was ready to put a curse on the little boy, the old man swapped the boy for the statue.

The second one is also about an illegal wee-wee... "Little Julien" was knee-high to a grasshopper when he went pee pee against the door of a saint hermit. The old man heard the weird noise and came out of his house. Then he saw the little boy, transformed him into a statue, and condemned him to keep doing the act... forever... However, the end of the legend, which was too scary for the kids, was changed. The father ordered a statue, similar to his son, and the day it was presented, the little boy came back to life.

The third one tells an epic story, when Brussels was besieged and had been resisting attacks for several days. Besiegers set up fire to burn the city before they left. Fortunately, a little boy who was walking down rue de l'Etuve saw the burning wick. He didn't know where to find water, so he started to pee to put it out. The Bourgeois heard about it and erected a statue honoring his epic act.

The fourth one is mischievous and goes back to the Crusades. The count from Hove lived in Brussels with his wife and son Godefroid. The count steadily hosted his glorious combatants. Once, he asked his 5 year old son, a resourceful kid, to walk in front of the troops for welcoming the combatants. But the resourceful child spent his time watering the procession. Then a statue was erected by the count and countess to make up for the insult inflected upon the combatants.

The fifth tells the story of a Bourgeois child who lost himself in the crowd. His father searched frantically for him in the Brussels streets... After five days, he saw his son relieving himself at the corner of rue de l'Etuve and rue du Chêne streets. The Bourgeois was so happy and decided to erect a statue to immortalize the moment.

The sixth goes back to the 8th century. A lord's wife gave birth to a baby who peed so high that he spattered the beard of Vindicien, an Arras bishop. The kid was named Manneken-Pis. Soon after, Vindicien passed away. There was a problem: where to organize the baptism and who would officiate it? A woman called Gudule would bless this baby. But the lord, seduced by the woman, left his house and went to Gudule's. She welcomed him, ignorant of his bad intentions. Gudule was shocked and, to punish him, she declared: "Your son is going to stop growing and will never be able to stop peeing."

The last and most plausible legend

The most plausible one is based on historical facts. In 1142, Godefroid III, duke from Lotharingie, was born. Unfortunately, his father, Godefroid II, passed away soon after his birth. Two vassals, Gauthier Berthout and his brother Gérard de Grimbergen, took advantage of the situation to fight over their new born liege lord. The Gaasbeek sire asked for the presence of the young duke on the battlefield. Then the crib was hung from a oak tree's branch, in Ransbeek. The baby's army was four times driven back, at this point they seemed to have lost the fight... But they were suddenly galvanized, watching the baby peacefully doing the famous act! To commemorate the victory, a fountain was erected in Brussels, and it was called Manneken-Pis. Moreover, the oak tree was uprooted and replanted at the Rue du Chêne (meaning oak in French).

Mannenken-Pis and family?

Even if Manneken-pis is an original, he has some 'brothers', in Grammont, in Kobe, in Spain, in Osaka, in Colmar, and he also has a sister: Jeanneke-Pis, located in Brussels, in the impasse de la Fidélité. Yep, Brussels has a lot of peeing statues..."

From: Brussel's life