19 - 5-19-2015 - Two Sprouts in Brussels

Tuesday - May 19

Well, quite changeable weather today except for the chilly 55 F. and accompanying breeze, which remained the same from late morning to early evening. On the other hand, rain-wise, Norm entered one Metro station with sunglasses on and exited at a station three stops away to steady rain. He scrambled to don his rain jacket and hat - Pam was already wearing hers as a windbreaker. The rain continued while we were in that area, yet it was blue skies with clouds when we later exited at the original station. Talk about microclimates.

We're still miffed at our car's SatNav witch, which yesterday, in the heart of Brussels (deemed the most congested city in Europe), directed us down a street that neither of us noticed was one-way. Norm had a suspicion, too late, because the only parked cars were all facing toward us on the left side of the street. He wondered, how can two cars possibly pass in this itty bitty street? Answer, they're not expected to. Having gone about 3/4 of the way down the street, a black Ford Fiesta turned into the street from the other end and ominously crept forward. Simultaneously, several guys at a seedy sidewalk cafe began gesticulating at us frantically and pointing at the Ford. Duh!  Our necessary backing up exercise was hampered by having to avoid hitting metal posts planted all along the right side of the street at curb's edge, watching out for pedestrians popping out of nowhere into the street behind us and, finally trying to avoid zooming cross traffic as we gingerly attempted to maneuver back into the street we had come from originally. At the same time we had to bear the psychological warfare engaged in by that turd a of a Ford driver, who kept his front bumper seemingly glued to ours along with frequent horn bursts. Geez! jerkwad, give us a break! But after a few deep "serenity now" breaths we avoided giving the douchebag a dose of road rage American style. We survived. Welcome to Brussels.

Except for our Metro trip to Park of the Cinquantenaire, we were able to walk from our hotel to all of the sights on our list. The hub of activity is the main square, or Grand Place. Many quality shops are on the square and the immediate side streets, countless ones containing cornucopias of Belgian chocolates and baked delights, interspersed with the obligatory standard issue souvenir shops. The original Godiva Chocolate store from 1937 is on the square with its goodies being prepared in full view. Expensive, yes, but on side streets further away from the square are stores that sell good sized boxes of "Belgian chocolates" (?) for prices such as 10 euros (about $11.40) for 10 boxes.  Competition for Godiva?  Nah.

Near the square is the Galleries Royales St. Hubert, built in 1857 and Europe's oldest still-operating shopping mall. It is dramatically styled with an arched glass roof seemingly a quarter mile above the floor. It was the model for similar enclosed malls built later in Europe and elsewhere. Not a souvenir shop or outlet store to be found in here.

Not too far after we exited the mall we found St. Michael's Cathedral, with impressive stained glass and more intricately carved wood than a very high end Black Forest cuckoo clock.

In one of the Cinquantenaire's buildings Is Autoworld, which has hundreds of historic vehicles arranged appealingly in a visitor friendly manner.

Manikin Pis is even in the restaurant bar:

Norm was fascinated by all the model cars in the gift shop:

We passed on the Military History Museum even though it and the auto museum are a combined ticket. 

 Pam wanted to get back to the main square and savor her first Starbuck's in ages. Gawd, that's better than any waffle. The view from our outside table wasn't bad, either. By this time Norm had stowed his rain jacket back in his Rick Steves' kit bag and we each had a second Frapaccino.

Norm found a shop full of ever type of beer - and chocolate:

Then Pam found another photo op:

On the way back to our hotel, we stopped to see Brussels' famous, but cheesy, city mascot Manneken-Pis. Pam found a larger version more suitable for this photo op. This statue of a kid holding his wiener is absolutely everywhere, made out of absolutely everything, and hawking goods of every type - shameless.