Make A Trip

Next we headed Brussels. It took only half an hour from Antwerp to Brussels. It was an enjoyable trip and we continued to have very nice roads the entire way. But the most pathetic part was our bus driver lost his way. After an hour of indiscriminate running finally he found the bus stoppage.

We enter the city

Brussels is a very big city and commercial center. It headquartered European Union as well as other international organizations, inculding NATO. Construction of modern high rise infrastructures like NewYork or Toronto in one part and typical old designed buildings like Amsterdam in the other part give a totally different look to the city. But the inhabitans don't like the new look, they prefer the old ones. They think these new buildings are making the city ugly confining extensive view.

NATO Headquarter

EU Headquarter

First we entered the city center, they call it Grote Markt. The Grote Markt or Grand Place is the central market square of Brussels. It is like a giant rectangular place surrounded by some large structures- Guild houses, the city's Town Hall and the Bread House. It is a very lively place. People from all walks of life come here. There are some excellent resturants also. I saw a painter drawing and sketching of the buildings, tourists taking their own photographs, buying souvenirs, eating in the roadside caffe, even a couple came to get married in this sprightly area.

Entering the Grote Markt

Guild Houses

Town Hall

Grand Place, Brussels

We spent few hours in Brussels. Our guide reminded us to see the wourld famous peeing boy "Manneken Pis" in the street corner. A large number of visitors crowded in the narrow street to see the statue. But it's too small in size to disappoint the viewers for the first time. There are several legends behind this statue. One story is like that- a man lost his little son. He found the child after two days, peeing near the place where now the statue stands. As a token of gratitude the father had the fountain with a statue of a peeing boy constructed. Although we found him undressed, his wardrobe is filled with 600 different costumes and on many occasions the statue is dressed in a attire.

Manneken Pis, Brussels

We walked around the city. As it was weekened the streets and shops were croweded with customers. The houses, roads, people all are very similar to those of Amsterdam except the canals. In our three hours stay we didn't see any canals. After few minutes our walk took us through a street, lined with small snacks at which we bought delicious frech fries. When in Brussels one must have french fries. It’s a national dish. Most probably Belgium is the origin of fries. The fries is famous for its fifty different flavours. It is crisp and delightful, served in a bowl with matchstick. We had our lunch with this fries. There were also a variety of interesting shops, including chocolate shops and a some souvenirs shops. After several minutes walking out from the Grand-Palace we reached a big shopping mall. But as it was already 6 pm, most of the stores were closing.

Our guide took us to other attractions: Brussels Cathedral, Atomium, Royal Palace, Arc of Triumph. We ended up our journey having a great time. After walking for hours we felt tired and grateful to collapse into our comfortable seats in bus.

Royal Palace, Brussels

Park across the Royal Palace

Cathedral, Brusells

Arc of Triumph, Brussels

Atomic Model, Brussels

A Chinese temple on the way to Atomium

Bourse, Stock Exchange of Brussels