Brussels

Today my coworker and I caught the train to Brussels. It was a short walk across town to the train station, then a short 45 minute train ride up there. On the weekends the train runs every hour and costs 9 Euro for a roundtrip ticket. It's so convenient and inexpensive I could go up there just for dinner on a Friday or Saturday night. We left at 9:00 in the morning and returned around 5:00. We didn't hit any museums or anything, it was really just a day to get out and see a little bit of the city. It was almost 60 degrees and sunny, just a perfect day to be walking around.

My overall quick impression of the city was that it's very nice, but nothing too exciting. The architecture is beautiful, but it does look a lot like many other European cities that I've seen. It has the standard shops and cafes with chairs out in the street so you can enjoy a beer and watch the crowds. The one thing I was very excited about was the abundance of waffle shops. Unlike Mons, Brussels has a waffle shop on every corner. We did of course have one for a late breakfast....it was covered in chocolate (actually I think it's a product called Nutella, very popular out here) and whipped cream. Absolutely fantasic!

Several people told me before I left that I have to see the Manneken Pis statue. Even at my job, they have told me that this is the main tourist attraction that Brussles is know for. So, after enjoying a waffle and watching people in the Grand Place (the main square in the heart of the city), we headed out to see the famous Manneken Pis. It had to be the most anti-climatic thing I've ever seen. It's a small statue, maybe 2 feet tall, of a guy peeing into a fountain. That's it. It's exactly what the name implies...and yes, Manneken Pis is the offical name of it. The thing I found more intersting was the chocolate shop next to, named Manneken Pis Chocolate. There was absolutly no one in the shop....perhaps they should have thought through that name a little more. I understand that that wanted to be the official chocolate shop of the statue, but it just sounds disgusting.

The pictures from my trip today are up on Picasa, so feel free to let me know what you think of the weird little statue after seeing it. It was a very nice day, and I look forward to exploring Brussels more during my time here.