Brussels: Take III

Friday, 2nd December, 2011 - I loved Brugge so much this summer that when Lauren and I were discussing possible destinations for us to rendezvous, I was really excited to introduce her to it. After all, I had sent her a postcard the first time I was there promising that we would travel there together one day, and I wanted to make good on that promise. It was going to be a quick weekend to be sure, but in my humble opinion Brugge was worth the trip. Besides, I was hoping the Belgians would be good at Christmas Markets, it being the season and all. Turns out they're not, at least compared to Vienna, but that was but a minor glitch.

I had gotten off of work for the afternoon and found an early flight into Brussels where I would meet Lauren that evening to catch the train to Brugge. Why not spend a day in Brussels? At this point I sort of feel like I've "been there, done that" with most of the main tourist things in the city (not that there really are that many), so I found a few more obscure spots in my guidebook to check out. I started out at the area around the Grand Place, curious what their Christmas Market setup would be like (nil), and grabbed a Belgian waffle, plain, a weakness of mine that luckily I only have very limited access to. It was still early, about noon around the time I hit the Grand Place and I wandered the area a bit. Even though I like to think I know it moderately well (for a tourist anyway), I still just like being in that part of the city.

I went up to the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral which reminds me a bit of Notre Dame de Paris from the western façade, although the similarity really ends there. It's a stunning cathedral, naturally, but the interior isn't as ornate as Notre Dame's. (I know this from a Gothic Cathedral course that I took in college, not first-hand experience... yet.)

They had a neat Christmas display inside from various countries, some of which were ho-hum, but some of them, like the one from Slovakia, I thought were quite impressively detailed. And, don't get me wrong, I still think the Brussels Cathedral is amazing and well worth spending some time in.

I then wandered back through the Grand Place, giving one final attempt at buying the wooden carving for my Mom (no cigar), before heading to the nearby Palladian-style Brussels Stock Exchange. There were some Christmas stalls set up, mostly selling rather aromatic foods. Also, who knew, Rodin did some of the sculptures around the façade while he was apprenticing for Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse in the early 1870s.

Brussels Stock Exchange - the middle group of sculptures at the crest of the façade are thought to have been crafted by Auguste Rodin

Although the snacks offered at the Christmas market were tempting, I headed back through the Galeries St-Hubert to find a little café supposedly renowned for its quiche. The three galleries, Galerie du Roi, Galerie de la Reine, and Galerie des Princes, were actually the first shopping arcade in Europe when opened in 1847.

At the end of the Galeries furthest from the Grand Place and to the right I found the place I was looking for. Arcadi was packed with mid-afternoon quiche seekers but I found a table in the corner and was able to read while waiting for my salmon and broccoli slice. They don't skimp on portions, either.

Afterwards I made use of my day pass and took the metro east to the Parc du Cinquantenaire in the Upper Town.

This was "the finest of Leopold II's grand projects" and was built for the 1880 Belgian independence Golden Jubilee celebrations. The arch wasn't completed in time for the celebrations (it was finished in 1905), but it was based on Paris' Arc de Triomphe. The two side exhibition halls are museums, one of which is a military history museum and the other of art and history, though they've also been used for horse races and to store homing pigeons.

The park itself was quiet and relaxing and the afternoon lighting was really nice so after strolling the paths for a bit I stopped to read for a while.

However, it being late in the fall and relatively far north, the sun was setting before 6:00 so I decided to get in a little more exploring before it got dark. I headed for the nearby Square Ambiorix which I had read has some neat architecture and façades.

Villa Germaine and No. 11

Not only was the square really scenic and dotted with lovely old couples walking hand-in-hand, but the square indeed had some interesting surrounding buildings. The best example of Art Nouveau is No. 11, the Maison St. Cyr, and is all the more impressive for having been designed by Gustave Strauven who was only 22 years old when it was built. I also discovered the Square Marie-Louise, which is rather more of a squashed hexagon than a square and more lake than park. A very picturesque squashed-hexagon lake-park, though, with a pathway encircling it overhung by weeping willows and other trees.

However darkness was fast approaching so I went back to the Grand Place, though not before noticing a difference between Brussels' and Vienna's crosswalk signs:

Brussels vs. Vienna: no hat or suit. I think that means the Viennese dress better?

Back at the Grand Place I discovered that there was a music and light festival for the evening's entertainment. Apparently every evening after the sun set the configuration of posts spiraling out from the central Christmas tree emitted colored rays which would light up the City Hall and other surrounding buildings with a fantastic light show choreographed to seasonal classical music.

I settled onto a central platform and enjoyed the Electrabel Nights performance for an hour or so. It was really fun, though I wish I would have had a blanket (a number of listeners did). I would also like to toss out how romantic it could have been. Honestly, get (or make) dinner then come out to a setting like the Grand Place and enjoy a free concert (the acoustics were very good) together for an evening? It doesn't get much easier, guys.

However, sans blanket I got a bit chilly after a while so I went to 't Kelderke, a 16th century cellar in the Grand Place. Although I tend to regard any restaurant in or too near the Grand Place as a tourist trap, my guidebook had recommended it. I really just wanted a bowl of soup to warm up with and it was conveniently located.

't Kelderke

Being a single diner, I didn't have to wait for a table although the restaurant was packed. I thought the service was efficient and courteous and I didn't feel rushed although I could tell they were trying to keep a quick turnover of patrons.

It was nearing the rendezvous time with Lauren by then, so I headed back to the North Station where we met up without a hitch and caught the train to Brugge. We managed to figure out which bus to take to get to where we were staying even though the night bus had different numbers than what we had looked up. After dropping our bags we wandered to the nearby Markt, the central square of the city, to find something to eat. Unfortunately Brugge is more of a place to retire than a young person's weekend getaway, so I was quickly reminded of how early the restaurants closed. We managed to find a late night french fries joint of all things, and Lauren was hungry enough for anything after travelling most of the day. We caught up over the warm thick-cut potatoes, then moved to a nearby bar, The Illusionist, to continue our chatting. Not a bad place for a drink, by the way. However, we were both exhausted, old souls that we are (or at least I am), so after another drink we proceeded back to cozy up in our warm beds for some much wanted sleep, eager to take on Brugge with zeal the next day.