More on Brussels

Brussels didn't really impress us, though I am trying to decide if that is really Brussel's fault! You know how it is on a vacation, when you know that you are at the end of it, you start to wish for home--and if you knew that you still had three or four weeks left, well, somehow that's okay? That, and spring break, may have accounted for some of our frustrations with the city.

But not all.

Probably the thing that frustrated me most was the overpowering um...smell...at some of the street corners. I think that possibly, the mannequin pis has been used as permission to do like the locals. It's also necessary to really watch where you walk--both because of what you might step in, and so that you don't break your neck on the loose and uneven cobbles. Brussels has a much higher proportion of beggars than did the other cities we visited (but even so, could not rival the number on Bank Street in Ottawa alone), and there were enough "beware of pickpockets" warning signs and displays to make us a bit uncomfortable. And last, our hotel choice was practical for the train station--but far too industrial to be charming. It also had some very quirky things--like a bathtub that was only a scant 4 feet long, and a half door on the shower so that no matter what, you had water everywhere. The tub/shower also looked really deep, but it was raised for some bizarre reason--making it a treacherous affair altogether.

On the other hand, there were some terrific smells in Brussels...the waffle stands, french fry stands and chocolate shops are quite enticing. We ate french fries with mayonnaise--the Belgium way. I've done that for years; in college I had a Dutch roommate who did that and I came to enjoy it far more than ketchup! Brussels fries are really good. We shared a waffle with chocolate--only to learn that it is just the tourists who ask for something other than sugar! Oh well, it was good. And of course, we went to Mary's--choosing to spend a relative fortune on the craft of good chocolate rather than buy the 'walmart' bundles of 8 or more boxes that would have cost about the same.

Brussels is also a place where you can buy wonderful lace or tapestries. I would have liked both, but we were a little short on space and we had already purchased quite a nice souvenir. So, I took the card for the tapestry shop, and next time will have a particular place and size in mind so that I can choose something appropriate. We did however choose two handmade lace place mats, which are now proudly displayed under our stemware.

I'm sure that we will go back to Brussels--it would be interesting to see during the Christmas festivals, or when they have the flower show, and people watching can be fun. Also, I want to get some tapestries and more lace eventually. But, I can't imagine spending more than a day there next time.