Places I've been: Brussels
So this year, I officially crossed the threshold. Yes, I am now an expat in the UK. What does an expat do? Well, I put Canadian flags everywhere someone might see them. One in the hall window, one on my (beater) car and many on my t-shirts. I also take advantage of the fact that I am close to places tha are much more interesting than where I am now. Like Belgium, for example (yeah! smooth tie in!), specifically: Brussels.
Second: Brussels hosted Expo '58 and so, obviously, they built a prototype for what building would look like in the future. Witness, the atomium:
Third: It was decided in 1883 that brussels needed a building that was big enough to make massive look small. After building it, they decided they should probably use it for something. It turned out to be well suited to scaring criminals, so they called it the 'Palace of Justice':
Fourth, fifth, sixth etc.: A little statue of a peeing boy (manequin pis), mussels (they tasted pretty average to me, but I got a whole bowl full), the cathedral, waffles (bad. I could make a better belgan waffle), Jean-Claude Van Damme (we saw some Jean Claude haircuts which are actually the belgian military doo), cartoons (smurfs, tintin, asterix and obelix, lucky luke... all belgian).
So there's alot to see if you head over there. Here are a few pointers:
1) Everything is very expensive
2) The subway seems free... but it isn't
3) Avoid cheap hotels in the poor imigrant quarter
4) There is a female version of the manequin pis hidden in the restaurant district
Happy trails :)
OK, the first thing I noticed about Brussels was that it was dirty. The whole city isn't dirty, mind you, just the 'depressed, poor imigrant quarter' in which we had sagely decided to book a cheap hotel (Ibis; actually quite nice on the inside). Dirt asside, there are a few things of which brussels is, justafiably or not, proud. First: A big empty square in the center of town called 'Grand Place'. Around the square are various important buildings including Town Hall, which looks like this:
Second: Brussels hosted Expo '58 and so, obviously, they built a prototype for what building would look like in the future. Witness, the atomium:
Third: It was decided in 1883 that brussels needed a building that was big enough to make massive look small. After building it, they decided they should probably use it for something. It turned out to be well suited to scaring criminals, so they called it the 'Palace of Justice':
Fourth, fifth, sixth etc.: A little statue of a peeing boy (manequin pis), mussels (they tasted pretty average to me, but I got a whole bowl full), the cathedral, waffles (bad. I could make a better belgan waffle), Jean-Claude Van Damme (we saw some Jean Claude haircuts which are actually the belgian military doo), cartoons (smurfs, tintin, asterix and obelix, lucky luke... all belgian).
So there's alot to see if you head over there. Here are a few pointers:
1) Everything is very expensive
2) The subway seems free... but it isn't
3) Avoid cheap hotels in the poor imigrant quarter
4) There is a female version of the manequin pis hidden in the restaurant district
Happy trails :)
posted by Derek at 12:59 PM
4 Comments:
Wow, that's the biggest Body Centered Cubic crystal I have ever seen.
He he, well done Shawn! (applause)
I was waiting to hear about the Muscles from Brussles. No sighting of the VanDam-inator himself though, huh? He's too busy lurking in the underground bloodsport arenas I guess. Maybe the peeing statues really point the way...
Amanda - you have a point: I should have included 'underground bloodsport arenas' right along side the waffles and chocolate :-)
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