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Don and Linda Freedman
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BRUSSELS, BELGIUM Fall 2000
Saturday, November
11th, Veterans Day, and we were off to Brussels to meet
Jack and his wife, Annie, with whom we had been "Internetting"
for years. We had made our Thalys reservations, which are
required, through Rail Europe , which has
consistently provided us with excellent and prompt
service.
We took the Metro from Hotel de Ville and changed at
Chatelet for Gare du Nord, from which Thalys departs for
Brussels. Leaving at 9:55, we arrived in Brussels at
precisely 11:20 - perfect timing for a leisurely day trip
as the 18:40 return got us back to Gare du Nord at 20:05.
Jack and Annie were on the platform to meet and greet us
and we recognized each other immediately. From the moment
Jack parked his car near Place du Grand Sablon, we
enjoyed a delightful and informative walking tour of this
intriguing city. We will not try to elaborate on the rich
history and culture, the multi-period architecture, the
influences of all of Europe or the ethnic diversity,
because you can find all of that and more by visiting
Jack's web site, Jack's Inimitable Travel Guide.
We will simply relate some of the highlights, starting
with the antique market in Place du Grand Sablon, which
regularly operates 09:00-18:00 Saturdays and 09:00-14:00
Sundays. This place is an antique-lovers dream with
wonderful collections within the open market and in the
shops surrounding the square.
The square is both elegant and charming, a place where
the young well-to-do congregate at the attractive
restaurants and bars. It took enormous will power not to
go crazy in Wittamer and in Pierre Marcolini, two world-class
chocolate shops that were understandably doing a brisk
business. The luxurious Wittamer is even more famous for
its pastries, catering to the rich and famous.
Jack suggested lunch at Le Pain Quotidien, 11 rue des
Sablons, which concept started in Brussels and now
operates throughout Europe and in New York City. Breads
and pastries are sold at the front with communal seating
in the rear. It can be difficult to find seating together
but after a short wait and Jack's knowledgeable
maneuvering, it was arranged.
The menu offers a nice choice of salads, tartines and
desserts. We tried one of each, a hearty tomato and
mozzarella salad and a tartine, an open sandwich on
superb grain bread, with fresh and dried tomato, white
cheese and olive spread. Belgium is synonymous with beer
and Jack suggested a white, fruity Hoegaarden, which was
a perfect choice for this type of lunch. Hoegaarden has a
much sweeter taste than traditional beers. It's prepared
from a unique recipe. A wild blueberry tart and rice
pudding with a prune puree plus excellent coffee were a
memorable finish to a delicious meal.
Grand Place has
been billed as the world's greatest city square. Last
time we were here we were dubious but now that the
marvelous, historic buildings have been cleaned and
renovated, it is certainly true. The astounding Gothic,
medieval Hotel de Ville was built in the early fifteenth
century so 600 years of dirt and pollution had to be
scrubbed away. The magnificent Guild Houses were rebuilt
from 1695-1699 so only about 300 years of accumulated
grime had to be eliminated.
Rue de Bouchers is the restaurant street; the narrow
concourse is lined with inviting choices. Jack and Annie
advise that the best place for famous Brussels mussels is
Aux Armes de Bruxelles at number 13.
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Of course no trip
to Brussels can be complete without paying respect to the
famous Manneken Pis at the corner of rue du Chene and rue
de L'Etuve. Today he was dressed in holiday attire and as
usual drawing throngs of viewers.
Walking through the winding streets of the old town with
Jack's informative narrative was a real treat. Basically,
the guy is a walking encyclopedia of Belgium. How did he
ever have time to become such an expert on Paris? At one
point we were suddenly confronted by the Cathedral of St.
Michael on Place Ste. Gudule, a real Gothic cathedral of
the Middle Ages built of gorgeous pure white stone. Two
high, stunning towers dominate the front and the graceful
entrance opens to a splendid interior with a soaring,
vaulted ceiling. The original stained glass windows are
enormous and impressive. The massive pillars are graced
by statuary. It is no wonder that this is the cathedral
of choice for royal weddings.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Musical
Instruments Museum, an extravagant art nouveau creation
originally designed for the Old England Department Store,
whose name is still emblazoned at the top.
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We
finished our visit at Au Vieux Saint Martin, Grand Sablon
38, which Jack and Annie advised us was considered to be
the place to "be seen". It seems President
Clinton frequented this cafe in his student days and
during his Presidency returned for a visit and chatted
with the patrons. 
There is a plaque commemorating the event on
the booth where he sat. I sipped a fabulous dark beer,
Chimay Bleue, while Linda devoured a hot chocolate sundae.
Our friends dropped us at the train station and hopefully
we will get to Antwerp, where they live, in the not too
distant future.
On arrival in Paris, we had dinner at Au Tibourg. We
share the experience in our Paris travelogue. Our Paris
travelogue is just a click away.
Paris
beginning
of Paris travelogue
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