Brussels: the city that eats, sleeps, and even pees chocolate

I apologize for the lack of entries in the last week. I've been traveling and haven't really had the opportunity to update. I will try to bring my blog more up to date in the next few days.

I spent three days in Brussels last week. Brussels is known for:

1. Chocolate

2. Mussels

3. Waffles

4. Lace

5. Comic books

6. Statue of a little boy peeing

The amount of chocolate in Brussels is astounding. Around the main square, there are about 10 chocolate shops which all have exquisite displays of truffles. The store, Leonidas, is more common in Brussels than Starbucks is in Manhattan or downtown San Francisco. Each time you turn a corner, you see another one. Even the cheap, touristy stores, which in most cities sell post cards and t-shirts, sell boxes of chocolate.

Mussels and waffles are the other food that Brussels, as well as Belgium, is famous for. The mussels come in a big tub with frites. Most restaurants in Brussels offer mussels. Waffles are bought from cafes, food stands, or even trucks. They come with a variety of toppings, from the standard sugar and syrup to ice cream, melted chocolate and fruit. My friend and I had one with maple syrup and one smoothered in a layer of melted chocolate. This is the window of the shop where we bought the waffles. These waffles are fake, but they give you an idea of the main kinds you can buy.

The Manneken Pis is the most famous tourist attraction in Brussels. It literally is a statue of a little boy peeing. Just as you can buy little, metal Eiffel Towers in Paris, you can buy little metal versions of the Manneken Pis throughout Brussels. The Leonidas across from fountain has a giant, chocolate copy of the little boy and I saw candy ones in all colors of the rainbow in another shop. For special occasions, they dress up the statue and his entire set of costumes from the last 30 years are kept in the history museum. They include a samurai costume, a Nelson Mandella one, a Napoleonic general, an organ grinder, and a Rough Rider. The statue has been outfitted in a costume from pretty much every country in the world and a range of professions.

Besides eating, there is a limited amount to do and see in Brussels. The main square is quite pretty and exactly what you'd expect from a little town in Europe. It was destroyed in the 1690s by Louis XIV, so the buildings are only a little over 300 years old. Each of these shops has a specific name. For example. the one on the right with the gold dome is called 'the Spanish King' and is decorated with an image of the King of Spain. In the photo below, the building on the left is the Maison du Roi, which houses the museum of the city of Brussels. I made sure to visit to discover the history of the city. I also visited the Royal Art Museum, which has a large collection of masters from the Low Countries including Reubens and Pieter Brueghel and the Museum of Musical Instruments, which is an Art Noveau building.

Brussels is also known for its Art Noveau architecture. I visted the house of Victor Horta, a famous architect in this movement. This style is known for its curvy, flowery lines.