Impressions of Brussels

  After a good night of sleep we feel refreshed. In spite of our best intentions, we did not even make it to 8:00 pm last night, but we slept well; and with the additional hour we got due to the time change, we got up feeling well rested this morning. This morning we had a tour of Brussels via bus and on foot. Brussels is divided between the upper city and the lower city. Our Hotel, the Stiegenberger Icon Wilthcher's is in the upper city and the highlight of the tour, the Grand Place, is in the lower city. Along the way we passed various types of architecture spanning from the 15th century to the 20th century and found that the modern architecture is quite sterile and unappealing compared to the older architecture. Since Brussels has medieval roots, the many of the streets are narrow and windy and cobblestoned. Cobblestones can be tricky because they are not always even and occasionally one or two may be missing, so exercise care when walking and wear sensible walking shoes, not shoes with stiletto heels, unless you have an overwhelming desire to break an ankle. There are bike lanes like there are in Amsterdam, but nowhere near as many bicyclists, so Brussels is a good training ground for the bicycle mayhem that is the city of Amsterdam. We are glad we took this included excursion since our time in Brussels ends tomorrow. The tour ended at the Grand Place which is the old city square in Brussels and is an architectural feast for the eyes as the square is enclosed by truly magnificent medieval structures with gold plated paint highlights. One of the big attractions in Brussels is the Mannekin Pis. If you have ever been to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa and been surprised that it is not a massive painting, you may be surprised at the size of the Pis. The little guy is not big, but he is beloved by the citizenry of Brussels and is sometimes costumed depending on the season and occasion. Today, he was in his all together and drawing large crowds of tourists. We dropped in to the Waffle Factory and enjoyed Belgian waffles and coffee and we also sampled some Belgian chocolate from Neuhaus Chocolatier. You know that old saying, "When in Brussels....."

  The weather is on the cold side, and so far today there has been no rain. Viking does an excellent job taking care of travelers. Yesterday when we landed there was a Viking rep holding up a Viking clipboard as we emerged from baggage claim. (By the way, to our surprise, we did not pass through passport control or customs at the Brussels airport.) She called the driver who picked us up and drove us to our hotel. In the lobby we met with the Viking rep after we got settled in to our room and she was very helpful and even gave us a brief orientation walk around the neighborhood. I must admit, neither of us is complaining about the pampering we are receiving. Tomorrow we need to have our bags outside our room by 11:30 am. We will be transported to Antwerp tomorrow afternoon where we will board our boat and begin the next part of our adventure.

  Have a wonderful Sunday everyone.