Friday through Sunday, May 5-7, 2017
Day 1
Months of planning and anticipation led us to an 8:30 departure on Friday morning. After stopping to drop the car at the airport hotel where we would stay upon our return, we were shuttled to the Pittsburgh airport for our 12:50 departure. After a couple of hours to change planes in Atlanta, we were off for Brussels.
We landed around 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning, May 6th. Immigration and Customs consumed what seemed like an hour, after which we were met by the driver who would take us to our hotel, where our rooms were ready for us. We unpacked and got our belongings settled, then headed out to find an ATM and a place for lunch. À la Mort Subite, just across the street from our hotel, captured our attention and was a delightful local spot, hosting construction workers and families alike. I had a croque monsieur, the guys had croque madames. As we were in Belgium, those who like beer had beers to complete the first European meal of the trip. We walked through Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, stopping to purchase truffles (the chocolate kind, not the pig-digging kind) and to admire the beautiful window displays (especially the glove store—see pictures in the gallery below), continuing on to the Grand Place, where we admired the beautiful old buildings. As we made our way back to the hotel for a nap before dinner, we scouted out possible restaurants along the way for dinner, remembering that one must eat mussels in Brussels.
Enjoy the photos on the link, above, to Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert. What a beautiful set of buildings, exquisite boutiques, and remarkable history. Here is the description, in English, from Wikipedia. The gallery was designed by the young architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer, who determined to sweep away a warren of ill-lit alleyways between the Grasmarkt / Marché aux Herbes and the Kruidtuinberg / Montagne aux Herbes Potagères and replace a sordid space where the bourgeoisie scarcely ventured into with a covered shopping arcade more than 200 m in length. His idea, conceived in 1836, was finally authorized in February 1845. The partnership “Société des Galeries Saint-Hubert”, in which the banker Jean-André Demot took an interest, was established by the summer, but nine years were required to disentangle all the property rights, assembled by rights of eminent domain, during a process that caused one property owner to die of a stroke and a barber, it was said, slit his throat as the adjacent house came down.
Dinnertime found us walking back to the Grand Place, exploring menus at La Rose Blanche, LeRoy d’Espagne, and several other old restaurants before walking the path we had covered earlier and deciding we’d try Chez Leon. Ding-ding-ding—We were the winners! This restaurant, dating from 1893, is an absolute treasure! Mike got his mussels; Marilyn had Vol-au-Vent (delicious puff pastry containing chicken, mushrooms, and a delicious sauce); the Jazzman had Flemish stew, a local favorite; and I had to-die-for lobster soup and a salad with warm goat cheese and bacon lardons. Once I took a bite of the lardons, I remembered having eaten that same salad either on my previous trip to Brussels or when we were in Lyon several years ago. Say what you will about eating bacon fat, those lardons are like eating in heaven! We were happily full and sated, and skipped dessert for a walk back to the hotel and a well-earned sleep.
Here’s a link to the Chez Leon menu, for reference before your next trip to Brussels.
Day 2
The Jazzman and I slept until 8:45 the next morning and felt we had a handle on jet lag. We met our travel pals at the hotel restaurant, then went in search of the CitySightseeing Brussels bus. Brussels is a very beautiful city with lots of hidden gems—this hop on/hop off bus is the ideal way to explore. We rode one of the two circuits, then went in search of lunch on the Grand Place. While searching, we took a little detour so I could show my pals the Mannekin Pis. I had told them how he’s always dressed for holidays and to promote organizations or events. Alas, he was undressed! So we continued on our food quest. This time LeRoy d’Espagne (link above) got our vote. The Jazzman and I had onion soup and split an order of frietjes (fries). Mike and Marilyn shared a cheese plate and an order of fries. When in Brussels …. Marilyn tried a cherry beer and I tried to entice her to a future road trip through the Leelanau Peninsula of Michigan, where there’s cherry everything. The guys each had a beer and I had white wine. And suddenly it was time to gather with the other cruisers at the hotel for our departure to Namur.
[Are you aware that throughout my life many friends have called me Crewser? That nickname is especially appropriate this week.]
We filed onto a motor coach and headed out toward Namur, where we would board the ship. Beautiful ride through the Belgian countryside, then our first sight of the boat.
And we were home for the next seven nights.
Brussels Photo Gallery
