Our festive jaunt landed us in Brussels. Being at a crossroads of cultures and playing an important role in Europe, Brussels fits the definition of an archetypal 'melting pot', but still retains its own unique character. On our first evening we took a stroll into the city to find the buildings of the Grand Place serving as a canvas for an impressive music and light show. We were pleased to find a small Christmas market still in operation in the area of The Bourse, the former stock market building.
Belgium is home to one of the greatest beer traditions in the world, and Brussels was a great place to sample some of the vast variety on offer
. Typical beers of Brussels include 'gueuze' (rather sour) and 'kriek' (sweet, cherry based). We enjoyed an informative beer tour where we visited the famous Cantillon Brewery, the last traditional gueuze/lambic brewery in Brussels, where they still practise natural yeast fermentation. Only 100% organic ingredients and natural fruits are used to create a distinctly sour drink. We came across several small rustic bars which seemed to enhance the monasterial taste of the 'Trappist' beer even further. Delirium Cafe is a well known bar in the centre of Brussels, famous for stocking over 2000 different beers from all over the world. We stuck to the Belgian selection and had a very merry evening.
Brussels quirkiest sight is the 'Manneken Pis', a small bronze statue thought to represent the 'irreverent spirit' of the city. The statue is of a child urinating into a pool, for which the Belgians have created hundreds of outfits to dress him up on special occasions. There are many stories behind the origin of the statue, but the most likely scenario is that it was the location of the market for urine used for its ammonia content to tan leathers.
After a traditional dinner of 'moules mariniere', we found ourselves in a small jazz club where we continued to sip strong fruity beers while soaking up some smooth tunes...
Strong beer, sweet waffles and smooth jazz...
Friday, January 01, 2016
Brussels, Belgium
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2025-02-13