The Creepy Church, Kooky Lion Eyes, the Peeing Boy and the Soprano!

Friday March 20th

First order of business while the team showers, I go on a mission to find coffee and pastries.

I found a really cool cafe about 5 mins from out hotel that serves about 15 different espressos. Hit me with two Costa Ricans, a Pulpua and an Ethiopian,. Hey, that kinda sounds like the start of a Priest a Nun and a Rabbi joke.

Just down from our hotel are the Galleries St Hubert.  As impressive as the line up of shops are, they don't hold a candle to the vaulted glass roof that covers the 1847 Neo-Rennaisance styled structure.

All of the chocolatiers in Belgium are trying to out do the other with fabulous edible Easter treats.

While were walking from the Hubert Galleries to the cities main shopping street, a very happy gentleman pointed to my camera, and told me to turn around.  It took us a few seconds to clue in to what he was looking at, but then it was crystal clear.  Through the broken cloud filled morning, we were able to witness the total solar eclipse.

The good ole moon passing between the earth and the sun.  Kinda harsh on the poor Belgians, it's not like they are over run with sunshine in the first place.

If you're a beer fan, Belgium is calling your name.

Who's up for some rugby ball size meringue?

Fin commented on the first day how much he loves going into the different churches.  If you are a reader of previous Frog in the Well trips, you will know that we love checking out the different architecture and styles of Europe's great houses of worship.  So, we planned to catch a few more today.  

First up, was Eglise Set Catherine.  This was a very modest church that has been redesigned over the years in a variety of styles.  Not the most awe inspiring church we have seen, but I was a big fan of the simple, none traditional stained glass.

The next stop along our walk was Eglise St Jean Baptise au Beguinage.  Consecrated in 1676, the church boasts Flemish Baroque details.  I've got to say, I have been in a lot of churches in my day, and no church has ever left me feeling uncomfortable.  But this one did.  It had a really creepy feel about it.  Inside was set up for a funeral down the middle of the church, on the right hand side were poster boards that were demonstrating against world child labour issues, and on the left hand side, there were tents set up.  At first, we thought they were part of the child labour display, but then it became apparent very quickly that they were peoples homes.

Funeral set up in the middle of the church.

The front facade has beautiful detail.

The beautiful front doors of Eglise St Jean Baptiste au Beguinage.

I guess that we missed this sign as we wandered in to the church....

Next on our agenda, was a stroll along the streets to visit one of Brussels best known citizens.  He was born and has lived in the same place since 1619, and he is a diminutive 2 feet tall.  Ladies and Gentlemen, the one, the only.... Mannequin-Pis!!!

Here is Manny sporting the football kit of some club.  Apparently, he has over 800 outfits that have been gifted to him from visiting foreign dignitaries.  I should have brought him a Calgary Rangers kit!

As we walked down the crazy crowded street to get our glimpse of manny relieving himself, I was thinking to myself how this is just another one of those well known things that you will wade through a mass of humanity to get a glimpse of, but then leave wondering why you went out of your way to see it.  And to be honest, I felt that way after seeing him as well.  But more about that in the comments for March 21st.

Fin expressing his excitement about seeing Manny. 

Bronwyn practices her Manny avoidance look.

This is a brilliant bronze sculpture that is housed in a tiny little church down the street from Manny's corner.   Inside we talked to a visiting Australian fellow who grew up in Brussels, and was an alter boy in the church back in 1958.  It was really cool to see him glancing around the church  as it clearly was bringing back memories of long ago.

Maison du Roi in the Grand Place on our way back to the hotel.

Dinner time on Rue des Bouchers, the cobblestone medieval street that was long ago home to the cities butcher's trade.  Today it is lined with over 35 restaurants competing for your business.  Unless you are like us, and eat at the first one.

Peppercorn Steak Frites.

With that, we strolled back to the hotel with the loving buzz of Stacey's Fitbit rattling off over 12,500 steps.

Saturday March 21st

We were off to roaring start today!  I think we left the hotel at noon!  That's right travel fans, we are a pack of early birds.  Kinda.

While the others were getting ready (for their anonymity, I will not be naming the three people that slept in), I wandered down the road and picked up two Costa Ricans, a Pulpua and an Ethiopian.

Bronwyn was harassing us since day one in Brussels about going to the Museum of the City of Brussels housed in the Maison du Roi, which as you now know, is located in the Grand Place.  I think she initially thought that the museum was focused on Brussels and the Wars, so despite that disappointment, it was a pretty cute little museum.

How could it not be a cute place, with a kooky eyeballed lion statue?

And a nap pod for young visitors.

And cool door detail.

And, Manny in his Elvis kit!  So this museum is home to Manny's 800+ wardrobe.  They only display 100 at a time. 

So back to my Manny moment from Friday.  After going through this wee museum, my perspective of Manny has changed.  There was a WWI exhibit in the museum, and many of the display items were publications and political cartoons from the period of German occupation.  You would be amazed at how many of them featured Manny, the symbol and cultural hero of the city.  My favourite one, was a newspaper cover with title "L'evacuation", and Manny doing his business on the fleeing German troops.

Spot on Manny!  For a little guy, you have a big bladder.

Alright travel fans,  travel trip for the day.  Don't always believe everything that you read in your travel guides.  We walked a long, long way to the "Eclectic Marolles Marche aux Puces flea market that dates back to 1873, a great starting point for antique bargain hunting."  Boo, this place was a long way from the centre of town, it was dodgy, and the merchandise was worse than 90% of Calgary's garage sales.  So much for finding my bargain Dekadrachma coin....

The only upside to dodgy town, was the fab street graffiti.

Next walked up the steep hill to the Classical inspired, monster of a building, the Palais de Justice (1866-1883).  As quoted in our guide book "it takes up a space larger than St. Peter's Basilica in Rome", "one of the worlds most impressive 19th century buildings."  With praise like that, we had to see it.  When we first arrived at the building, we were gutted to learn that it was closed and undergoing a major restoration.  But when started looking around at our surroundings, our displeasure quickly turned into aww.

 

No on is happier than a Maddock, when a restaurant has free WIFI. 

Unless your tired, and your belly hurts.  But forget about that, and notice the cool art photography here please...  the restaurant name above B, is actually from a shadow cast through the window.  Write about THAT guide book!

WIFI or not, we pretended to be happy for this picture.

Stacey and I dropped the kids off at the hotel, then we went for a little walk.  We were hoping to catch the last 90 mins of the Marc Chagall exhibit at the fine arts gallery, but sadly the display of 200 works by the master, was sold out for the day.  The teller told us that over 3000 had visited the exhibition on the day.  

Great view by the museums, looking back towards the Grand Place.

Old meets New

On the way back to the hotel we stopped off in one more church.  As it turns out, this is the most beautiful of the Brussels churches.  The church of Notre Dame du Sablon, is a stunning Brabant-Gothic structure that was completed around 1550.  The inside is elegant, the stained glass is stunning, and it has a few really cool nautical related pieces of art.

While we were there, this couple was preparing for some form of performance.  They worked on their piece meticulously.  Clearly, these two are very seasoned professionals, they sounded incredible.  It was amazing to hear her operatic voice, with no microphone, over power the pipe organ.