Brussels - GaryGamso

2015 - Brussels Belgium with family
ePhotoBook by Gary Gamso
Michael and Nancy hosted
us twice during our
20-day Europe trip.
We enjoyed the time
together walking through
Brussels, visiting Antwerp
and attending a bier
festival in the countryside. We toured Europe in
October, just as Europe
was absorbing 750,000
refugee’s and with normal
tourist traffic for this time
of year. We traveled after
they closed some borders,
including Hungry and
before the November,
2015 Paris terrorist attacks. Gary Gamso
We saw the modern Brussels, center of the European Union and NATO Operations at two times, as
we started and ended our European trip. Each time we saw a large, modern city with many
international residents. Like Washington DC, we see Brussels as the center of politics, public policy
and security concerns for Europe. It’s public and international buildings were secure, but open to
visitors. Michael and Nancy Gamso live in Brussels old-town, near the Grand Place or Grote Markt .
So, in early October, I saw old town at sunrise, during busy tourist activity, and for evening
gatherings with meals, Austrian bier and Belgian waffles. All Brussels trips requre a visit to the Grand Place. Since around 1174, the market has been the center of Old Brussels. This view illustrates how Brussels has modernized its historic
buildings. The old nobility’s palaces and private residences have been converted into 1st floor retail space (e.g., Pubs, high-end goods, Belgian specialties, coffee houses, Pubs). Then,
the 2nd and higher floors of each building contain multi-tenant space, vast ballrooms (for entertainment) and expensive condo’s. The night before this morning’s photo shoot, the
street was littered with paper, discarded beer containers, and Belgian Waffles or chocolate. Today it’s clean and ready for another day’s trade. All well-scripted to showcase EU Political
center. Here , a 120-degree pantographic view of the Grand Place or Grote Markt in Brussels (shot from the iPhone 6s).
The Grand Place, a 90-degree pantographic view during the early-morning setup for the day’s visitors.
Friday night in Brussels’ Grand Place square, early October 2015. We saw
lots of diversity among the visitors and locals.
Brussels, mid-November 2015, following the Paris
terrorist attacks (from NY Times & GETTY IMAGES).
An evening out.
Visiting the Grand Place with Michael and Nancy, our hosts. They walk here on weeknights or weekends to relax. On the old town’s market square we saw clusters of travelers and
locals. They drink alcohol openly; they eat the rich Belgian high-calorie deserts-to-go; they visit the Pubs; sometimes, they just hang-out, sitting on the cobble stone square. Many
are young, but older people in tour groups also look comfortable. We pause before this former church, now containing the Hotel de Ville de Bruxelles.
The arch in our background contains a Saint-Michel statue above an important
entrance to the former church. Above the arch, you see the building’s artwork does
not meet in the center of the arch – a serious mistake for the architect. Only the
locals see this flaw, plus those who remember tour guide or Nancy’s stories.
On BeenhouwersStraat, northwest from the Grand Place, we saw
French and Seafood restaurants, lots of diversity and large crowds
of people. Because Brussels gets numerous vacation visitors and
EU visitors, these restaurants thrive. Saturday night, following dinner. At the end of this alley, we got
a quick view of the female Jeanneke-Pis, as we entered the
must-see Delirium Café.
Dinner at Chez Leon Café. We enjoyed eating outside (in October), with most of us eating Mussels or Oyster dishes, their specialty.
Many Pubs and Restaurants use the Manneken Pis
knock-offs to attract you to their menu.
Locals
on the corner opposite the Manneken Pis statue enjoy a pint of Belgian bier, as they
crowd-watch the steady stream of visitors. Within a block of this landmark, you’ll get the best of
Belgian waffles and chocolates. At the end of each day the streets get a bit sticky with the
sweet-spills. The next morning the cobblestone streets have all been washed clean. Happy hour at the corner of Manneken Pis. Tourists
groups and families stop for photo-op. Kids visit the
waffle shops or chocolate shops for afternoon snacks.
Local adults pour into the bars to meet-up with friends
and offer advice to tourists willing to ask questions.
Your first stop with questions in a Pub – the bartender.
A brief, private moment at the Manneken Pis to
document our visit.
The Manneken Pis has his personal
attendant, who changes his outfits and
attends to other personal needs (e.g., flush
the toilet).
The Manneken Pis legend: Located on the streets leading to the old city’s Grand Place, it has a translation of "Little man Pee" in Dutch, or
French le Petit Julien. This famous landmark dates to 1619, made by Brussels sculptor Hieronimus Duquesnoy the Elder. The most
famous legend says it’s a statue of the 2-year old Duke Godfrey III of Leuven who was raised in a basket to inspire his troops prior to
battle, so urinated. His troops must have won the battle, as they got to write the history books. Around the neighborhood
Michael and Nancy live just inside the original 13th
century First Walls of Brussels, a convenient walk to the
Grand Palace (old town) and Place des Palais (modern
city center). The neighborhood skateboard park, a few blocks from Michael and
Nancy’s flat, provided a place for local kids to gather. Some skated,
while others hung out together and did what teenagers do in cities.
Note the diversity and presence of adults with kids who sit and
observe.
From Michael and Nancy’s flat, we walked to the business district
and shopping districts. Most shops were locally owned, with a wide
variety of quality from exclusive goods to antique stores with very
broad selections. We saw the Brussels Palace of Justice, and then walked through a
nearby shopping area where we ate a Lebanese lunch and listened
to Nancy’s stories about the Lebanese culture. Saturday walk-about within 2 to 3 blocks
of Grand Place area, with street
musicians, beggars, and more diversity.
While experts report the American
culture more integrated, they report
Europe far more diverse.
A short drive, then train ride to see Antwerp. We spent the
afternoon walking to the downtown-walking mall. On a fall
Friday, we saw the area full of visitors and local residents. A Day in Antwerp
Throughout Antwerp you see international restaurants with enough
English-speaking to get through the basics - food, drink, and toilets.
Our day trip included an extended walk-about and a visit to Rubens home,
now setup as a museum. The museum showed the stages of Rubens’ art,
sketches, partially completed paintings on top of the sketch, original
masterpieces and copies he had painted as he provided his original to
royalty. The audio storyline places you in his working homestead,
including works by pupils like Anthony van Dyck. The dog, Coffee (Bean), enjoyed the travel day and all the attention from
kids and dog-lovers. A Scotsman struck up a nice conversation with
Michael. They chatted a few minutes, then the Scot returned to his wife’s
side as they continued their casual walk-about through old Antwerp. A Saturday field trip via train to Belgian countryside for a festival pitched at retail bier people and serious beer drinkers. The trip
required 3-hours to get there (including stops for bier and directions), then 1-hour to return. In a Pub, we asked for directions to
the festival. They offered a Belgian former-military kid to guide us to the festival. As he walked us through the streets of the city,
he described his motorcycle accident, where he lost 80% of his brain function. He communicated well in English and refused
payment for his guide services. He did it out of kindness. Shot with the iPhone, with a 180-degree scan of the tent’s interior.
A short walk to the train station, then the train
back to Brussels.
Here we practice good etiquette that suggests you look someone in the eye when you deliver a personal toast.
A short train ride, then a short walk to a small bier fest in the Belgium countryside. The breweries were showing off their wares
to both retail Pub owners and beer drinkers. We had just enough small-beer pours to enjoy the high, but still find our way home
via train and city walking.
Last night in Brussels, with a return to the old town’s square, the
Grand Place. Brothers forever...
Good hosts
Good memories
We feel the love