Brussel

Brussel

Brussel, a fantastic city in Belgium

Brussel is the capital of Flanders, Belgium and Europe. It started life as a fortress, then developed into a market square and then blossomed into the economic, political and social centre of the Flemish capital.

I’ ve heard about Brussel and not in a pleasant way. It was always  described as a grey city. Actually Brussel can be a fine place where to spend a weekend.  But only if you know what you look for. It’s not as welcoming to the unsuspected tourist as London or Paris are.

My birthday in Brussel

But do expect to spend a surprising weekend if you want to. I  had three days’ worth  activities for my birthday in Brussel in October: a weekend that  changed my mind about Brussel and revealed  the secret charme of this city. Tailor it to your trip and stay and enjoy yourself as much as possible.

Brussel is small and you can walk around most of it. If the weather is awful, you can take advantage of the public service that is pretty cheap! Let’s start !

brussel-what-to-see-in-a-weekend-travel-wine-blog-weloveitalyeu

1st Day with y friend Lory in Brussel

My sister Lory welcomed me at her magic apartment in the city centre. Of course we celebrated  my arrival drinking a glass of white wine and talking about our lives all the night long. The living room was big and bright,  just like the rest of that magnificient house at the third floor of a beautiful and modern building.

After the usual delay of my "Ryanair" flight and the waiting time in Pisa’ s airport,  my urgent priority was to sink into a soft and comfortable bed,  like the one I had for my first night in Brussel!

brussel-what-to-see-in-a-weekend-travel-wine-blog-weloveitalyeu

2nd Day . Art, wine & food in Brussel

In the morning before my city trip I visited Lory’s school Italia per Passione” in BrusselLory works there as Italian teacher for foreigners. She is one of my closest friend.  She is Sicilian and I met her many years ago during a special time of my life, when we attended a special course dealing with tourism in Palermo.

Her school was  very nice and they organized lots of things for learning Italian especially  the ones related with cinema, concerts,  educational programs and face to face encounters with writers and artists. And being a Sicilian girl Lory does never lack joy, wine & food in her lessons!

After my visit to Lory’s school, I walked to a central Market in "Place Eugène Flagey" , where it was possible to admire the colours of the fresh food that contrasted with the grey of the Belgian sky and  to smell the freshly baked bread and croissants .

Oysters and "Muscadet"

The boredom of that rainy Saturday at "Place Eugène Flagey" was gladdened by a plate of giant oysters served with a spicy sauce and a glass of "Muscadet"! Oysters and "Muscadet" are  a “platinum matched pair”! Nothing better! The drizzle was  on its 24th hour and it suddenly began to increase its intensity.

Brussel and Magritte

The best thing to do for me was to go to “Royal Museum of Fine Arts” to appreciate the Magritte’s art There were beautiful paintings never seen in my life. Magritte was  a surrealist artist and his paintings were brimming with dreams and biographical anecdotes.

They caused confu­sion, made me  stop and think, were provoca­tive, repul­sive, inspiring and aston­ishing all at once. The museum was not very big , but it was very interesting and above all guests had access to a rooftop terrace with a splendid view over the city.

Shopping in Brussel

Evening arrived and I was a little bit tired and hungry. After hanging around, and done some shopping of course at “Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert” .

This unbelievable gallery lined up with luxurious jewellers and chocolate shops that offered some of the finest and best products,  Lory came to take me and went dining to a typical Indonesian restaurant.  It made me happy!

We had lot of delicatessen and the atmosphere was amazing. For working off all that delicious  food Lory and me went to have a walk to take photo of the most best-known symbol of the people of Brussels:

  • “Manneken Pis” ("pissing boy") : it’s a small bronze sculpture (61 cm) depicting a naked little boy urinating into a fountain’s basin that embodies their sense of humour and their independence of mind.

brussel-what-to-see-in-a-weekend-travel-wine-blog-weloveitalyeu

3th Day  in Bruges

Me and Lory decided to hold my birthday lunch in Bruges . Designated by Unesco as a "World Heritage City", Bruges feels like it popped out from a fairy tale with its cobbled alleyways, charming squares, picturesque canals and beautiful architecture . Bruges has a compact size and can easily be explored on foot, by boat or a horse carriage.

Despite its small size, there are many things you can do and see in Bruges. The “Market Square is located in the centre of the city, and it’s a traffic-free square renovated in 1996.

What to see in Bruges

The square is dominated by a medieval bell tower  “Belfry (13th century) . Moreover, there are other fascinating buildings around it like:

Mussel and fries, typical food in Brussel

Just in front of the “Belfry”, you will find 2 canteens selling the best, fried potatoes I tasted in Belgium. After a  walk through the alleys and canals to admire the unique atmosphere, we had our lunch in a local restaurant eating the traditional Belgian food “mussels and fries” with a cold "Chimney Beer".

I didn’t enjoy our meal, because the fries were really cold, the waitress was unpolite and above all it was really expensive. I wrote a very negative review about this restaurant, because it’s not a question of money , but of professional attitude and kindness of the staff !

Have a beer at "Delirium cafè" , the paradise of the beer in Brussel

Back to Brussel by train in the night , we were planning my birthday dinner, and I wished to taste the best Belgian beer at “Delirium Cafè” .

We went back home , had a rest and a hot shower and we were ready to head out into the nightlife of the city ! Actually Lory arranged a meeting with two friends of her to dinner together, but when we arrived there there were 10 people more!

I was really happy with spending time together with all of them. I realized they were Italian hearing them talking aloud while approaching us! It started raining and without hesitation we entered the first restaurant nearby. We were lucky , because it was really nice with special food and beer.

What is a "Lambic beer" ?

I established new friends relationship that night with those nice guys, and after dinner we had fun at Delirium Cafè”, where I was eager to try the “Lambic Beer” , which I didn’t like at all!

Belgian “Lambic Beers” are left in open vats where wild yeast and bacteria are allowed to take up residence! Once the fermentation process begins, the beer is stored in barrels and left to age for up to three years. It tasted a bit like a goat smells and drew in your cheeks as if you had seen something saucy happening in the pantry. For those familiar with modern beer, first impressions of this left-field liquid can daunt and dumbfound. With their dryness, sourness and acute acidity, they’re closer in character to cider or fino sherry while the method of their production is closer to winemaking than brewing.

"Gran Placè", magic place in Brussel

The Delirium Cafè” was so crowded , that the moment had come for us to go out! It kept raining and despite the cold weather we made a turn of “Gran Placè” , the central square of Brussel. It is  surrounded by opulent guildhalls and two larger edifices:

“Gran Placè” is the central square of Brussel. Due to its beauty and uniqueness, it became a Unesco as a "World Heritage Site"  in 1988. It is also the birthplace of Brussel itself.

In the 10th century, Charles Duke of Lower Lorraine constructed a fort on this site, which was the seed of what would become Brussels. Its beauty  was amazing. I wasn’t  lucky with the weather, but I could notice that the buildings  looked different, with elaborate ornamentation on their facade.

The art of chocolate in Brussel

We ended up buying some chocolate to warm up in that cold night. When you are in Brussel, there is one thing you shouldn’t miss: Brussel is stuffed with chocolate stores, which are called “confiseries”. There you can buy delicious creamy chocolates that are a Belgian specialty. They will melt in your mouth and I can highly recommend them.

All over Brussel, you’ll see the stores of the following brands:

While me and Lory were going back home, she pointed out how Brussel seemed to have a very friendly attitude towards public art: there were lot of murals  scattered all over the city!

They seemed to blend in very well with the surroundings. And  I didn’t have the impression that they were mainly considered as a kind of damage to property, on the contrary, they were well-kept and an integral part of public life.

brussel-what-to-see-in-a-weekend-travel-wine-blog-weloveitalyeu

Bye Bye Brussel! 

I loved Belgium m for its delicious food, amazing architecture and its undeniable cool factor. But don’t limit your visit to Brussel and Bruges only.

Antwerp and Ghent where I had been years ago, are special too. Belgium is perhaps an unexpected destination, but one I know I will never get tired of visiting. Brussel is very much about the chocolate and beer there’s so much more to see and do if you have the time and desire to explore!

If you like my post, please subscribe to the socials of www.WeLoveitaly.eu :