20260925 Brussels

Today’s post is about our full day in Brussels on September 25th. However, as we write this we’re in Luxembourg, Luxembourg. We’ve had extraordinarily good, hot, sunny weather, and days with some long and fairly challenging rides, which means that our energy levels at the end of the day are low! Sometimes we don’t get to the blog but…. if we don’t, then we forget key hilites so… here goes.

(One more note before we start on recapping Brussels: as of today – September 30th – we have ridden 785 km with 6,220 m of climbing. That’s a LOT of climbing. The Ardenne kicked our butts. But we’ll get to that. Spoiler alert: it prompted a route change.

We hopped right to it on our first full day in Brussels, with a two-hour tour at 9 am. Anneke with Tours by Locals met us promptly at our hotel and reviewed what our hopes for the tour were, and what we did not want/need to see. First off she took us to a fishmarket where she described the Belgian specialty, grey shrimp croquettes as made by her mother. We made a note to return to the fishmonger who specialized in these at the end of the day. Here’s how they look, waiting to be deep fried.

We visited specialty food shops including “Champs” which only sells… you got it… “champignons”. We’re still seeing so many beautiful mushrooms on the sides of the roads, especially when we ride through forests. (One of the side benefits of riding a recumbent is that you’re close to the ground so you see these things…)

There are many large squares and pedestrian malls in Brussels. When we started our tour cars and delivery vans were still allowed onto some of the streets but around 10, no cars allowed. And it works! (The view from the top of the stairs at the former stock exchange building.)

Anneke talked about the challenges in Brussels’ public education system, teaching children from many different cultures to speak and read Belgian, French and English. There are 183 languages spoken in Brussels. Many children come from homes where Belgian, French or English are not spoken at all. Listening to Anneke flip back and forth between these languages was astonishing.

But you know what language is universal? COOKIES. We pushed on to Maison J Dandoy. If you’ve ever enjoyed a Speculoos (or in Holland, “Speculaas”) cookie, or even a Biscoff from Costco, you are about to be educated. These are less sweet. More crisp. Next level excellence, and there’s a whole folk tradition behind them. Of course, John bought a whole package. Look at the integrity of those ingredients.

One thing led to another and before we knew it we were doing proper tastings of – and then savourings of – chocolate in Galleries Hubert. I may never recover.

Pierre Marcolini’s miracles for the win, but I loved the Neuhaus pralines, also.

We had walked through the Grote Markt to get to Galleries Hubert. They’re crowded, boisterous, beautiful and wonderful.

There was a wedding happening on the balcony of the City Hall and when the wedding party stepped out into the square, everyone there applauded. Of course, Anneke explained, this sort of thing happens almost on the hour there, so… although not so unique it was still special. It’s nice to be able to be happy for other people these days, when so many awful things are happening. (Cough, Trump… Cornell….)

We bade goodbye to Anneke (made a note to drop a glowing review).

It was only noon or so, so we heeded Will’s suggestion to visit the Magritte Museum and the Musical Instruments Museum, just up the hill. We only had so much time (or energy) so we just stepped inside of the lobby of the beautiful Musical Instruments Museum and read the brochure. (Such dilettantes.)

Magritte is a huge cultural figure for Belgium, and the museum is a fitting tribute. You can see it from miles away. (Hint: green apple.)

My favorite painting, though, is this enormous painting just inside the lobby. “The procession of the schools in 1878”, by Jan Verhas.

And “Atomium”, a feature of the 1958 World’s Fair, is viewable from one of the staircases inside the museum. (We weren’t going to visit it.)

We relinquished our audio guides (which had been suggested by Anneke, and boy, were they helpful in learning more about Magritte’s life and aesthetic), and enjoyed our walk back down the hill through some beautiful urban planning gardens.

On our way back through town we happened on a magical marionette theatre.

Our immediate destination was the fish market that our guide Anneke had recommended that morning. We placed our order for grey shrimp croquettes and a wine for Patti, zero beer for John, and took a place out on the patio. They called our name when the order was ready, and we had an exquisite Belgian treat.

Next up, a bustling Brussels, home-style restaurant also recommended by Anneke. Chez Leon. Also fantastic.

(Note the Smurf.)

Sausages. Some sort of mashed potatoes. Stoempf (?)

We’re at the OMG I NEED A SALAD stage of the trip.

Of course, moules.

And frites.

And John’s new favorite ice-cream dessert: Dame Blanche. On a waffle. Of course.

We needed to kill some time before bedtime so we went looking for Manneken Pis. (“Boy peeing”.) Like the Mona Lisa, he underwhelmed but hey…. ticked him off the list of Brussels things to do.

And, finally, just because it was perfection, this suit on this young man.

I really, really enjoyed Brussels and Antwerp, two cities I knew nothing about.

Also, I failed to include this photo of an excellent cookie I enjoyed in Breda in a previous post, but can we just have a moment for Dutch stroopwafels? You put the whole cookie on the top of your mug of coffee (or hot chocolate) and the gooey, caramel-y filling gets all soft and drippy….

Sublime.