#28 Belgium
The final stop of our farewell Europe town ended in Brussels. Brussels is the beautiful capital city of Belgium. It’s also the capital of comic books, fries, beer, waffles, and chocolate! Our stay was shortened due to the strikes in Belgium and England. We always book a walking tour when we have limited time in a county. Our walking tour started at the Grand Place (Grote Markt). This iconic square of Brussels looks incredibly stunning first thing in the morning when no one else is around. Being a morning person has always been great when traveling since we are usually out and about before others are awake! The Grand Place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most visited places in Brussels. Walking through the city feels like magic. String lights hang above the cobblestone streets, and the plaza of the Grand Place is striking.
No walking tour is complete without passing MannekenPis, a tiny fountain statue of a little boy peeing. He is well-loved by the Belgians and has come to be a mascot of the unique and culturally rich Belgian life.. Remember that this is not the original. If you wish to see the actual boy, you must go to the Museum of the City of Brussels, which houses the original. As silly as he is, the people of Brussels love him, and others flock from all over the world to get a picture.
Brussels is famed for its comic history, and the city has so much culture relating to comics to explore. One of the best ways to explore this is by walking the Comic Book Route. The City of Brussels carried out this project to celebrate the rich comic history and showcase some incredible artists. The route comprises over 50 murals on city walls, with famous characters such as Tin-Tin, Asterix, and Obelix.
Belgium is also known for its brewing methods. Belgian beers are typically brewed using "spontaneous fermentation," which involves exposing the beer to wild yeast and bacteria in the air. This method results in complex flavors and aromas unique to Belgian beers. The breweries we visited were Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen, and 7Stern Bräu.
Cantillon is known for its lambic-style beers and its 100-year-old tasting room. Drie Fonteinen is the only remaining traditional geuze blender in Belgium, using only 100 percent spontaneously fermented lambic beer aged in oak casks. 7Stern Bräu is known for its specialty beers, hanf and chili.
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Until next time…
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