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Published: June 21st 2009
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European Union
Completely deserted on Sunday. Hi Everyone,
Yesterday I arrived in Belgium. I took a walk downtown. The streets here are crazy. They are arranged like tree branches: completely organic. And there are practically no street signs! What’s a girl to do? Luckily, the city isn’t very big and most of the tourist attractions are located together in one place. I just wandered around looking at all the fun shops until I recognized something. This morning I walked to the European Union. Apparently no one works here on a Sunday morning because it was completely deserted. I was the only one around for blocks.
After that it started to rain, so I was grateful that I brought my jacket. I was going to walk to a street market, but I lost my map. But, it probably would have been pointless anyway because it was pouring rain. I eventually found a bus stop that had a map and I walked back toward the center of the city. Along the way I found a pastry shop that had a line with about 2 dozen people in it. This could have been because it was the only store open, but I thought it might mean that they sold yummy
things, so I stopped in and bought a pastry for 1,74 Euro. Which is dirt cheap, and I was right about it being good. It was delicious!
Brussels isn’t really known for its tourist sights, in fact there aren’t many tourists here at all. Although maybe I am just used to Paris where you hear almost as much English everywhere a tourist could want to be. Here even the guests in my hostel do not speak English. What Brussels is know for is: Chocolate, Fries, Waffles, lace, Smurfs, and a peeing boy statue.
I was kind of shocked at the last one. What on earth could posses a place to promote such a thing as a icon of their city is beyond me, but it has kind of grown on me. I wasn’t impressed with the statue itself, although it is frequently dressed in different outfits. I was amused by the tourist souvenirs. Quite amusing.
There is one UNSCO World Heritage site that draws a lot of tourists; in fact it is the only place the draws a lot of tourists, the Grote Markt, or Grand Place. Formerly a trading forum and market of the 12th century the buildings surrounding
Street Art
Belgium is big into comics. The Smurfs were created here. it have been rebuilt several times due to being destroyed in wars. The ones today are the most elaborate of the buildings.
Strangely enough the square is completely open. There is no place to sit down unless you are at a restaurant or you just sit on the ground (lots of people do).
On the weekend of August the 15th every two years 800,000 begonias are brought from Ghent and used to create a carpet of flowers. The design is different every time. There are lots of postcards for sale showing the different designs from the past.
Other than that there are a few museums, a few monuments and a few churches, but what I will remember best about Brussels is the food.
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