Beer, Chocolate and Cheese (Oh, My!)
Posted on September 22, 2008
Filed Under Call us tourists | 1 Comment
By Reporter Sierra
Ah, Brussels. What other city has a statue of a peeing boy? What other city has so many examples of Victor Horta’s work? What other city has a structure that is a magnified atom? The answer is: none.
However, Brussels (also known as Bruxelles in French and Brussel in Flemish) isn’t all smelly, old statues, and buildings. There are also breweries and lots and lots of other beer places (thumbs up from Dad), cheese, chocolate, crepes, and waffles (four thumbs up from Sierra), and museums (thumbs up from Mom). But enough about those.
Now, allow me to introduce the star of the show … Manneken Pis! This statue of a peeing boy is small, only about 2 feet tall. But this little statue has an interesting, not-so-secret origin. Two, in fact, though neither one is proved to be true. The first is that the son of a duke was caught relieving himself against a tree during a war. Everyone laughed, ending the war, and thus a statue was put up to honor him. The second story is that a regular boy peed over a wall during another war.
Our co-star tonight is … The Atomium! This structure (pictured at the top) is an atom magnified 165 billion times. It was built for the 1958 World’s Fair. Six of the nine spheres are accessible, and five of the nine spheres have two floors. The middle sphere has a snack bar. Four spheres are exhibit halls and a children’s party room. The top sphere houses a restaurant as well as a panoramic view. It is also the only sphere accessible by elevator (except the bottom sphere, where you get on the elevator). The elevator was the fastest in 1958, at 5 meters per second.
Another cast member is the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée, also known as the Museum of Comic Strip Art! It features exhibits about much-loved characters such as Tintin and the Smurfs. Located in a building designed by Victor Horta (“The Father of Art Nouveau”), the museum has no problem telling you loudly, “I was designed by Victor Horta, the Father of Art Nouveau!”
In the role of the Musée Instrumental is … the Marvelous Musée Instrumental! Displaying more than 3,300 instruments, the Musée is a must-see for all music lovers who happen to be in Brussels. What’s more, wireless headphones allow you to listen to an instrument by standing in front of it!
The Museum of Belgian Brewers is small, but the admission fee includes a glass of beer. (“Hooray!” say Mom and Dad. “More beer!”) The Museum consists of basically one room, in which there is a loooooooooooooooong movie about beer in Belgium and a few information panels.
Some of these characters can be visited by doing an Official Brussels Walking Tour. To visit the rest, well, you just have to get off the extra-beaten path.
Well, that concludes today’s post. Log on next time for yet another post by the one, the only … Reporter Sierra!
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Sounds like you are still having a great time – so much to see and absorb – but getting back to the chocolates…