Breezing Through Beer in Brussels, Belgium
Highlights from Brussels
Alliteration aside, I decided to do a quick post today to talk about one leg of last year's European Beer Tour. I have posted articles on Spain/Catalonia, Czech Republic, and Bremen, Germany already so you if you missed them. Go here:
https://steemit.com/travel/@energyaddict22/we-re-drinking-beer-beer-beer-oktoberfest
https://steemit.com/travel/@energyaddict22/autumn-in-carlsbad-karlovy-vary-czech-republic
https://steemit.com/travel/@energyaddict22/russians-love-to-visit-bremen-germany-here-s-why
Many of my followers requested to know a little more about my beer drinking exploits last October and I had failed to mentioned our visit to Brussels. I'm going to be honest and I hope any of you Belgians aren't too offended, but Brussels was nearly the lowlight of our trip. The only thing that saved it from being the worst place we went is that we went through Finland, which may be the most boring country in the world. If you need a cure for your insomnia, I strongly suggest Finland because that is where excitement goes to die. The only way to enjoy Finland is to go there with Russians. I will move on now so you don't get 1500 words on why Finland sucks.
Needless to say, I was very excited to see Brussels, eat some mussels and, OF COURSE, drink some beer.
The Belgian Obsession with Children Taking a Piss
The most iconic and popular attraction in Brussels isn't its beautiful square with gorgeous, majestic buildings steeped in history. It isn't the restaurant that we ate at that is well over a century old.
The main tourist attraction centers around a water fountain statue of a young boy taking a piss. Yes. Haha, that's great fun and they even dress him up in different clothes to add to the fun. Apparently this fountain has been in place for quite a long time and is part of the "charm" of Brussels.
Of course, we live in an age of gender equality so the Belgians felt it was necessary to represent both sexes in their urinary fetish, but felt that she needed a little more protection from the "dress up" gangs.
Here is a closer look because I KNOW you want to see how a little girl peeing is portrayed in sculpture. I know it is your artistic curiosity and nothing more.
A Beautiful Day and a Safe Walk
We spent most of one day walking the streets and taking in the sights. There are some wonderful churches, monuments, and buildings outside the main square that are definitely worth visiting. We walked through a large park, but it was not well kept at all. It was dirty, in disrepair and uninspiring.
This cathedral looks so much smaller from the outside. It is very deceptive. The inside is lined with a plethora of altars some dating back several centuries. It was impressive and perhaps the one place I enjoyed most during our stay.
We found our way to a large mansion on one side of the park and were informed it was the King's Palace. I now know why Western European leaders/monarchs hate Russia. The Russian palaces have guest houses larger than the King of Belgium's house and are far more beautiful. I would have taken a picture but I was almost out of disc space and I didn't want to miss photographing another statue of someone pissing.
On our way back to the square we felt very safe knowing that men walked the street with automatic weapons. I find it interesting that in all my years in the U.S. I have never seen men/women walking the streets with automatic rifles despite our reputation as gun toting cowboys. Coincidentally, we don't see military style troops with automatic weapons walking the streets of St. Petersburg either.
Not a Budget Friendly Place
Yes, the food was good. Yes, the beer was good. No, neither the food or the beer was worth the price we had to pay. We spent more money per meal (and per beer) in Brussels than any other city we visited during our tour. There were some cool things about Brussels, but they didn't warrant the costs. My suggestion is to buy a magnet in the airport (they have them with pissing boy) and catch a flight for Prague, Czech Republic where you'll get twice the food and drink for the price. A city much more beautiful than Brussels and just as safe.
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I enjoyed the humor throughout and lol'd at your description of Finland. How do Russians make Finland more interesting? Will any ole Russian do, or just certain ones? ;-)))
I've been to Finland over 20 times, but usually only for a day at a time. They have really oppressive, statewide rules that drive prices up and nearly everything is regulated. It's like the socialist dream. Lots of relatively happy poor people who live in small boxes (apartments), drink excessively, fight a lot, and commit suicide (some of the highest rates in the world). There is some cool stuff to see, fortresses from the middle ages, beautiful forests and rivers, and shops that sell stuff I can't get in Russia. However, it is BORING after you get past the, "wow, that's a pretty lake" part of the visit. Then I went to Finland with Russians. Russians on vacation know how to have fun. First time was at a lake house in November up North with about 20 of us. We had a great time and of course didn't interact with the Finns. Every time since, I have gone only with Russians and we have a really fun time for a couple days. It's really only good for a few days. The irony is that Russians love to visit Finland especially to shop.
That was just fascinating to read, especially since Facebook seems to have been on a campaign lately to convince us all of the vast superiority of the Scandinavian economic systems...at least I've been getting random "suggested" ads or posts to that effect.
Interestingly, that sounds like what I used to read about the Soviet Union and Communism, minus people getting shipped off to Siberia. I remember reading Ekaterina Gordeeva's memoir and how she described the endless wait lists for apartments and difficulty getting things, and what it was like to travel to the US and Canada in contrast.
Fortunately, there aren't a whole lot of lines for consumer goods in Finland. Also, I would suggest that they are very different than the Swedish and Norwegian economies, but not when it comes to prices. Denmark is it's own story. However, the tax rate in all these countries is about 1/2 your income and that doesn't include the "effective tax rate" (includes all taxes from regulation, sales, value added, etc.). The waiting lines are for public "freebies", but also public restrooms in which you have to pay to pee (a lot of that in Europe). I love to visit all the Scandinavian countries, but only visit. I could never imagine living in any of them - so expensive for basic things.
Never been to Belgium, never been on top of my list to visit and after reading this I think I might skip it! Europe is a big enough place with plenty to see and do, so if I go some things will have to be missed and thankfully I now know not to waste my time with Belgium. Thanks and great post!
Thanks for the comment. Yes, keep it near the bottom of your list unless you're passing through. Nice to meet you and hope to see more of you.
When you can't travel much, you tend to see the world in the eyes of others. This is me seeing Finland or some parts of it through your eyes. I don't know you that much, but I can say this about you: you like to catch fun. Nice pictures and a wonderful post!
Thanks @floxycool. You will be traveling the world someday, I'm sure of it. The way you write, people are going to want you to come speak at their events sometime in the future. Stay the course and you'll get there. I do like to have fun and I'm glad I can share some of my experiences. I'm also excited to share in your insightful posts and life. ;)
The Cathedral is amazing, i like it very much.
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