More of Brussels

It's taken a while. Finally, here are more highlights from our time in Brussels. My last post signed off with us wandering the picturesque Grand Place. Just off the plaza is a narrow, winding laneway called Rue des Bouchers. It literally translates as the "street of butchers". Since medieval times this cobblestone street has been home to food traders.

The butchers of history have long since been replaced by several blocks of quaint cafes and restaurants. Seafood seemed to be the most popular cuisine on offer. Many displayed their wares in grand presentations of fresh fish and shellfish on ice at their entrance. We stopped for a lunch of steaming mussels and fresh fish.


Rue des Bouchers ends at another of Brussel's spectacular sights. Galeries St-Hubert is an elegant arcade extending for two blocks. Its passageways are capped by a stunning, vaulted glass atrium. Along its length reside many of the city's most exclusive boutiques and several vendors touting the finest Belgium chocolates.


We eventually made our way towards the Upper Town. This district is home to the Royal Palace and several delightly shaded parks. We wandered through Parc de Bruxelles with its grand fountain and on to Parc du Cinquantenaire where a ceremonial arch commands the skyline. We flopped on the grass, soaking up the sunshine for several sleepy hours.


On Sunday we made our way the city's outer suburbs to see the Atomium. This unusual building is probably the most reasonable symbol of Brussels. Its consists of nine giant steel spheres, linked by slender tubes. The entire structure rises more than 100 metres above the city. The design is based on the crystalline structure of an iron atom magnified more than 165 billion times.

The Atomium was built 50 years ago for the 1958 World Fair. We spent more than hour exploring its interior. Many of the tubes house escalators that carry visitors higher and higher between each sphere. Sadly, the day we were there was rather warm and the metal interior had become uncomfortably hot and stuffy.


We finished our weekend in Brussels with a coffee in the Grand Place, then returned to our hotel for a final cocktail on its roof-top terrace. All too soon it was time to board the Eurostar and head for home. One more weekend gone, another European city uncovered.