brussels

brussels

• 10 Jun 2014

As promised, here are some photos from Brussels. I was only there for a few days so I didn't take many but don't expect the same from Paris.




While in Brussels, I stayed in a hotel near the Avenue Louise and I passed by this monument every time I walked into town. If I'd had more time I would have loved to have visited some of the first war battle fields as I've read so much about them. A short walk from the memorial is a lovely little park backing onto Egmont Castle. The Orangerie houses a cafe and if you look really carefully in the first photo, you can see the golden dome of the Palace of Justice.



Just a block down the hill is the Petit Sablon, a triangular park opposite the Sablon Church.



I got into trouble for stepping on the grass to take a photo of the flowers, so my apologies to any blades of grass I may have damaged.



As you keep walking down the hill you pass by a Le Pain Quotidian, where I bought a lovely raspberry tart and the Belgian store, Flamant and it brings you to this intersection. Dandoy is a Belgian biscuit store and I bought some florentine biscuits to bring home with me. Then you turn right and keep walking until you reach the Grand Place and the Galerie St Hubert, a covered shopping arcade packed with tourists.



Rue du Marche aux Herbs is a busy restaurant strip running away from the galeries. If I had a dollar for every time I saw this scene of a bored waiter having a cigarette, I could have paid for my hotel room in Brussels.



I hopped on the metro and alighted at Botanique, where this formal garden is located.





I walked back to the Grand Place passing by the Congress Column, home to the  tomb of the unknown soldier.





This is the very glamorous home of the Belgian Parliament where I photographed some very cheeky boys, having a water pistol fight.





No visit to Brussels would be complete without a visit to the Place du Jeu de Balle flea market in the lively Marolle district.





I do love a good chandelier but I figured I'd have a hard time squeezing that middle one into my pack. Instead I decided to squeeze in a tiny copper saucepan.



How could I do a post on Brussels without mentioning frites or waffles? I don't eat waffles but I do love fries but fries don't much agree with me so I compromised by only eating the crunchy golden ones and tossed the rest.



This is the last post I'll be sending from the road because tomorrow I fly back to Australia. I have to go and pack for the trip back home so I'll leave you here. Next post (s) will be about Paris when jet lag allows.

For those of you who've been missing my recipes, my most recent Delicious Bites recipe for decor8, ricotta hotcakes with passionfruit syrup, can be read here.

See you all again soon,

Jillian