This morning Francis with Belgium Private Tour took us by city bus to the St. Michael & St. Gula Cathedral. One of the reasons he took us by bus was so that we could learn how to take the city bus into downtown Brussels.
This is where all of the royal family weddings take place.
This is not quite the way it looks outside anymore.
From here we walked through the park to the Royal Palace.
Santa Claus was out playing his accordian as we strolled by.
Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon
The crypt of the man who brought us the taxi and bus system.
Art nouveau building with a music museum.
Our first Belgium Liege waffle. This is something I will have to try making when I get home. They are very good.
Town Hall in Grand Place
This really is a grand place. Every even year in August they lay a carpet of flowers out in the square that is just spectacular. I hope that one day I will be able to come and see it in person.
Time for lunch!
Francis took us to Le Cirio, which was great.
Roger had the Westmalle Trappist beer.
But of course he had to sample some others also.
We split a bowl of Carbonnade, which is a very yummy & filling Belgium beer beef stew.
Francis had the filet américain.
He also took us for a quick peek into a marionette theater that he used to go to as a young boy.
We then walked through Galeries Royales St. Hubert which is Europe's oldest still-operating shoppin mall, built in 1847.
If you can pay 22,000 euros for a purse you have too much money and should be doing more important things with your money...like giving it to me.
Back to the Grand Place.
The house to the right, with the swan above the door, was once a bar and is where Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels met to write their Communist Manifesto. Next door is the Brewery Museum.
The King's House (Maison du Roi) was not used as a house but as an administrative center by the Habsburg kings.
The backside of the Town Hall isn't quite as decorative as the front.
The tapistries that are for sale are amazing.
Lots of beer shops to browse through.
It's all about this little statue....the Manneken Pis.
There are many stories of the reason for this little fountain.
Of course it is time for another beer break at Poechenellekelder.
I had the Speculoos liqueur.
Pictures of the Manneken Piss in some of his costumes.
The Stock Exchange building now museum.
In the basement of Halles Saint Gery and above is a food court.
Sainte Catherines Church were Francis was baptized as a baby.
The Fish Market area.
Martyrs Square
There are over 400 soldiers burried here from the Belgium Revolution of 1830.
The opera house Theatre Royal.
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