Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Brussels, Belgium


We decided to go into Brussels for our last evening in Belgium, to see the sights and to have dinner. Le Grand Place is so impressive with its amazing architecture and grandeur. It's a huge square of magnificent buildings set around an open floor of old cobblestone. The kids seemed to like it also, and the girls were snapping lots of photos. Niki took the above photo of the Breadhouse, or Maison du Roi.



One of the famous Belgian landmarks is Le Mannequin Pis, and most visitors are expecting something large and prominent in the center of Brussels. It's a short walk down a side street, and the statue is a tiny little thing, maybe a foot tall. Ana caught this great view of it from a slight angle.

Guy drove us around a little, and we got to see the most famous structures, including the Atomium from the 1958 World's Fair, and Le Palais Royal, home of King Albert. The kids were quite impressed to learn that Belgium has a king.

I found this last photo on the internet; we didn't take it. But the Town Hall, or Hôtel de Ville, is a spectacular sight at night.