6 Things You Won't Forget about Brussels, A Cold but Cool City

We did not settle in Arizona because of the cold. So, when we found out that the weather forecast for Brussels would hover around the low 40s with light rain showers and some wind, we wanted to skip the city. If only our lodging voucher, train ticket, and flight back home were not nonrefundable, we probably would have! We thought It would be anticlimactic to go to this city of 2.1 million, after the high of romantic Paris. Little did we know, we would find six things in Brussels that will be hard to forget.

Mannekin Pis

A sense of the Comic and Independence

The location of our Hotels.com find was excellent. It was right at the edge of Old Town Brussels. Mannekin Pis, meaning "Lil' Piddler" in Dutch, a small bronze sculpture measuring 61 cm tall depicting a naked little boy urinating into a fountain's basin, was only two short blocks away. I photographed him from near and far. So were dozens of others crowding into the little plaza. The current statue is only a copy and it only dates from 1965 while the original, built in 1618/19, is at the City Museum. I thought, "What the fuss?" Nonetheless, they say it embodies the sense of comic and independence of the people. In fact, sculptures of a little girl and a little dog urinating have also appeared nearby. In addition, Tintin and the Smurfs which originated in Brussels are front and center at the Belgian Comic Strip Center.

Grand Place

Grand Place, daytime

Another two short blocks away in the opposite direction is the Grand Place or Groat Market. The central square of old Brussels is a glittering medieval square, surrounded on all sides by opulent guildhalls, the city's Town Hall, and the King's House now containing the City Museum and the Tourist Information Center. Considered one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They say that the best time to be at Grand Place, measuring 68 by 110 meters, is in August when a carpet of flowers covers the entire ground. We went back at night when it turns Christmas-like with lights. We were so inspired we chose to have dinner at the Cave du Roi, the cellar of a guildhall dated 1698.

Belgian Food

@ Cave du Roi

And this started our love affair with Belgian food. Bill had Boef Carbonnade, Belgian beef stewed with Belgian brown ale, and I, Crème du Moule (mussels) Souppe (mussels are commonplace in Brussels; they even rhyme). All around the area, little shops displayed colorful tempting varieties of Belgian waffles, mouth-watering Belgian chocolate concoctions, and all kinds of fine-flavored Belgian beer, all three contributing to the city’s culinary fame.

Belgian waffles galore

fondue and raclette

Bill didn’t want to eat the richly topped waffles standing so we chose a restaurant that served them for breakfast one day. There are two kinds: the rectangular Belgian and the octagonal Liege. We both had the Belgian and I chose dark chocolate and Bill, strawberry and maple syrup, as toppings. I was frustrated because I know I can never reproduce the light and airy but crispy and crunchy waffles when I get back home. And the chocolates are yum! We chose the Leonidas variety. As for beer, Bill tried Duvel, the brand advised by our taxi driver.

But the highlight of our culinary tour of Brussels was another special dinner. We enjoyed a small beef fondue in Paris but we wanted the whole nine yards. The Tourist Information Center directed us to the La Fondue et La Raclette, only two blocks from our hotel. We found it closed, open only from 7-10:30 pm,d and require reservations. We asked the hotel to make them for us and we were given an 8pm slot. We arrived very hungry and quickly ordered Savoyard (cheese) Fondue and Le Boef Raclette. We must have devoured a pound of cheese that night. It was the best comfort food for a cold, cold night!

St. Michael Cathedral

St. Michael Cathedral

About four blocks away stands the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, a Roman Catholic Church. What was different was that there was the young children’s choir practicing inside. The acoustics were awesome and the choir sounded divine.  The church was given cathedral status in 1962 and has since been the co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels. It is a beautiful house of worship upon a hill. There are so many others in Brussels. We just didn’t have the time.

European Parliament

Cinquantanerie Park in front of the European Commission

House of European History

The next day, even though it was again cold, damp, and windy, we ventured out and used the highly efficient and new subway system. I wanted to see the European Parliament, the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union. Together with the Council and the European Commission, it exercises the EU’s legislative function. Its 751 members comprise the second-largest democratic electorate in the world (after India). Although the European Parliament has three places of work – Brussels (Belgium), the city of Luxembourg (Luxembourg) and Strasbourg (France), Brussels is considered the capital of the EU.

Right after the subway exit, we found the Cinquantanerie Park, built to celebrate the 500 years of Belgium, in front of the European Commission. About three long blocks away, tucked in a quiet park, sits the European Parliament. In front of it is the House of European History, an ultra-modern six-floor museum with all the conveniences provided all visitors, free of charge. It described the history of Europe from its beginnings in the Greek, Roman and Ottoman times, to the industrialized and colonial ages, the revolutions that spawned the nation states, the world wars that tore the region apart, the resulting Cold War, and the beginnings of the Council of Europe. It ends with the current issues confronting the Union.  We spent a total of three hours there. We could have spent many more.

 Atomium

After the visit, we went to the other side of town to see the most unique building in the world, l’Atomium. It was originally built for the Brussels World Fair in 1958, but is now a museum, standing 102m tall. It has nine stainless steel spheres of 18 m diameter each, all connected. The design forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Tubes of 3 m diameter connect the spheres housing stairs, escalators, and a lift to allow access to the five habitable spheres which contain the exhibits. The top sphere is a restaurant with a panoramic city view.  It would have been nice to go inside, but there just wasn’t enough time!

the Aromium

We are so glad we didn’t skip Brussels! Despite the cold, the city is so very chic. It has the old and the modern, the comic and the sublime, the history of Europe all rolled into one, and a place where eating is sheer delight. Even as the bistro where I wanted to have foie gras was closed when I was ready for it, we found so many bottled ones for sale at the airport! Travel bloggers tell me that the fine things to remember about Brussels will become 7 when I experience its Christmas markets. A fine reason to go back!

pinnable image

pinnable image

OLA: Exploring from our 'Dock' in Pittsburg, Kansas

Christ of the Ozarks, largest statue of Christ in the US and the 4th in the world

In the last post I wrote about one disadvantage of the RV cruising lifestyle. But, there is still that one big advantage: to address the lure of the places we hear and read about, to actually see them with our own eyes, and then to write about them from our own perspective. In the past 2 ½ months, not only were we able to visit with family and cultivate new friendships and celebrate but we were also able to make wonderful day trips from our base, the warmth of the Docks’ home.

the tree of hope in Joplin, rows of white trailers at the back

First, Missouri. Joplin (please see our first visit there by simply clicking  http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2010/07/coming-home-to-kansas-part-2.html), the city that was almost totally devastated by an EF5 tornado in May 22, 2011, the third to strike the city in 40 years, was our first stop. She still has the scars of that disaster. Long rows of white trailers provided by FEMA are still around for  those who are still homeless. Trees that lost their foliage but refused to fall were painted in living colors. One building, a former hospital, was totally wrecked and the next day we found out in the news that it had finally been imploded. 

a great view of Truman's Presidential Library

The other city is Independence, Missouri, part of the Kansas City SMSA, where Truman was born and lived. His presidential library and museum also houses his gravesite, resplendent with bright yellow flowers!!! Nearby, his home is now a National Historic Site and at the city plaza a statue of the man stands proudly. He made one of the most difficult decisions a US president had to make: drop the atomic bomb! 

a view of his burial site at the back of the presidential library

Kansas City Public Library

Second, Kansas. Whenever we visited Pittsburg, we always made it a point to go to Kansas City (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2010/07/coming-home-to-kansas-part-2.html ) but I didn’t know that one of the best designed buildings in the world was there! The Kansas City Public Library is designed like a shelf of books (I understand they selected thirty two of the best loved books of all time) for its façade. Books like The Republic by Plato, 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, etc. are memorialized as a giant book on this giant shelf. Even the stairs leading to the entrance doors were designed like books stacked on top of one another. What a most appropriate design for a library! But the trees that were planted many years ago are now practically hiding this gem. The City should really do something!

  

the very first Walmart: 5-10 Walton's in Bentonville, Atkansas

Third, Arkansas. We took the RV to Jay, Oklahoma, just two hours from the Docks for a week; it is one of those in our network of resorts. From there we explored parts of Arkansas that we had missed on our first visit there (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2010/07/stopping-by-little-rock-arkansas-then.html). Bentonville, Arkansas is the site of the Walmart Visitors Center and the giant retailer’s headquarters. The very first 5-10 discount store Sam Walton started stood there as it did in 1962. Even his old pick-up is displayed with a famous quote from him: ‘I just don’t believe in a big showy lifestyle. Why do I drive a pickup truck? What am I supposed to haul my dogs around in, a Rolls Royce? ’. 

his modest pickup truck

Sam walton's office, still the way it looked the day he died

The office which he occupied remains untouched from the day he died. It is an office that looks neat because Sam liked nothing more than management by wandering, being close to his ‘family’.  And now his idea is a business legend, operating 8,500 stores in 15 countries. It‘s the world's third largest public corporation, the biggest private employer with over two million employees, and the largest retailer with 2011 sales at $300 B.

inside the Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

An hour from Bentonvile is Eureka Springs and that is where the Christ of the Ozarks stands atop the Magnetic Mountain, hands outstretched to minister to all, the fourth  largest statue of Christ in the world (behind Poland, Bolivia, and Brazil in that order) at 67 feet (and the largest in the US). It is on the grounds of the Passion Play Park that runs from April to October. I imagine that the park becomes very much alive during Easter and Christmas. Not far from this Christ is the Thorntown Chapel, with the structural woodwork designed like the crown of thorns. It was truly spiritual to be there. And just a few miles away is the Celestial Wind Chime, the largest tuned wind chime in the world hanging from a tree at 36 feet. Bill had fun swinging the pipes to create holy sounds.

Bill playing with the largest windchime in the world, at 36 feet, in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

the Clinton Museum in Fayetteville, Arkansas

But the big surprise of our Arkansas day trip was Fayetteville. There the very first home, and where they were married, Bill and Hilary Clinton owned while they were professors at the University of Arkansas. Though small at 1,800 ft., the home is absolutely beautiful in its stonework, just the right size for a small family, and well taken care of. The twist is that a colorful razorback is in front of their house, the mascot of the University of Arkansas, one of several pig projects in a fund-raising PIGshibition for the Ozark Literacy Council. Bill Clinton’s boyhood home is in Hope, Arkansas and his Presidential Library is in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Har-Ber Village, legacy of Harvey and Bernie Jones
 in Grove, Oklahoma

Fourth, Oklahoma. The campground where we stayed in Jay, Oklahoma is called the Pine Island RV Resort because the RV sites, including ours, overlooked the Otay Lakes with the Pine Island on it. Every morning and every night we look out to this peaceful scene of calm and cool waters providing comfort to those who temporarily make it home, like us. Then at nearby Grove, Oklahoma just ten minutes away there is a beautiful park dedicated by the couple Harvey and Bernice Jones for the enjoyment of the public. What a legacy they have left behind!

The End of the Trail at the National Cowboys Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Museu
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The Female Cougar

We had been to Tulsa before (please see http://rvcruisinglifestyle.blogspot.com/2010/07/coming-home-to-kansas-part-2.html ). But this time we wanted to experience Oklahoma City, the center of 43 Indian tribes in the state, only three hours from Jay. The National Cowboys Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Museum features wonderful statues but ones we most liked were the ones entitled 'The End of the Trail' and 'The Mountain Cat'.. 

The Oklahoma City Bombing National Memorial

There we saw the grand memorial built for the victims of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building on April 19, 1995 that killed 168 people, including 19 children, and affected 324 buildings in 16 blocks. The two pillars at each end are marked 9:01 and 9:03 AM because the bomb actually exploded at 9:02. The water that stands between the two is shallow but shimmering and the rows of empty chairs alongside make for a moving cemetery. A nearby church that was almost destroyed erected a statue of a crying priest. It was the largest terrorist attack before 9/11.

the cemetery of empty chairs

the crying priest

These are some of the reasons we decided to do the fulltime RV cruising lifestyle. We had such a long bucket list that we felt we had to go at the pace we did. Living a dream is more passionate than mere living. But now we have to be more pragmatic, visit more of friends and family, and as you will read in the next post, take care of ourselves better as we advance in years.

     

       

   

Stopping by Little Rock, Arkansas, then Celebrating in Branson, Missouri

We had to leave Memphis right away because the front air conditioner of M’A ‘turn had failed the last day we were in Nashville and days were in the high 90s at high humidity.  I was not getting any ‘beauty’ sleep!  A Camping World outlet is in Little Rock, Arkansas, only two hours away!  While the repair job was being done, we went around town.  Since it took two days, we were able to cover major attractions.

First is the longest pedestrian bridge in the world (4,226 linear feet), the Big Dam Bridge. The marker said it so nicely…it was dedicated to the idea that people need to make connections in this world.  The bridge is often used for marathons and bikathons.  I thought…how nice of the city to provide such an impressive facility that leads to healthier and happier residents.

Second is the Bill Clinton Presidential Library.  It is a structure that is imposing enough, especially since it is adjacent to the Arkansas River and the old beautiful bridge that spanned it. But what is remarkable is this:  the lobby had a preponderance of African-Americans.  I wish we had more time to take the tour though.  After all it was the first presidential library I have ever visited (not that I like this Bill C.).

Third is the downtown marketplace.  We found big concrete unique Little Rock letters atop the farmer’s market.  And at the end of the colorful marketplace is the biggest ceiling fan I have ever seen! Finally, at the end of the block was the Capitol Building on whose grounds stood the Little Rock Nine, statues of the nine African-American students who became the important symbols of desegregation in Arkansas.

But when the repair was completed the next day, we were ecstatic!  For we were to spend a few celebratory days with Bill’s sister Rosemary and her husband Jack in Branson, Missouri, only 3 hours away, before resting awhile in their hometown, Pittsburg, Kansas.  And surprise of surprises…the Treasure Lake campground there is a true-blue RV resort.

First, it is right on the Strip.  Second, it has fabulous facilities: two pools, one indoor, one outdoors, a clubhouse, a lodge, tennis courts, mini-golf.  Third, the days were full of scheduled activities, free concerts, potluck dinners, karaoke nights, Texas Hold-em days, movie screenings, all kinds of tournaments, etc.  Fourth the campsites were paved, with cute picnic tables, and with lots of trees.

Missouri is the Show-Me State and Branson is its jewel. The city has more than thirty shows (including those of Andy Williams, The Platters, and The Osmonds. There are three outlets and many restaurants. There are several strips that burst into bright lights at night. We went to the Landing, the Showboat at Table Rock, and the Silver Dollar City.  

The Landing is about two miles of stores and restaurants on both sides of a road plied by free shuttle rides that take you to and fro.  In the middle are condo buildings and alongside is a river that runs through it.  But the highlight of our Branson vacation is the shows.

The Showboat is a dazzling night of music on board a 720-seat paddle boat, the largest of its kind ever built on a fresh water lake, Table Rock Lake ( the area is filled with many rock formations that resemble table tops, hence the name).  The full moon was enchanting and the show was first class, a high being the 39-song medley of greats. But the sure winner was the ventriloquist who used dogs, giving the appearance that they are talking dogs.  It was incredible!

Silver Dollar City is so different from traditional theme parks that are dominated by rides. First, it is built on top of Marvel Cave, a huge natural cavern where everyone that comes in has to be able to crouch through 4-feet high narrow passageways.  Next, instead of being dominated by rides, shows fill up your time.  It rained during our visit but we were sheltered inside show venues.  There were also nice sideshows and craft demonstrations. We also found a great BBQ buffet in a restaurant inside a cave. 

Gossamer Magic was spell-binding and I was hugely overcome when a big yellow van appeared on stage in an instant right before our very eyes!  The Stunt Dogs Show feature rescued dogs that have been in all kinds of TV shows for their wonderful antics.  And GAC Nights is the Grand American Country cable channel’s musical show at Echo Hollow, a beautiful amphitheater amid tall trees.

It was definitely a hectic time o we all looked forward to ten restful days in Bill’s hometown.

Next Stop: Pittsburg, Kansas