In the morning, we got up and found a Moroccan bakery, got some treats and then found a coffee shop. Turns out it was very much a Muslim men’s coffee shop and felt a bit uncomfortable, but it was fine.
Then we were off on the walking tour that G&B’s neighbor put together for us. We found the Manneken Pis – dressed as a shepherd surrounded by sheep. For some reason, this modern, cosmopolitan city has chosen a small statue of a naked boy peeing to be their symbol. There are peeing boys everywhere – souvenirs, statues made out of chocolate. Very odd. We saw the Royal Palace, Mont des Arts, the royal Park that was full of delightful Le Chat sculpture. Becky and Zane were struggling with sickness, but recovered a bit after having some paracetamol. There was a lot to see in Brussels. We found a place to get Belgian waffles which were super yummy.
Went back to the hotel and had a nice, long rest. Jude did his math quiz.
We headed out again and had a super yummy dinner at Frittland. You order fries and then you can get a meat option and then a sauce. So good! I am feeling very ready for some veggies soon.
Continued to wander around – found two more churches to visit. Saint Nicholas Church was cool and in the middle of Brussels. The other one, Church of Notre-Dame de Bon Secours, was very focused on outreach to the local community. It had very cool art and it had swings inside the church.
Back to the hotel and then downstairs for adult drinks while the boys showered and hung out in the room. Such a lovely time and chat with G&B – talking about our friendship, our trip, marriage, family, living in cultures that are not our own. Colin wasn’t going to join us, but I asked him to and I’m so glad he did. We talked about how it’s been so good to travel together, one reason being that it helps to diffuse tense situations and grumbling and bad attitudes. So grateful.
Went back to the room, Colin showered, the boys and I packed. When we all finally settled and turned out the lights, I could not get to sleep. I tossed and turned and just didn’t feel tired. I stood for a while looking out at the square, pretty sure I saw a drug deal. Lots of sirens.
We saw a LOT of statues of men on horseback in the cities we were in, but this was my favorite. It’s a statue of Godefroid de Bouillon. Sadly, he was a pre-eminent leader of the first crusade which is terrible, but I chose to think of it as a statue of Peter the Magnificent or Edmund the Just.
Lamppostings 