Day one - Brussels Center
Ok leaving the hotel we went down to Noord Station to have our first encounter with the metro.
Ok do you remember that street that i have talked before? We turned the corner and there it was the Brussels version of the dutch red light district. A lot of ladies in the windows in underwear trying to get some gentleman to get in and party with them ... OK NO SHOKER FACT FOR THOSE WHO ARE OPEN TO EVERYKIND OF SEXUALITY.
But notice the contrast of two civilizations next to each other....in one side a woman just showing her face, on the other a woman showing almost everything and coexisting!!!
Ok i'll show you pictures on the following posts!
Next step... buying the tickets! We saw on the net but it was a little bit confusing. We wanted to have like a Paris or London pass but there wasn't any.
We direct ourselves to the machines and we bought the STIB tickets to central station.
The metro is like the Oporto one and it was fast. First objective get to Grand Place. I'm writing this a week after and it seems like a blur i don't quite remember wich away we took.
We did something like this.
We enter the square trough that street Rue au Beurre.
And this was the vision entering trought that street. Very crouded. First impression? Ok its small i liked more the grande-plaza in Salamanca. Don't miss interper me the plaza is stunning and it grows on you., but this first impression was a disapointement to me.
First we went straight to the informations office on the right.
What did we ask?
Is there a Brussels Pass ? Answer: No, but we are changing the system to implement one.
We are going to stay here for three days whats the best way to get around? Answer: The STIB card 24 hours, but you can walk its all relatively near.
Best way to enter the museums without spending too much? Answer: There are some free like the Maison du Roi .
We got a map and the first thing we wanted to do it was to find the pissing boy :) Manneken pis
We tried to reach it without the map, just walking around to see if we would stumble on it. We went the opposite direction :). No problem we were on holiday and getting to know the city.
We went trought la rue de la Tête D'or and turned right. we saw the gay flag everywhere.
Gay Parade information
We went on and in fact we found ourselves in the gay area of Brussels.
How did i know? Because of the beautiful cartoons on the walls.
This is very large so you won't miss it. Ok once more if you have a problem with this leave the area, there are plenty of other things to see. This picture was altered . First they were two guys and after an intervention the brunnete was patched uo to seem a girl.
Ok after a while we were desperate to find Manneken Pis. Come On!! We were walking around of it. Near the gay bars and cafés exists a police station. One policeman was outside and we asked him. It was quite easy. We had to go to the traffic lights turn left and the rigth. Follow the scent of chocolat and then follow the sea of turists! The little boy was on the corner.
The easy way to find Manny is from Grand-Place enter the Rue de Charles Buls right on the side of the city hall and go straight foward. After some street crossing you will start to see the typical waffles stores and in a corner, a left corner there it is. The small naked boy.
Its small!! And it Pisses! Ok! Take a picture. And then concentrate yourself in the waffles stores right beside it.
The Manneken Pis its not so interest. If you want to enjoy the piss dolls try to find all the three that exist in brussels. The boy, the girl and yes the dog!!! This is fun and you get to know the city.
These streets are so sweet in sight and in smell! We had to eat a waffle, they are very good and gave us energy.
Lets try to find Jenneken - Pis?
Ok heres the map.
And now the dog!! We did not have the time so good luck and find him!
After Jenneke Pis we went discovering and what did we find? The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. Entrance was for free so in we went. Haaaa. In the way in the corner we found the giant man of french fries and we had to take a picture with it. In Brussels its tipycal to eat a large amount of french fries with any kind of sauce. So don't abuse on it but eat on and go walk to burn the calories.
Back to the cathedral.
Do you want to Know more about it? http://www.cathedralisbruxellensis.be/en/history
It was quite nice. I recommend it.
Ok we decided to go back to the hotel but first a last promenade trough the city
Now we were heading back to the Grand-place and we found the royal galleries that we crossed and ended up in a square with a monument to the soldiers of WW1.
The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert are a set of stores in a street only for people that is covered with glass dome.
These galleries have some stunning shops. I recommend.
After we crossed the galleries we turned left and we found ourselves in a quite square with some benches. UFFFFAAAAAA!! We were getting tired. My friend wanted to relax a bit and have a smoke ( electronical cigar) so we sit down and rested our feet. Looking around we saw in the middle of the square a monument. I tried to find out in my tablet where we were so after the rest we could go to our hotel.
The square has in the middle a sort of catacumbs. Its a monument to the marthyrs of the Belgian Revolution of 1830 .
I haven't spoke about the weather yet. When we left portugal the weather was horrible. Raining a lot. We arrive in brussels with some cold temperature 10 degrees with sunshine and some clouds. In the square we were cold but the sun was hiting one facade and the habitants take te opportunitie to get some sun. They were in t-hirts and in the stairs cactching the rare sun. The habitants when the sun appears flock to open spaces to not loose the opportunity.
Ok enough rest. We went on and find ourselves in the brussels equivalent to santa catarina street in oporto. One shopping street, Rue Neuve.
We went trough going foward to the towers of the wtc and we arrived at the longest avenue in brussels.
At the end the sunset and a enormous cathedral.
We decided to end the day walking that street until we arrive at te cathedral. Ho my gosh! We were so tired. But we did it.. we arrived at...
Its the Basilica du Sacre-Coeur. The aveneue was quite pitoresc. We see many arabic and indian habitants. In the cafes, outside and inside, there are only men talking.
Do you see the Basilica at the end? No? Look closer. Ok our poor feet!! But that the way to know a city.
At the middle of the way we foun this and had to take a picture. Use here your imagination to have an original picture.
Continuing to our objective we were getting close. Before arriving at the Basilica there is a park. Here there a lot of jogging, futebol, kids, talking, dating. Its a park filled of life.
So arriving at the gates of the basilica we notice that its huge!. Ok like every other church that we have seen in Brussels.
Heres a video for you to meet the basilica!
We enter the grounds and we sat at the main stairs admiring the views as to take our feets of the ground.
We notice that there where only arabic and indian guys and girls inside. The Indian guys were playing Cricket with a bat not with the english hammer. Almost like baseball.
The Basilica was closed we arrived to late. Ok enough is enough for the first day. We head back to the hotel, on foot. Yes we were complaining about our lives. We finally arrived after one our. We ate something. I had to take a hot shower to relaxe all of my muscles. And then straight to bed. We had to wake up early to go to Bruges.
See you tomorrow. I'm exausted!
Luis
We went trough going foward to the towers of the wtc and we arrived at the longest avenue in brussels.
At the end the sunset and a enormous cathedral.
We decided to end the day walking that street until we arrive at te cathedral. Ho my gosh! We were so tired. But we did it.. we arrived at...
Its the Basilica du Sacre-Coeur. The aveneue was quite pitoresc. We see many arabic and indian habitants. In the cafes, outside and inside, there are only men talking.
Do you see the Basilica at the end? No? Look closer. Ok our poor feet!! But that the way to know a city.
At the middle of the way we foun this and had to take a picture. Use here your imagination to have an original picture.
Continuing to our objective we were getting close. Before arriving at the Basilica there is a park. Here there a lot of jogging, futebol, kids, talking, dating. Its a park filled of life.
So arriving at the gates of the basilica we notice that its huge!. Ok like every other church that we have seen in Brussels.
Heres a video for you to meet the basilica!
We enter the grounds and we sat at the main stairs admiring the views as to take our feets of the ground.
We notice that there where only arabic and indian guys and girls inside. The Indian guys were playing Cricket with a bat not with the english hammer. Almost like baseball.
The Basilica was closed we arrived to late. Ok enough is enough for the first day. We head back to the hotel, on foot. Yes we were complaining about our lives. We finally arrived after one our. We ate something. I had to take a hot shower to relaxe all of my muscles. And then straight to bed. We had to wake up early to go to Bruges.
See you tomorrow. I'm exausted!
Luis
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