Brussels

First train ride with our Eurail pass.

I was super excited to ride the train. Some romantic idea I've always entertained about having a Eurail Pass and watching the countryside pass by. The first train ride definitely felt like a dream come true. (Like most of this summer.)

First thing we did upon arrival in Brussels? We got lost.

But getting lost sure helps you figure out the lay of a city pretty quickly!

The state of the room we were initially given.

When we finally found our hotel, our room was not made up. Kind of weird, right? But this is the THRID time this has happened to us this summer. Just this summer! (First in Pendleton, OR, second in Vancouver, BC.) They fixed us up with an exact replica, but with made beds and clean towels. Whew.

The beautiful St. Michael's Cathedral from two very different angles.

We took a (very) long walk to the town center and took tons of pictures of St. Michael's Cathedral on our way. It has two towers just like Notre Dame. Churches are a great place to rest, they're (usually) free and (usually) cool inside. Cool as in, chillier than outside.

In the town square we witnessed a crazy game, the likes of which we'd never seen. We still don't know what it was, but it was fun to watch. It seemed like an open air mix between team handball and jai lai. But without a wall. So more like glorified team catch, except more handball than catch. No idea what it was, even after some research!

Mr. Yin eating mussels like the locals.

Before heading back, we enjoyed some mussels in Brussels. They were tasty.

Our next day in Brussels was a Monday. Nothing in Brussels is open on Mondays. So we took a walking tour of the city. Lots of lovely architecture.

Mr. Yin enjoying his sandwich near the flea market.

Remember, nothing is open. And I'm pregnant. And that means you have to use the facilities frequently. And now was one of those times. We walked through a huge flea market and grabbed a delicious sandwich for lunch. And I still had to pee. Especially after drinking my Fanta.

Unlike Amsterdam, we couldn't find any pay toilets. Not where we were anyway. I tried at a church, but was turned away. Finally we decided to backtrack and go to the Palaise du Justice. On the walk there I decided peeing is not a privlege--as stated in Urinetown, it is a luxury.

Let's just say the Palaise du Justice did not disappoint.

Edible and I with our chocolate samples, and our lovely photographer in the mirror.

Chocolate terracotta soldiers!

We sampled some delicious chocolates. We opted for the ones that don't export: Neuhaus and Wittemen. They were hard to find, but well worth it! Neuhaus was the Yin family favorite. Mmmmmmm.

Next stop? Mannekin Pis. A statue of a peeing cherub that people sometimes dress. We were lucky enough to see him arrayed in his beekeeping finery.

Me enjoying my Belgian waffle in front of Beekeeper Manekin Pis. I honestly didn't want to stop eating to pose.

Close(r) up of Manekin Pis and his beekeeper getup.

On our way we stopped for a Belgian waffle with strawberries. Oh. My. It was one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten in my life. I'm not exaggerating. So tasty.

On our walk to St. Katherine Square we happened upon a European Festival! We sampled foods from all over and watched a very energetic Lithuanian dance. And I got to use a port-a-potty, called a Toi-Toi.

Me, feeling more pregnant than I look, in front of the Armory Museum.

Our last day in Brussels we headed over to the Armory Museum. Mostly for Mr. Yin. It was chock full of stuff from all the wars and battles over who knows how many centuries. It's so interesting to see a war from the context of a different country. They have their own heroes we've never heard about. And it's always interesting to see how they viewed the US. Mr. Yin loved it. I had to sit out the WWII (and probably most interesting) wing because it had a glass roof and no AC! Wandering around would have led to me needing smelling salts and a bucket of cold water to my face. So I sat and people watched and fanned my face with my museum map.

And that was Brussels! We left that afternoon for Bruges, and were smart enough to get the half-price summer tickets for the train. Hurray!