Monday, July 26, 2010

on to BELGIUM! - Brussels

We arrived in Brussels... and treked to our trains, trams, and hotel room, luggage in tow.  It was much cooler than in Paris, and a lot cleaner!  Everything seemed much less crammed together and with air to breathe!  It was very beautiful with sights like this down every street...


We walked with Jacob the first day...man, could he outwalk us!!  But it was fun to see where he had served and walk the streets he had walked.  I was always a few feet behind...either because I couldn't catch up, or I was engrossed in everything or trying to take pictures of all the awesome buildings!  It was amazing!  Jacob took us down to the Grand Place...which is quite the tourist sight...lots of people, and beautiful buildings and cobblestone square...it really is a gorgeous place!










I felt like Brent...I just kept looking and looking at all the sculptures, and architecture...it was breathtaking!

Jacob showed us this place, where he said there is a superstition of some sort, that if you rub this statue, you will marry within the year...I made him rub it!!  ha ha

Here is the ever popular, Manneken Pis...Brussels is famous for this and everyone knows about it and he is quite the tourist pull...which is all fine and dandy, until you see the little guy in person!  I was expecting much more...he was TINY...and just stuck in a little corner by some of the souvenier shops...

This is the real size, when you can see it in comparison to people and buildings!  Don't quite know what all the fuss is about...but Jacob said that they also dress him up on many holidays...so I guess he's a novelty, even if he is small!!

One of many shopping malls that connect to the Grand Place...they are so pretty!

This is Saint Michel.  Jacob loves this church and wanted to show it to us...I thought it was so awesome...I even thought it outshown Notre Dame...maybe not in size, but in majestic beauty alone.

It is quite intricate, and the inside is beautiful and not dark like in the Notre Dame Cathedral.


The stained glass is so beautiful and the wood carvings...very intricate and exquisite!

Another view point of the outside - this is along the side...it's so amazing!
This is Le Palais de Justice...their government building.

We got to visit the Atomium...It was quite the modern sculpted piece in it's time...built back in the 50's for a World's Fair in Brussels....it is still amazing and an awesome sight to see!   

There are cool passages between the spheres with escalators and stairs...

We rode an elevator up to the top and this is some of the view overlooking Brussels.
Very cool indeed!

This is all for right now, but this isn't all of my Brussels pictures...more are on Jacob's camera...so stay tuned for more...I will get them up shortly!

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