This is not a Blog

Brussels is a diabetic’s nightmare. One is seemingly within arms reach of a waffle shop, chocolate shop, pastry shop or pub at all times. Granted we were downtown where most of the touristy wears were being hocked, but the locals sure now how to relax and indulge. Two hour lunches seemed fairly common with a beer, digestive liquor and espresso used as chasers to their meals. The interior of restaurants and cafes were fairly empty while patio seating was prime real estate. Often, the chairs would be facing out towards the cobblestone sidewalks to enable people watching.

That seems to be what people do at all hours of the day; and considering that 10pm at night resembles late afternoon in LA, people were in no hurry to head home on a Wednesday evening.

9pm

In all honesty I did not know what to expect from our three days in Belgium. Our other stops, to me at least, are preceded by their reputations. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Belgium and I have crossed paths before. Many well-known artists are from Belgium. Rene Magritte and Pieter Paul Rubens are artists whose work I have been exposed to in the past, but would never have been able to name-drop them in a conversation. Another groundbreaking artist from Belgium is the creator of the Smurfs. I did not catch his name, but now I know he is from Belgium if and when Jeopardy calls.

The architecture here is amazing. I may be a neophyte when it comes to Belgium culture, but I am absolutely certain that subtlety was not a Belgian creation. The cathedrals, city centers and shopping promenades are awe inducing. Even the Antwerp train station is meticulously decorated with ornate statues and marble columns. A simple picture does not capture the magnitude of some of the buildings. I went a little panorama crazy, but it was necessary.

All three staircases lead to the same place.....?

A popular tourist destination, Manneken Pis, seemed to come up a little short in comparison to the grandeur of its surroundings. Jessica was not impressed.

Jessica indulging her inner fat kid

After two nights in Brussels and one night in Antwerp we headed north to Amsterdam. Through a bit of unintended timing we arrived on a Friday afternoon. On the weekend Amsterdam pulsates. I’m not sure if it is like this every weekend, but I have never experienced such a dense city. Alleyway after alleyway was filled with hedonistic and gluttonous indulgence, and plenty of eager patrons looking to partake. It’s Vegas with cultural relevance. I am sure there are plenty of people who visit Amsterdam just for the “coffee shops” and endless shopping, but that would be a cursory experience. The canals that snake through the city, outlined by tall, narrow and sometimes leaning buildings, keeps one reaching for their camera with each new street. And while all of the “brick and brack” has its allure, it wasn’t until Sunday when we really were able to enjoy the city in its simplest form.

 Either everyone had returned home to reality or they were sleeping off their hangovers, but Sunday found us riding bicycles with the locals along specialized bike paths. If I said there were a lot of bicycles in Amsterdam it would be a gross oversimplification. There are copious amounts of bicyclists in Amsterdam. In fact, as I look through my pictures, I do not think I was able to take a single picture where there wasn’t a bicycle somewhere in the background. 

One of many multi-story bike lots

More about Amsterdam still to come. For now, bed.