Please...No More Mussels in Brussels!

The past couple days have been very laid back and relaxing with no specific plans or itinerary.  On Sunday, we woke up to beautiful weather in Bruges, so we decided to delay traveling to Brussels until the afternoon.  We walked out to a few of the windmills on the edge of town and then strolled through the canals.  We watched the swans feed on the bottom of the canals and continued to admire the picturesque city.  By noon, it was raining, so we collected our bags from the B&B and headed to the train station.  After an hour train ride to Brussels, we found our apartment and got settled before heading out to explore for a few hours.  We wanted something different from the typical french fries, rich stews, and mussels that we've been eating for days now, so we tried out a sushi restaurant for supper.  It was buffet style where little trains pulled around different types of sushi and you could take what you want.  It was delicious and definitely different than typical Belgian cuisine.

We had planned on a day trip to Ghent, Belgium from Brussels on Monday because most of the museums are closed Mondays; however, we needed a day to recharge, so we decided to sleep in and wander Brussels without a schedule.  We walked to the main market square, which is just a few blocks from our apartment.  As we approached, we heard loud chanting, singing, and what sounded like a bagpipe.  We entered the Market Square to find hundreds of Scottish football (soccer) fans filling the pubs and patios with drinks in their hands at noon!  We later found out that there is a big soccer game on Tuesday night between Scotland and Belgium, and the Scots came in early to show their team spirit.  At least 90% of the men had their kilts on, which is not a sight we get to see very often in the States.

We walked a few blocks to the most famous statue in Brussels, Manneken Pis.  This translates to "The Pissing Boy," and that is exactly what the statue is.  It stands about two feet tall, is made of bronze, and depicts a little boy peeing into the fountain.  It has become the symbol of Brussels, and you can find replicas of all sizes to bring home.  Jeremy joked that we should get one for the small fountain in front of our new home, but I convinced him that the neighbors might not appreciate it!

We tasted Belgian fruit jellies, which are a type of Belgian candy that is soft and gooey on the inside and a bit harder on the outside.  They are very sweet and come in all sorts of fruit flavors.  We also got a waffle to eat on our walk through the city.  As I mentioned before, the museums were closed, so we just looked at the shops and read about the historical buildings.  It was so nice to have a relaxing day without any expectations.  It also helped that we had a clear day with no rain, so it was great to walk around and not worry about getting soaked.  Tomorrow (Tuesday) we head for our final stop of this trip, Amsterdam, where we will stay until Sunday when we head back to Minnesota.