Brussels: The Best Smelling City in Europe

When Bryson decided he was going to come back to Spain to visit me, I madly began searching for Christmas destinations for us.  Naturally, he was given the deciding vote because he was flying halfway across the world.  The final decision was Belgium, a country that was not on the top of my travel desires but one that I still wanted to see, especially since my mama spent a small portion of her childhood there.  I can now say that I am so unbelievably happy we chose the little capitol of Europe for our Christmas adventures—it was an incredible trip!

Along with Bryson, my travel companions included Keely, Becky, and Emily.  We were the traveling dream team with the perfect amount of organization, easygoingness (yes, that is a word), and at times, total chaos.  Sometimes we had map issues and we might have been a little offensive with our lacking French skills, but at the end of the day it was nothing that a cone of pomme frites couldn’t solve.

my fantastic travel buddies

We spent a total of five days in Brussels, including Christmas. I loved this city for a variety of reasons, the top ten of which I will now illustrate for you.  I’m nearly certain that the Brussels Tourism Industry will see this post and hire me to be their newest witty and adorable publicist, allowing for me to return for more waffles.

Kate’s Top 10 Brussels Favorites

10) The Ugliness: Brussels isn’t exactly what you’d call a charming or quaint city.  It’s pretty industrial and the mishmash of old gothic architecture, stark skyscrapers and bizarre modern “artistic” buildings gives it a distinctly hodgepodge feel that is, in a word, brilliant.  Walking through Brussels felt like being in an old comic book (more on that later) that the author had designed in multiple sittings.  Cobblestone streets give way to a towering industrial district, all of which is built over an underground river that was covered a century ago because of its polluted stench.  Brussels is ugly and unapologetic, and it works!

Emily and the church

the not so sweet-smelling river

weirdest building ever

The Grand Place (not to be confused with "palace")

9) Transportation and Accessibility: Despite the brief transportation strike on the day we arrived, which left Bryson, Keely, and I stranded underneath the subway tunnel looking for a taxi for 45 minutes, Brussels’ transportation system is a well oiled machine.  You can take a train to Paris or Amsterdam in under three hours and the prices are all completely affordable.  Also Brussels has trams, which I adore.  They make me feel like I’m at Northwest Trek with bison and baby deer roaming around.

metro lovin'

ever so central

tram-induced joy 

8) Museums: During our stay we visited the Africa Museum and the Comics Museum, both of which were wonderful.  The former was filled with artwork and animal specimens from all over Africa, but most specifically the Congo.  Bryson and I found ourselves in the underground rooms of the museum that were packed with elephant skulls and clay masks.  It was a very surreal and powerful experience.  The Comic Museum was considerably more lighthearted, although many portions had interesting political cartoons such as historical depictions of dictatorships and the like.  The real star of the show was TinTin, not surprisingly—Belgium is quite proud of their claim to fame in the adventures of this little blonde boy.  However, the Smurfs are also a byproduct of Belgian artists, so they made plenty of appearances as well.

from the photo exhibit

butterflies

sobering skulls

the boy himself

permanent exhibit?

look close, I'm famous!

7) Post-Colonial Culture: The modern repercussions of Belgium’s colonization of Zaire, the country my Mama Zeryn grew up in, are readily visible in present day Brussels.  Thousands of Congolese (along with Algerians and Moroccans) have immigrated to Brussels in the aftermath of the colonial relationship.  The result is a handful of neighborhoods that are referred to as “Little Africa,” filled with tropical fruit, lots of artwork, and aromatic teas.

morning shipment

market window

flea market

6) Street Comics: Brussels is undeniably proud of TinTin, the Smurfs, and Nero.  This fixation has resulted in hundreds of comic strips that adorn the city.  Painted on buildings, bridges, and sidewalks, they add to the chaotic organization of the already eclectic city and make every day feel like a scavenger hunt for a new one!

full scale

when you run out of wall space...

it wouldn't be Brussels without some Tintin

5) Languages: Because Belgium has three official languages, everything in Brussels is written a multitude of ways.  Dutch is spoken by about 60% of the population, French 39%, and German less than 1%.  Brussels is located on the French-speaking side of the country, so it was the most common language we heard.  However, the linguistic hodgepodge made every sign enormous and left us hoping that English was somewhere on the list (it usually was!).

what?!

4) Breweries: I never thought I would spend Christmas (and Christmas Eve…) in a brewery, but there’s a first time for everything.  While the breweries of Brussels can’t hold a candle to my family, they are magical places that provided a nice substitute this year.  Belgian beer is delicious, the ambience is something akin to the Pacific Northwest, and you can order cheese cubes with mustard.  Also, they sometimes play French versions of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” which is even funnier when you’ve had a few of the aforementioned beverages.

Delirium Brewery

a Christmas Eve nightcap

delight

what comes after a nightcap?

3) The People: Spanish people are supposedly known for their hospitality, a fact that I tend to agree with, but the people of Belgium blew the Spaniards out of the water.  During the transportation strike, a taxi driver only charged three of us a total of 20 euro for a 45 minute cab ride.  A Congolese man who worked in our hostel brought me a guidebook of the Congo wrapped in Christmas paper for me to send to my Mama Zeryn, after I mentioned that she lived in Zaire.  After one of our train rides, a man from Ghent drove Bryson, Keely, and I to our hostel while showing us the city.  If you have to go somewhere you don’t speak the language and may unintentionally look like a fool, make it Belgium.  The people are out of this world.

these guys are pretty great too

2) Food: I know you’re all surprised that this isn’t number one, but I assure you it’s a very close second.  Hot waffles on every street corner filled with sugar, drenched in chocolate, or adorned with fruit.  Steaming cones of pomme frites smothered with an overwhelming variety of sauces.  Chocolate smoother than silk, mulled wine filled with spices, pizza dripping with cheese, endless varieties of kebabs, beer that makes you want to give up water… This exploring epicurean will be returning to Brussels.

perfection

Christmas dinner

if I can't have my mama's cooking...

convinced yet?

1) The Smell: The aforementioned delights result in an aroma that places Brussels as the winner of the title: Best Smelling City.  Córdoba smells like old men and jamón.  Amsterdam smells like canals and pot.  Brussels smells like waffles, French fries, hot wine and chocolate.  End of story.

I will finish this excruciatingly long post with Brussels’ claim to fame that didn’t make my top ten list… Mannekin Pis.  This statue (which literally is named “Little Man Peeing”) is a bronze sculpture of a small boy urinating into a fountain.  Mannekin Pis is the most famous landmark in Brussels—he is dressed up in different costumes throughout the year to depict different seasons and holidays.  I don’t really get what the fuss is about, but I chalk it up to Brussels’ generally eclectic preferences.

Merry Christmas!