Saturday, September 28, 2019: Brussels and the Tour Begins

We have the day to ourselves. Tonight we meet the others on the tour for a 6:00 pm reception and dinner. We didn't get down for breakfast until 8:30 am. Then around 9:00 am, I hailed an Uber to take us to the Hard Rock Cafe in Grand Place, the city center plaza. We arrived at 9:30 am and began exploring the area.

They had had some sort of concert and were in the process of tearing down the stage when we arrived.

Hard Rock Brussels

We veered of to the north. Consulting Google Maps, we targeted getting to the Brussels Park. On the way we walked through a covered mall area where I saw a hat store that was not yet open. I told Stephen that I wanted to come back and look for a hat to replace the one Terri bought me back in 2004 and I lost in 2005 (left it in a hotel room on one of our trips).

Stephen was trying to figure out how to get a four foot tall chocolate smurf back to the US.

We then came across the St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral (St. Michael Cathedral)

We lit a candle in Terri's honor.

We also journeyed down into the basement to observe the foundations of three other churches which had previously occupied the space.

We moved on to the Brussels City Park, known for its fountains and sculptures. Neither of which were very impressive.

At one end of the park was one of the Royal Palaces.

Nice Gates!!

The current King and Queen of Belgium do not reside in this palace, but in another on the outskirts of Brussels.

We walked back through the park to the other end where we found some Belgium government offices. From their, we walked to the Colonne du Congres (Congress Column). It is a 155 foot tall column that commemorates the 1830 National Congress that created Belgium's first constitution.

Next was a walk through the Brussels Botanical Garden. Not large (less than 15 acres), but nicely maintained. It was inaugurated in 1829 on a marshy site they interred plague victims.

Moving on, we headed back toward the Grand Place. There was a pedestrian plaza that lead us all the way back. We passed some interesting architecture and monuments.

One was commemorating the Belgian Revolution of 1830. It was the conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium.

Just a neat looking pub

Belgium Stock Market

Finally we arrived again at the Grand Place and went into the Hard Rock. I got tee shirts for Laura's family and we both had the Belgium Burger for lunch.

We then went to look for the hat shop. We found it and it was open. I bought a tweed cap to replace the one Terri bought for me fifteen years ago. The tweed was woven in the Outer Herbides and the cap made in Belgium. I think Terri would approve.

We hailed an Uber had came back to the hotel, arriving about 2:30 pm. Tonight, at 6:00 pm, we have the opening reception of the Ambrose Tour and dinner.

The reception was unimpressive. We had to buy our own drinks. Dinner was OK. We will be departing at 10:00 am tomorrow.