Adventure of the month

Two years ago, after a lot of planning combined with a dash of luck, I finally had a chance to see the  Brussels' biennial flower carpet .  This is when the city of Brussels takes what is, in my opinion, the prettiest square in all of Europe and dolls it up with a couple million begonias. Every two years, there is a different design.  In 2014, the theme had been a celebration of the Turkish rug. With its jewel tones and symmetrical pattern, the flower carpet was glorious.  The hotel I'd stayed in was both funky and fresh. The weather had been (mostly) good. Overall, it had been a great trip which I remembered fondly and mentioned every time someone brought up Brussels in conversation. That is exactly what I did when a coworker told me she was thinking of going to Belgium.  Realizing that it was an even numbered year, I pulled out my phone to check for her when the carpet would be displayed.  It was that very weekend!  She was off the weekend...

What happens when you take the prettiest square in all of Europe and make it even more spectacular for a weekend? That is a question that is answered every two years when artisans create a floral carpet in Brussel's Grand Place. Sounds nice but somehow the term 'floral carpet' does not really capture the magnitude of what is taking place. On odd numbered years, a scale design is created and calculations are made determining how many flowers and what colors will be needed to execute the plan.  Then, in the month of August, on even numbered years, 120 volunteers have four hours to place close to a million begonias directly onto the cobblestones into a pattern that will soon be seen by hundreds of thousands of visitors. Nope, that explanation is not capturing it either. So...you've got this baroque square that is impressive all on its own, only now you are adding a sweet smelling layer of awesomeness right in the middle of it all.  One that, despite a year's wort...

The lovely Our Lady Cathedral presiding over the Grote Markt (or Town Square) City Hall Multi-culturalism: check The Lange Wapper: he used to sport a long penis until religious leaders got into a snit and had it removed Day 7: She has created an escape vehicle to take her to freedom... While this group has opted for a less labor intensive way out The opera diva and one of her mini-captors remain entangled While this twin, who has been growing daily by depriving his brother of food is threating to burst out 1) See photos above. The city is a architectural gem. Plus, it is compact, walkable and at least during our visit, free of maddening crowds. 2) It was the home of Rubens and Van Dyke and remains very artsy today. There are enough art galleries, antique shops and cultural happenings to keep you busy all summer. 3) It's in Belgium, so there is no going wrong with either chocolate or beer. And there is no shortage of really funky, inviting restaurants ranging ...

Just one of hundred of photos I took of the Grand Place, the main square And yet another.. A theater known for its puppet shows I couldn't leave without seeing this guy. The Sablon church Detail from the exterior of the Sablon church The Atomium The two Belgian specialties: Chocolate and Beer, all in one bottle Busy circumstances and an infuriatingly spotty internet connection have kept me from sharing my latest adventures, but the stars have aligned just so tonight, my connection is looking strong and I am jumping at the chance to try to catch up on this blogging thing. So.....on Wednesday, June 4th, I took a bus over to Brussels. It was only 3 1/2 hours from Amsterdam and it was crazy cheap (18 euro round-trip!!), so even though I had talked to some people who were not too impressed with the city, I felt I had to see it for myself. To cut to the proverbial chase, I don't know if it was a case of low expections, randon luck, or what, but I ha...

I know I have been very negligent in updating this blog, but ironically, it turns out that the more adventures that you have, the less time that you have to write about them. At some point, this merry-go-round will slow down and I will be able to go into greater detail about where I have been, what I have seen and how damned charming it has all been. But for now, I am just posting some photos from this weekend's visit to Bruges, a medievel fairytale of a town, that just happens to have museums dedicated to two of my favorite things, beer and chocolate.