The central station in Brussels is huge, but not as interesting as the one in Amsterdam. We finally figured out which exit was closest to our hotel, and started off down the street, only asking directions once (right, then right again). The Hotel Mozart ended up being easy to find, as the manager just happened to get to the top of the hill at the same time we did, and he directed us right to it. He was on his way home, off for the weekend, but correctly figured out that three American-looking women with luggage were probably the three in the hotel reservation book.
The Hotel Mozart is ....almost indescribable. A great location, but a contradiction. Middle Eastern decoration all OVER. Carved plaster walls, tiles on the walls and floor. Mosaics and fabrics in some places. Middle Eastern decoration EVERYWHERE--and a picture of Mozart on the outside sign, and Renaissance art on the walls. It is very interesting.
The owner of the Mozart, Ben, is originally from Tangiers, but has lived in San Francisco and various other places so speaks excellent English and other languages. He checked us in and then talked for at least half an hour about America and peace and the people he's met. Quite the character, especially when we were tired and our feet hurt. We finally broke away to go to our room. It's small and VERY colorful, done in various shades of orange, with tiles up half the wall and a painting of a Dutch woman on the wall. But it has three beds and free WiFi, so even with the juxtaposition of symbols and culture, it's great.
We threw our luggage in the room and headed out to the Grand Place, a very short walk. The Grand Place has been the main square of the town for around 1000 years. It was PACKED with people who were there for the light and music show. The square has a big Christmas tree, a nativity scene (with bars on the front), and a cool light show that turns all the buildings in the square different colors. It was very fun, not to mention loud.
The big Christmas tree is lovely, especially when the decorations are swinging in the breeze. Besides the lights, it has decorations in the shape of the symbol of Brussels.
The lights in the square change colors. This is the Town Hall in one color...
And this is the Town Hall in another mood.
King's House, directly across the square from the Town Hall It's an adminstrative center.
After the show was over, we wandered a bit, looking for a place to have dinner. We started down a narrow street lined by restaurants on either side. It was a bit like running a gauntlet. We were stopped and importuned strongly by a fellow touting his restaurant. We acquiesced and went in. After a rocky start with our waiter, who first brought a dinner menu and then a lunch menu, after we said the prices on the one weren't what we'd been told outside. The food was pretty good--Nancy C and I had mussels, our first in Belgium. This was also the first place we had the Belgian beer, Leffe Brune. It's great, and we had it throughout the rest of our trip. The dessert was fantastic--waffles with dark chocolate, yum. They ended up being the best waffles we had on the trip, and Nancy W and I are hoping I can recreate them.
We ended the night with our waiter hugging me and saying, more than once, "I love you, madame!" I have no idea why, but hey, I'll take it.
We left, walked down the restaurant row where everyone else did the same as the first guy did; we have learned since that all restaurants here try to pull people in in the same way. We escaped with our lives and headed back to the hotel to sleep.
And I started on updating the blog!
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