If You Have One Day in Brussels...

...this is what you would do. At least according to the guidebooks, on Sunday we did those touristy things in Brussels that one should do with just a single day in this city. Of course we're here for many more days, yet it was good to get them checked off the list. Speaking of lists, we three girls have yet to create our list of things to do while here. Maybe later today....

So on Sunday, we bought our first Metro pass after walking to the farther Metro stop, Schuman. We took the subway to Gare Centrale and wandered through the little artists' market at Grand-Place/Grote Markt. Sometimes places sound better in French, others in Dutch. No immediate purchase so we strolled to the Grand-Place in all its gilded glory. What a beautiful plaza, even if marred slightly by a large black stage and construction scaffolding over a corner section of the buildings. I did not want to eat at a restaurant so we found a little market and bought cheese, bread, fruit and drinks, and proceeded to sit on the curb in the square to eat our lunch. Brian later accused me of reliving my previous trip to Europe after college, focusing too much on saving money and eating simply. I replied that I did not think there was anything wrong with thriftiness.

We made the obligatory stroll down Rue de l'Etuve for a peek at Manneken Pis. It's amazing how many tacky souvenirs one could purchase that depict a little boy peeing. Then Lucy went in search of chocolate to buy and Julia found a huge menthe lollipop. Brian took us back to a pub he had been to twice before, Roosters, where I had my first Flemish beer, Hoegaarden, served with lemon; pretty good. Lucy also went back to buy a small black cat sculpture from the market; the artist appreciated our return for a purchase.

I have found my favorite boulangerie near our apartment and luckily the woman who works there does not speak much English, so I am forced to learn more French. She told me today how to order the baguette that we love and I promptly forgot. I'll ask her again tomorrow. I told her it was delicious in French, not that different a word but still, with proper accent and nasal tones, she appreciated it.

Leftovers for dinner. I'm noticing and appreciating that there is a huge difference between being on vacation someplace for perhaps one week and living somewhere even if it is just for five weeks.