Bronwyn Visits Brussels - Quel Plaisir!

Last weekend, we hosted the first of hopefully many visitors to the pink room at “chez Jerel et Chana” in Brussels. The lucky guest was Bronwyn, who traveled from London for a short but very sweet visit.

We took Bronwyn on something of a culinary tour of Brussels on Saturday, starting with authentic Belgian waffles (far superior to the North American imposters) served from the Belgian equivalent of a California ‘taco truck’, moving on to gourmet chocolate tasting, and ending with ‘moules frites’ (mussels and fries). Along the way, we managed to take in a good number of Brussels’ main attractions, including the Grand Place, various beautiful churches, and the notorious ‘Mannekin Pis’, which some say celebrates a young boy who saved the city from fire by peeing on it.

Sunday, we opted for a day trip to Bruges, perhaps one of the world’s quaintest cities. This medieval town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and on the surface, seems to have hardly changed since its time as a thriving trading center in the 13th and 14th centuries. It truly feels like a step back in time, complete with horse-drawn carriages. There isn’t much to do in Bruges besides climbing the narrow, winding staircase to the top of the bell tower, strolling through the town and along the narrow canals, and sipping beer (or raspberry Lambec, yum!)…all of which makes for a great afternoon.

Monday, Bronwyn joined me and the other regulars for “Lundi matin RPM” (indoor cycling) at my second home, the gym. Quel plaisir! We then took a brisk stroll to the nearby ‘Etangs d’Ixelles’, scenic manmade ponds featuring an interesting assortment of birds, and where spring fever is in full swing amongst birds and humans alike! We had just enough time to squeeze in some souvenir shopping so that Bronwyn wouldn’t be chastised for leaving Belgium without chocolates (and beer) in tow.

I hope that this blurb helps to entice any potential visitors that are wavering on the allure of Brussels! For more photos please click here.