Walking in Brussels

Our second day in Brussels Bruce spent beer hopping and I started walking. Close to our hotel is the Church of Sainte Catherine.

Belgium is (or was) a very Catholic country and even their neighborhood churches are quite elaborate.

We've stayed in Brussels on a couple of occasions and always stayed at the Metropole Hotel. It was a grand place and one of the only 5-star hotels I've ever stayed in, with eclectic decorations ranging from Louis XVI to art deco. (photos courtesy of its website)

It had a fabulous bar

and the rooms looked like they were lost in the 1930s.

Sadly, it closed during COVID and stands there now looking rather sad.

I just read, though, that it was sold in 2022 and the new owners have plans to refurbish it and open in 2025. They'd better hurry if they plan to meet that deadline because it didn't look like anything was going on in or around it.

I walked around town, past the St. Michael & St. Gudula Cathedral (St. Gudula?)

and through the Parc du Bruxelles where the fountain was taking the day off.

I started walking in the direction of the gazebo but veered off when I saw what looked like a drug deal going down.

I then walked past the Royal Palace of Brussels which I've always wanted to visit, but it's only open for a short time each summer. It has a ceiling by Jan Fabre covered in more than a million jewel beetles. Even the chandelier is covered with them.

Maybe next time.

I passed the Square du Petit Sablon

and stopped in to the Church of Our Lady of Victories.

It's not a huge church, but it has the most vibrant stained glass windows.

As I walked down the Place du Grand Sablon I remembered that there used to be a number of galleries which specialized in Art Deco pieces. I recall being amazed and so tempted at the time since I have a soft spot for Erté. Only one of the shops remains, replaced by high end boutiques. Oh well, I couldn't have afforded that Erté anyway.

A short walk away I found my fourth church of the day, the Church of Our Lady of the Chapel. In the square outside is a wonderful bronze.

Just inside the church door sits a woman begging for change. I think she was Roma, and looking into it later, I read that there are around 30,000 Roma living in Belgium, mostly in Brussels and Flanders.

This church had almost no stained glass, just a bit at the ornately painted alter

but it did feature the strangest memorial tablet I've seen

and a very unusual pulpit.

There was a poster on the way out the door that I'm hoping the US Republican party never sees. I'm sure with its red white & blue coloring they'd interpret it as a sign.

Brussels was once the epicenter of the Art Nouveau movement and there were hundreds of wonderful examples throughout the city. Sadly, many of the most stunning examples were torn down in the 1950s and 1960s. One which still remains is the incredible Horta House, the house that the architect Victor Horta built, designing every last detail. Bruce made a reservation to go; I had seen it the last time we were there. It's a magnificent building but for some reason, photography isn't permitted. I managed to find these images online.

It was only after the massive destruction of these buildings that the Belgians realized what a treasure they were (cue Joni Mitchell: "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone...") There are a couple of places that have been restored that you can visit, but the hours are very limited and most were not available during our stay. One that was, however, is the Hannon House. It was built for Marie and Edouard Hanon between 1902 and 1904 by the architect Jules Brunfaut. It was the family residence until Marie and Edouard's daughter died in 1965, as which time it was abandoned. It lay derelict for years, becoming a crack house and squat. In 1973, Jules Brunfaut's daughter consulted the Royal Commission of Monuments and Sites and made inquiries as to the status of this work of her father. Ultimately the building was classified as a protected monument in 1976. The interior was classified in 1983, and the building underwent a significant renovation between 1984 and 1989. It's still undergoing renovation as I discovered when I visited.

The entry hall and staircase is magnificent.

Most of the rooms hold odd bits of furniture of a type that might have been used in the house, but none of the original furnishings remain. It's the rooms themselves that are the star of the show.

There are some wonderful examples of period ceramics and furniture on display

and some rather phallic wallpaper.

The greenhouse is currently being restored.

Alas, it seems workmen are the same everywhere.

The back of the house:

Next door is a house with a wonderful bit of ceramic or something over the door. "The Owls"

On the long walk home, I passed the square in front of the Opera House while performers were doing a sound check for an open air performance that was to take place that night. I was treated to a very nice version of the Papageno duet from The Magic Flute.

That evening we had an amazing dinner at Entropy, a Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant. Anyone who thinks that vegetarian food is boring should dine here. With thoughtful wine pairings and regular table visits from the chef, it was a wonderful experience.

Left - seaweed tarte; right - beet macaron

Our copy of the menu mysteriously disappeared so all I can say about the rest of the dishes is that each had an inventive combination of flavors and textures.

The grilled fennel on the separate dish was a wonderful addition and was meant to be used as a sort of bread.

I tried to find a menu online but couldn't because it changes daily, depending upon what is available and freshest at the moment. I do remember how amazing the mushroom sauce was in this dish. Beautiful presentation, too.

Bleu cheese mousse and honey ice cream topped by a light, crisp tuille for dessert.

A perfect meal to reward a 19,000-step day.