Brussels
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Today we chose to do a ship excursion to Brussels quite some distance from the port. Our guide introduced us to Belgium chocolate
on the way and gave us lots of detail about Belgium itself. On arrival, we did a city tour on coach and looked at many historical buildings
as well as visiting the Atomium which still stands at the site of the 1958 exposition. The building is based on an Iron-Atom shape enlarged 165 billion times.
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We passed by the Monument to King Leopold 1 and the famous Notre Dame Church of Laken as well as The Pillar of Congress
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Our next stop was a visit to the Jubelpark and its musea. The first thing we saw was The Arch of Triumph, constructed in
1905. It is connected by two wings to semi-circular colonnades. One section houses "The Royal Military and War Museum" and the other the "Museum of Art and
History". The 'Air' section in one of the larger halls where a collection of 130 airplanes can be observed. Special attention is
given to the airplanes of the period around the Second World War as used by the Luftwaffe and the Allied Forces:
Hurricanes, Spitfires, Mosquito's, etc. Also on display: Jet planes, Gloster Meteor, F 104 G, a Swedish Draken, Dakota,
C-119, Pembroke, etc.
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The monument to the Belgium foot soldiers was on our list of sights and then we passed by the Cathedral Saint-Michel which is located in Place Sainte-Gudule (Métro: Gare Centrale). It is a magnificent cathedral
in Gothic style, built between the 13th and 15th centuries. The interior is very beautiful. Two of the attractions are the stained glass
windows and the pulpit, which has been carved from oak. It was time for lunch and we walked the narrow streets of the town center to find a restaurant booked for us as part of our tour.
A beautiful meal, well presented and certainly delicious! There were many small restaurants in this area and it appears lots of
people eat out here. Brussels is well worth a visit just for the beer!
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A visit to the Grote Markt was next on our tour and what a delight! Brussels has a lot of history in this area and the buildings are amazing. The facades are architectural wonders. Buildings
such as The Town Hall, The Broodhuis (a town museum since 1887), De Hoorn, De Vos and many more. All these are complimented by a daily
flower market and art markets. Looking up, the many spires and sculptures make this place something not to be missed.
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The Manneken Pis is a must see for all tourists. He lives on the corner of the Stoofstraat and Eikstraat and
is supposedly the most popular "citizen" in Brussels. He has a large wardrobe of hundreds of outfits. He changes these appropriate to
special days or celebrations. At times he pees beer and all in all it is fun to see such a little fellow attract such attention!
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