Brussels: The Capital of Europe

This will be the last post relating to my Christmas adventures. Promise.

When I last left you, I was in Bruges. But it was Brussels, the so-called “Capital of Europe,” that I got to first and where I ended my trip to the Low Countries. Like Bruges, the city is charming, but it’s a much larger city. It is both the Capital of Belgium, where the King has his Palace, and home to the European Parliament, where much of the EU’s work gets done. Grand Place, the main square shown above, is a World Heritage site – yet another one I stumbled upon during this trip – and a great example of the way the old parts of the city look. But it’s such a hodge-podge of old and new and generally weird that I feel like it’s impossible to pin the city down. Maybe I just have to live there to get it. Anyway, enjoy the photos!

Two capital cities in one. The three photos above show the European Parliament (Please don’t ask me how the EU works; I can only sort of explain it. Better to check it out for yourself on their website.), while the two below show the Royal Palace. Theoretically, since the flag is up, the King is at home.

If Brussels could have a mascot, it would probably be this statue, Mannekin Pis. There’s only one, but they’ve got a couple other statues that copy it, and he shows up everywhere… like in chocolate shop windows.