sheldonm Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 My better half is going to Belgium over New Years with a few friends. Just wanted to see if anyone on Organissimo currently lives there or has lived there.....looking for interesting things to do. Thanks, Mark~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie87 Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 My better half is going to Belgium over New Years with a few friends. Just wanted to see if anyone on Organissimo currently lives there or has lived there.....looking for interesting things to do. Thanks, Mark~ I haven't lived there, but have visited a few times (both work and vacation), while living in Germany. Brussels is a wonderful city to explore. Alot of beautiful architecture, and interesting shops. One of the touristy things to see is the Mannekin Pis statue, a little peeing boy. It's quite a bit smaller than you'd expect, but still something to say that you've seen. Brugge (or Bruges) is a also worth a visit, if she has time. It's close to the coast, and a smaller city, but is very charming. Has some windmills and canals that are very picturesque. Not sure what the weather there would be like in Dec/Jan. Chocolate is very good in Belgium, so if she has a sweet tooth (or if you do) she'll need to purchase some. They also brew some fine ales, probably alot of which aren't exported, so maybe she can carry back a couple. They make some beautiful tapestries there, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Previous thread Can't add much. I have not been to Belgium in too long a time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheldonm Posted December 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Thanks guys, appreciate the info and link to previous thread....this will help! m~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Thanks guys, appreciate the info and link to previous thread....this will help! m~ Hey Mark - that was me in the othe thread. Lovely city Brussels is, and I had a great time there. I stayed with someone who was living there so i didn't get as much of a "tourist" look at the place if you know what I mean, but let me recommend a visit to the Atomium, a massive atom-shaped structure that was built for a circa-1960 Expedition. There are a number of fine museums as well, though my favorites - the auto and war museums - might not be her cuppa. I actually spent a lot of time outside of the city on day trips via train, and I'll second Aggie's recommendation to visit Brugge (or Bruges; you'll find that everything has 2 or 3 different spellings there!). In fact, I'd recommend taking the Brugge train about 20 minutes further to Ostend, a seaside town on the North Sea. Not a great deal to see there compared to other places - and yeah, the weather might really suck that time of year - but how many opportunities does one get to see the North Sea? Another good day trip from Brussels is to Antwerp, which has a wonderful cathedral and offers a lot of high-end shopping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 (edited) Thanks guys, appreciate the info and link to previous thread....this will help! m~ how many opportunities does one get to see the North Sea? Wow - that's a tourist attraction? Brussels is great for restaurants (especially seafood - check out the mussels) and beer. The 'Mannekin Pis' is totally anti-climactic (but then I'm not a great fan of midget urinator fountains ). Plenty of good CDs stores to check out too. Edited December 1, 2006 by sidewinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie87 Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Thanks guys, appreciate the info and link to previous thread....this will help! m~ how many opportunities does one get to see the North Sea? Wow - that's a tourist attraction? Brussels is great for restaurants (especially seafood - check out the mussels) and beer. The 'Mannekin Pis' is totally anti-climactic (but then I'm not a great fan of midget urinator fountains ). Plenty of good CDs stores to check out too. 1. Hey, the Los Angeles River might be considered a tourist attraction to some, why not the North Sea? 2. How many midget urinator fountains ARE there in the world, anyway? 3. Leave it to Sidewinder to recommend Brussels mussels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Had a trip there some years ago as part of a visit to the Nato place (yawn). Two things that stood out were the big City Sqare with lots of great open-air ale houses. The other was that windy old lane (can't remember what it's called) full of sea-food establishments. The 'Fruits de Mer' on offer were fabulous, along with the mussels ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Another good day trip from Brussels is to Antwerp, which has a wonderful cathedral and offers a lot of high-end shopping. can't say i have particularily fond memories of my last trip to Belgium (Brugge and Antwerp), but Antwerp is definitely recommended fine shopping and the place made a lively impression without being too "touristy" (but as i think about it, Brugge could have been nicer if i had had the right mind for it... and the hotel wouldn't have been that cold and less rain... and the only pizza that cost less than 7 Euros was arguably the smallest one i have ever seen... but if you're willing to spend more on food you will get better value i suppose... actually we wrote some funny short stories about Belgium back then, Belgian doctors, Belgian prisons... during those days closest thing i ever got to naked lunch; but the photos of Brugge looked beautiful afterwards ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheldonm Posted December 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2006 Thanks again, guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elissa Posted December 5, 2006 Report Share Posted December 5, 2006 I'd make beelines for Antwerp and Brugges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeBop Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 I'm headed for Brussels in about eight days. Looking for high-value, non-touristy things to do with very limited time. After work hours with a jazz leaning would be ideal. I don't eat in restaurants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheldonm Posted August 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2011 ...where do you eat? I'm headed for Brussels in about eight days. Looking for high-value, non-touristy things to do with very limited time. After work hours with a jazz leaning would be ideal. I don't eat in restaurants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted August 19, 2011 Report Share Posted August 19, 2011 Bestbuy food in town just join the queue (it's fries and mayonnaise). There are many places like that around town! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeBop Posted August 19, 2011 Report Share Posted August 19, 2011 ...where do you eat? I'm headed for Brussels in about eight days. Looking for high-value, non-touristy things to do with very limited time. After work hours with a jazz leaning would be ideal. I don't eat in restaurants. The produce section of the grocery store, as take-away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKE BBB Posted August 19, 2011 Report Share Posted August 19, 2011 (edited) I'm headed for Brussels in about eight days. Looking for high-value, non-touristy things to do with very limited time. After work hours with a jazz leaning would be ideal. I don't eat in restaurants. The MIM (Musical Instruments Museum) in Brussels is well worth a visit: http://www.mim.be/en Its wind collection contains some 125 instruments made by different members of the Sax clan, including a series of saxophones, a wide range of saxhorns, saxotrombas, cornets, trumpets, instruments with six valves and seven bells, omnitonic and valve horns, bugles, flutes, clarinets, etc. It is one of the largest collections of Sax instruments held in a public collection. Edited August 19, 2011 by EKE BBB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeBop Posted August 19, 2011 Report Share Posted August 19, 2011 I'm headed for Brussels in about eight days. Looking for high-value, non-touristy things to do with very limited time. After work hours with a jazz leaning would be ideal. I don't eat in restaurants. The MIM (Musical Instruments Museum) in Brussels is well worth a visit: http://www.mim.be/en Its wind collection contains some 125 instruments made by different members of the Sax clan, including a series of saxophones, a wide range of saxhorns, saxotrombas, cornets, trumpets, instruments with six valves and seven bells, omnitonic and valve horns, bugles, flutes, clarinets, etc. It is one of the largest collections of Sax instruments held in a public collection. Fantastic suggestion. Many thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man with the Golden Arm Posted August 20, 2011 Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 did not happen upon the Belgian Comics Center museum when there ages ago but might take a look if I went again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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