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| The Grand Place |
Brussels is like savouring a delicious hot chocolate that
melts sensually into your mouth slowly revealing pleasures that tantalise and
simulate your taste buds. It’s relaxing, yet has just the right amount of kick.
This is a capital city that is tuned into its medieval
origins, embraces modernity and sizzles with creativity. It was, after all.
home to Victor Horta, the inventor of Art Nouveau architecture, and the
surrealist artist, Magritte as well as Hergé, creator of Tintin.
A sense of humour also flows through Brussels’ veins. A statue of a peeing boy, the Manneken Pis, is
one its most renowned symbols and comic strip murals are scattered around
the city.
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| Manneken Pis |
My weekend started the moment I boarded Eurostar. Within moments
I started chatting to some ladies, one of whom told me this was her first time
and wasn’t looking forward going through the Channel Tunnel. The journey was so
smooth and we were so busy talking that she didn’t realise that we had passed
through it.
Another one of the group cracked open a bottle of champagne
and kindly asked me to join them. Ah, the good life! What better way to
arrive in Brussels, a city that dribbles with bon vivant.
On Saturday
afternoon, the rue Antoine Dansaert’s fashion boutiques were buzzing. This is
where you can pick up some unusual pieces by Belgium’s cutting-edge designers
such as Annemie Verbeke and Nicolas Woit. Also check out Hoet, this optic shop
specialises in out-of-the-ordinary frames. This street and the surrounding area
are peppered with interesting, quirky shops. From vintage to baroque to
established European brands, you can while away hours here.
One of my favourite stores is Hunting and Collecting, on rue
des Chartreux, where culture mingles with contemporary fashion. When I saw
Parisians shopping there, I knew I was on to a good thing.
Avenue Louise and boulevard de Waterloo are also good
hunting grounds, but they tend to have a cluster of the usual upscale
international brands you can find anywhere. Rue Neuve is dominated by chain
stores.
After all the hard work of flexing the credit card, it was
time for some light refreshment and so it was off to Place du Grand Sablon. At
the weekend there is an antiques market at the centre of the square. There is
also a beautiful church as well as chic boutiques, wonderful pavement cafés –
the ideal spot for people watching – and scrumptious chocolate shops.
You couldn’t be in the city of chocolate and not have a fix.
Pierre Marcolini is good. I’m also a fan of Laurent Gerbaud, especially
the dark chocolate 70 per cent which is based on a couverture from Domori, a
company famed for its quality.
Brussels has a reputation as one of Europe’s most
cosmopolitan cities and also for its friendliness. I was told a conversation at
one table in a bar or restaurant can easily be picked up at the next. Yes, it
does happen. At the Belga Queen, a former bank and now one of the city’s
finest restaurants (the seafood is superb), a gentleman from Uzbekistan who,
within seconds of sitting down, was only too happy to discuss life etc.
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| Galeries Royales St Hubert, |
For me Sunday mornings should be lazy, so what better way to
see the sights than by
taking the hop-on-hop-off tour on the ubiquitous red bus. Although you can walk
to most places, you do get a brief history and explanation of the main
districts of Brussels and you probably see a bit more.
No matter how many times you see Brussels’s historic landmark, the Grand Place fringed by the
impressive Town Hall, decorated with statues, and guild houses in an eclectic
mix of architectural styles, it never fails to impress.
Saunter through the elegant Galeries Royales St Hubert,
Europe’s first indoor shopping mall built in 1847, which is nearby. Meander along the surrounding cobbled streets, eat a waffle, sip a beer,
indulge in some mussels or buy some frites on a street corner.
If you want culture, the city has around a 100 museums which
will keep you well and truly occupied.
On Monday, there was time to take a walk in Parc de
Bruxelles, one of Brussels's many green areas, and then enjoy the
pleasure of getting lost in some of the city’s side streets where
I discovered more of the city's eccentricities and surrealism. A delicious lunch at the
trendy Bonsoir Clara was a fitting end to the perfect weekend.
By Daralyn Danns
Getting there
Eurostar operates up to nine daily services from London St Pancras International to Brussels. Return fares from £69. Tickets are available from eurostar.com or 08432 186 186.Connecting fares from more than 300 stations in the UK are available.
Tip: Check out Eurostar Plus Culture for special offers into paying exhibitions and Eurostar Plus Shopping for discounts at leading brands.
I stayed at The Dominican (www.thedominican.be)
For more information on Brussels call Tourism
Flanders-Brussels on 0207 307 7738 (Live operator line, Mon – Fri.) or
visit www.visitflanders.co.uk
