Belgium! Brugge, Brussels and Ghent

So I spent the past weekend in Belgium and absolutley FELL IN LOVE! Between the chocolates alone and fell in love completely, it is like a Woman's DREAM! Also - they specialize in beer heavily, so we tried a lot. Also, 60% of Belgium speak Dutch and 40% speak French, so I was happy to hear French around town as well. I noticed in Brussels there was a lot of French, and Ghent and Brugge it was more Dutch. We stayed with an awesome couch surfer named Sebastiaan who lives in Ghent. We spent two nights in Ghent, but on Saturday we traveled to Brugge and Sunday traveled to Brussels before then coming home Sunday night, back to Arnhem at 11:15pm. We were very tired, but got to see A LOT! I'm so happy with everything that we saw. I went with my Friend Zuwenah and my awesome friend Inma from Spain. She is from Cordoba Spain, but studies in Seville. Over her Junior Year of H.S. she studied in Escanaba, Michigan! So she's been to Appleton, Green Bay, Chicago, Minneapolis...etc. She's just adorable.



Some of the Shops in Brussels. Did you know >> Brussels is the Capital City of the European Union? Although historically Dutch-speaking, Brussels became increasingly French-speaking over the 19th and 20th centuries. Today a majority of inhabitants are native French-speakers, and both languages have official status. Linguistic tensions remain, and the language laws of the municipalities surrounding Brussels are an issue of considerable controversy in Belgium.


Here is the Royal Palace in Brussels. The Royal Palace of Brussels is the official palace of the King of the Belgians in the centre of the nation's capital Brussels. However it is not used as a royal residence, as the king and his family live in the Royal Castle of Laeken on the outskirts of Brussels. The website of the Belgian Monarchy describes the function of the palace as follows: "The Palace is where His Majesty the King exercises his prerogatives as Head of State, grants audiences and deals with affairs of state. Apart from the offices of the King and the Queen, the Royal Palace houses the services of the Grand Marshal of the Court, the King's Head of Cabinet, the Head of the King's Military Household and the Intendant of the King's Civil List. The Palace also includes the State Rooms where large receptions are held, as well as the apartments provided for foreign Heads of State during official visits." The palace is situated in front of Brussels Park. A long square called the Paleizenplein/Place des Palais separates the palace from the park. The middle axis of the park marks both the middle peristyle of the palace and the middle of the facing building on the other side of the park, which is the Palace of the Nation. The two facing buildings are said to symbolize Belgium's system of government: a constitutional monarchy.

This photo doesn't even give it justice! I have a great picture at home of me in front of the building - I will have to upload it... but this is my friend Inma's picture. I have to admit, Belgium during Christmas time is amazing. The Christmas markets all around - and the lights/christmas trees and just everything is literally breath-taking. I'd recommend going to anywhere in Europe (Germany, Belgium...etc.) in the December/Jan. months because everything is lit up and BEAUTIFUL! I also took quite a few pictures of the park in front of the Palace, but being that it is winter and it was a tad rainy


My friend Zuwenah and I in front of the Cathedral in Brussels. Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. This is at the Treurenberg hill in Brussels. In 1047, Lambert II, Count of Leuven founded a chapter in this church and organized the transportation of the relics of Saint Gudula, housed before then in Saint Gaugericus Church on Saint-Géry Island. The patron saints of the church, archangel St. Michael and the martyr St. Gudula, are also the patron saints of the city of Brussels. In the thirteenth century, the cathedral was renovated in the Gothic style. The choir was constructed between 1226 and 1276. The façade was completed in the mid-fifteenth century.


In Brussels, this is from the Cathedral overlooking, from the steps.


Grand Place in Brussels. This is where the "main"/Everything is. It is also called Grote Markt -- It is the central square of Brussels. It is surrounded by guildhalls, the city's Town Hall, and the Breadhouse. The square is the most important tourist destination and most memorable landmark in Brussels, along with the Atomium and Manneken Pis. It measures 68 by 110 metres (223 by 360 ft), and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.



Once again, this photo DOES NOT GIVE JUSTICE! This is the Brussels Town Hall, again > TOTALLY breathtaking! This is a Gothic building from the Middle Ages. It is located on the famous Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium.

The 96 meter (310 ft) high tower in Brabantine Gothic style emerged from the plans of Jan van Ruysbroek, the court architect of Philip the Good. By 1455 this tower had replaced the older belfry. Above the roof of the Town Hall, the square tower body narrows to a lavishly pinnacled octagonal openwork. Atop the spire stands a 5-meter-high gilt metal statue of the archangel Michael, patron saint of Brussels, slaying a dragon or devil. The tower, its front archway and the main building facade are conspicuously off-center relative to one another. According to legend, the architect upon discovering this "error" leapt to his death from the tower. More likely, the asymmetry of the Town Hall was an accepted consequence of the scattered construction history and space constraints.




Brugge


In the Chocolate shop >>> Need I say More?


Brugge


The chocolate shops in Brugge


I brought some chocolates home... I officially now KNOW I am going to fly home 4,000 lbs heavier!


This is taking a look at the canals of Brugge. Canals are everywhere in this city and are amazing. The buildings are all so old. We took a canal tour as well - I love being in boats :) Brugge has most of its medieval architecture intact.