Brussels in the snow!

Today, while I was in the Comic Strip Centre, it began to snow. I was not the only one enchanted by the snow. Many people were looking out the windows and kids were crying out in joy that it was snowing. The snow continued all day. Looking out the window, it is still snowing, although it seems to be weakening. Not much is sticking, although some roofs and green areas did get a nice coating. 

I spent the day walking all over town, enjoying the snow, and eventually growing quite cold in it. Rather than write about all I saw, I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée

The Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée, otherwise known as the Belgian Centre of Comic Strips was a most amazing museum. To be honest, when I first heard of it, I was not sure if I would go or not, but the inclement weather (rainy) this morning drove me and nearly every other tourist (or so it seemed) indoors. I was so pleasantly surprised by the museum. I would highly recommend it to everyone who visits Belgium, even if you are not a comic fan. 

The museum itself is housed in a historical building. The building is the last Vitor Horta building remaining in Brussels. Over 100 years old, it spent it's first 70 years as a cloth and fabric saleshall. After sitting empty, and  being destroyed by vandals and vagabonds, the building was bought by the state in 1984 and restored. During it's restoration they found a stone with the year 1664 etched in it. This dates back to the original building that stood on this site, an Abbey. On the third of October, 1989, the restoration was complete and the museum opened. The building is beautiful. An absolutely lovely mixture of metal, glass and light. 

As much as I admired the building, I also admired the exhibits found within. The museum showcases Belgian comic strips and artists, but is not limited to just the  Belgian side of things. The museum did a great job explaining the history of comics, how they have evolved and how they are created. 

Comics were first observed in the Middle Ages as Christian Monks used images to illustrate bible stories. They established the basic principals of modern day comic strips:

- story panels

- movement

- foreground

- dialog in balloons

The 19th century saw the first examples of recurrant comic heros. The German characters Max and Moritz are a great example of these first recurrant figures. 

In 1905, Winsor McCay, creator of Little Nemo [the boy in his bed who has adventures in the sky kingdom] saw his character Gertie the Dinosaur put to film. He was the forerunner to Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse.

The museum introduced me to Boerke, who may have just become my new favorite comic. The stories are often one page and they speak to a social issue or just a problem. As much as they may reflect the news, they are also humorous. I really enjoyed them and took pictures of a few of my favorites.

Three major Belgian comics are well known outside of Belgium , although not all are known as well outside of Europe: Tin Tin, Asterix and The Smurfs.

Of the three, only the Smurfs have really made it to the US in a large way. I remember watching the Smurfs on TV as a child and loving their little blue mushroom world. I did not know that the cartoon I so enjoyed began as a comic until much later. 

The Smurfs were created by Peyo. Peyo dropped out of school at age 15 and began creating comics. One of his most famous pre-Smurf comics was Johan and Peewit. Infact, the Smurfs first appeared as characters in Johan and Peewit. The smurfs were then described as "3 apples high, blue and smurf-speaking". Shortly thereafter the Smurfs took on a life of their own and soon outranked Johan and Peewit in popularity.

As the Smurfs evolved, they changed from a group of 99 to 100. They included special smurfs such as Papa Smurf and Smurfette. The Smurfs also had their enemies. I really only recalled 2 of them, Gargamel and Azriel, but the museum showcased 7 of them. Reading about BZZZ the Fly, an enemy who transmits "Purple Smurf Disease" to the Smurfs, I was amused to see that the French and Dutch versions called the malady "Black Smurf Disease". [It may be worth noting that this museum offered all information and signs in 3 languages: French, Dutch and English.]

The Smurfs section was easily my favorite part of the museum and I of course had my picture taken with a Smurf.

The museum had a special exhibit on Brussels in comic. It showed examples of places in the city appearing in comics. It was organized by location and I was excited to see how many of the places I could recognize after being in the city only 2 days. I found it a great tribute to a city and also a wonderful example of how the city supports comics and in turn the comics support the city. 

If you visit Belgium, the Comic Strip Centre is not to be missed!

In Brussels

After over 12 hours of sleep, I woke up ready to discover Brussels properly. As I have mentioned in previous posts, my favorite way to explore a new city is to go on a free city tour. It's the best way to get to know a city and also meet other travelers. 

The free city tour of Brussels began at 11am in Grote Markt. I was surprised that so many people showed up the day after Christmas, but we were a large enough group to be divided into two small groups of approximately 25 or so. My tour guide was Paul-Emille. He is a native to Brussels and any inaccurate information I blame on him! Actually he was an amazing tour guide.

Historically, Brussels is a crossroads city. Situated alongside the river, it was where trade from England, France, Germany and The Netherlands converged. As a result, this city has amazing food, beer and culture. The center of this trade was the Grote Markt. 

One end of the Grote Markt has the city hall, across from it is the King's house and surrounding those are the former guild houses. It was and still is the economic and political center of Brussels and in turn of Belgium. Realizing the importance of this square, King Louis XIV of France tried to have it destroyed. His soldiers focused on toppling the tower of the city hall (pictured above). They managed to destroy almost every part of it EXCEPT the tower. The people of Brussels rallied and the square was rebuilt in just 5 years. The city hall is very uniquely built. The building was built by three architects in three separate styles. As a result the left half is larger than the right, the tower is not centered and the windows from left to right sides are different styles and not at the same height on the first floor. Atop the tower is St. Michael slaying the dragon. He is one of the patron saints of Brussels. 

The guild houses are all denoted by a single marker that is often above the door. There is for example the 'rose' house, the 'swan' house and the 'star' house. The wall of the star house is known for the fact that Karl Marx lived there, and while in residence he wrote his communist manifesto. It is also where Everard 't Serclaes, a medieval hero, is said to have died. A statue of him is under the arcade of the house. It is said that if you rub this statue, you will not only return to Brussels, but also have a wish granted. Needless to say I made sure to touch the statue and make my wish.

Our tour guide frequently told us that although Belgium has contributed much to the world, it's often not known. He said that it is a bad joke that people say that Belgium is a city in France. It's not. In fact, Belgium is well known for many things including a good soccer team, beer, chocolate and comics. Tintin, Asterix and the Smurfs are all Belgian creations.

But the most popular thing in the city of Brussels is not any of those three, but rather a small statue, the Manneken Pis. That's right, the statue of a little peeing boy. Apparently it is the third most famous statue in the world (On a side note, I have seen the first two on the list as well -- The Statue of Liberty and The David). This statue is incredibly small. Much smaller than I might have ever expected. Not only is it small, but I was surprised to learn that there is a person who has the responsibility (job) to dress him up. In the past he has been dressed as Santa Claus, as a soccer player, wearing a condom for World Aids Day and more. Like the Mona Lisa, he was not only smaller than expected, but surrounded by throngs of tourists. Additionally, the idea of the peeing boy has been used in marketing around the city. 

Belgium is known for food and in particular for four varieties:

chocolate

beer

waffles

fries

Last night I tried some chocolate and today I had recommendations for more. Last night I tried a waffle, but today I was told by my tour guide that the absolute best waffles are to be found in the yellow trucks. I didn't have a chance to try one today, but it's certainly on my list.

On the tour I had a chance to try a Kriek beer. This is a cherry beer. The tour guide told us that it's known around town as a drink for girls but that he (and many other men) like it as well. I found it to taste a lot like a Berliner Weiße. It was a delicious introduction to Belgian beer. Later in the day, after the tour I would have a dark beer at the brewing museum. It was also good. 

After the tour, Maria (another American on the tour) and I decided to head outside of the downtown area to a region known as Flagey where it was said the freshest and best Frites (fries) could be had). We ordered our Frites and had to wait while they were freshly prepared. I'm not a huge fan of fries, but these were certainly worth the wait. I had mine with Americaine sauce which was a bit like a spicy Arbiatta sauce. Delicious! 

The rest of the evening passed quickly. Maria and I explored the city a bit, toured the brewers guild, visited another part of the Christmas market and enjoyed the lights of the city. Brussels is an amazing place and so full of life at this time of the year.

Christmas in Brussels

I arrived in Brussels around 3:30pm today and it was nearly 5pm before I got to my hotel. My first instinct was to collapse in to bed, but I decided that I should at least enjoy an hour or so walking around town. I am so glad that I did!

I walked from my hotel towards the city center. Being Christmas Day, I expected the city to be semi deserted and everything to be closed. Based on my knowledge of German Christmas markets, I also figured that I was too late to enjoy any of the Belgian ones. My expectations were wrong, very very wrong.

I walked through town and it was lit up and beautiful. I love the way European cities decorate themselves for the holidays. It's always gorgeous.

I was absolutely surprised when I stumbled upon the Christmas market, active and fulll of people. 

There was live music, food, and even outdoors ice skating. 

As I walked around I found myself trapped in a crowd. I didn't know what the crowd was for or why there was such a crowd, but there was no way out. As the crowd surged forward, I saw a sign about filming and thought maybe that was the reason. Eventually the crowd reached a bottle neck and I could see the Grote Markt (Large Market Square). It then became obvious what we had all been trying to see. In the center of the square was a  gorgeous, tall tree with white lights. The buildings surrounding the tree were lit up as well. Once we reached the square, the crowd spread out and it was easy to move about. 

As I continued walking around, I realized I was a bit peckish. Rather than eat a full meal, I decided to have two Belgian traditions: waffles and chocolate.  I am generally not a waffle fan, but this one was hot, sweet and simply amazing. The chocolate I chose was a  chili-chocolate that got melted into steamed milk to make a hot chocolate drink. It was nice as well. I didn't have any fries, but I did see the fry guy.

I also exerienced some great examples of human kindness and passion. I saw a girl bring a homeless guy a candied apple, which put a smile on his face.

I saw a homeless man, dressed in a tattered Santa suit, giving candy out to kids who passed him by.

I also watched a peaceful protest parade through the streets. Although their chants and signs were in French, I got the basic gist of it, "the maladies of ignorance". Most of the participants were of African descent and I think it may have been a reaction to police killing of African-Americans in the USA. It was a very peaceful march.

I really enjoyed my evening walking around Brussels.

The Windy City

I'm writing this post from Chicago's O'Hare Airport, yet the experience is about 20 days old. Simply coicidence. At the start of the  month, I visited Chicago with some of my colleagues. 

The journey began in Columbus, Indiana at 5am on a large bus (coach for my British readers). Spirits were high, but quite honestly, I just wanted to sleep. I actually almost backed out of the trip, but in hindsight I am quite glad I did not. A million hours later, we arrived in Chicago. 

As we drove into the downtown area, I recalled immediately why I love Chicago and would move there in a heartbeat if a job was available. Chicago is a vibrant city. It has such great energy and everywhere you turn is something to see. Chicago is a great mix of urban development, waterfront, and nature. I challenge one not to find something to love in Chicago.

For the majority of my colleagues, this trip was a shopping trip. They had a route planned, lists written and intended to give their credit cards a workout. They invited me to join them, but this was not my plan. I wanted to see the city and experience all it has to offer, to see and take in.

I began my journey from the hotel to the central downtown, bound for the bean. Before reaching the bean, I took some time to walk along the river and admire the buildings around me. Under one bridge, I found that the entire panellling was reflective mirror like tiles. Needless to say a photo was 'required'.

I finally arrived at 'the Bean'. Officially called 'The Cloud Gate', the  bean shape structure attracts thousands to it. Because of it's curved nature at some points it looks as if you are simply seeing the city and at other points it greatly distorts images. Everyone wants photos of themselves reflected in the bean. Looking trustworthy, I was asked by at least 10 different groups of people to take their photo, however I took most of my own photos. Situated in Millennium Park, the Bean is a great place to people watch. I watched visitors wave at their reflections, buskers sing for spare change and kids run around. I probably spent nearly an hour just taking it in. I must also admit the bean allowed me a perfect opportunity to play with features on my camera, play with the idea of reflection and also recall the science behind concave and convex lenses. I even returned to the bean later in the day. This was by and far my favorite spot in Chicago.

From the Bean I headed to a great December tradition in Chicago, the Christkindlmarkt. This German-style Christmas market is one of the best known and largest in the USA. Here I met up with one of my colleagues, Judy and we enjoyed traditional Gluhwein. Gluhwein, which literally translates to "glowing wine", is a hot, mullled wine served at the holidays. Judy and I walked around the market a bit, but it was quite crowded and hard to maneuver. Before leaving the market we sampled some of the German-style potatoe pancakes. Not quite as good as  the real thing, but delicious none the less.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, I walked around more, went to a German Beerhall style restaurant and ate traditional Chicago deep dish pizza. I also, very very briefly, got to see my friend Olga, who lives in St. Louis and was in Chicago with some of her students. Later that evening I headed to the Wallis Tower, formerly known as the John Hancock Building. Judy and I met up again and took the elevator to the top. As the sun and set, the view was of the city at night and it was spectacular. From the tower I could see downtown, Navy Pier and the city around us. 

 

The next morning I awoke and headed to the Adler Planetarium. One of my good friends is a volunteer at the planetarium, she and her fiance Tim met me there. Because Carrie is a volunteer, she not only got us in for free, but it was also a bit like having a private tour. The planetarium has so much to offer visitors, my favorite part was when we got to go inside of a starmap globe. This globe shows accurate points of the stars based on direction and season. It was used during WWI to train pilots to navigate by the stars. From the Planetarium, one sees Navy Pier. Outside of the planetarium is a series of  bronze sculptures featuring all the animals of the Chinese Zodiak. This ring of figures reminded me of the figures one sees in the palace gardens of Salzburg. Of course being born in the Year of the Dragon, I had to pose with the Dragon.

As Tim and Carrie drove me back to my hotel, I saw one last display of public art that intrigued me. It looked like a crowd of people, most of whom were cut off at the legs. The majority of them stood together however there were outliers. Not to far from this art was a sculpture of a head. Neither Tim nor Carrie knew what it was, and unfortunately I did not have time to properly visit it. I only had time to take a photo from the car and hope to return on my next trip. 

Shortly after, I boarded the bus and we headed back to Columbus, IN. The trip to Chicago was less than 48 hours in total, but it was a wonderful experience and one that I will hopefully repeat in the future.