Atomium

In all of the pre-reading I did of Brussels (consisting of a few guide books and whatever I could get from the internet bible Wikipedia) one monument kept on reappearing that made less sense than Manniquin Pis. Atomium. Hard to pronounce and even harder to understand was originally built for the 1958 World Fair and still remains on the site of said Fair, which is actually about 100 percent out of the way and I struggled to believe that I was still in Brussels when I got there.

Other ideas for a monumet to mark the Fair included creating an inverted Eiffel Tower (um how was this idea turned down?) but Atomium was choosen as a better reflection of the global centiment of the time, pressumbally when everyone did more acid than Lindsay Lohan at a Betty Ford open bar. Today it is meant to stand as a testament of how advanced architecture had become at that time (?) and more widely a testament to Brussels and Belgium.....of course.

One highlight however was seeing a hot school teacher with a gaggle of children which counteracted his attractiveness to me and stopped me from launching myself on him. Anyway seeing the monument in person is quite something even if you are not quite sure what that something is.

Park life

Just up from the Comicbook museum is one of the main parks of Brussels and across the road from that is the Palace which in French actually translates to the Kings House. It isn't a sterotypical castle or anything just a big grand building (how unlike the Belgians) which I actually at first thought was the Parliament of Brussels.

I quite liked the park, except for the fact that it is in a decievinly high part of the city, as Brussels is somewhat build on a 45 degree angle. I had to hike up town firstly and then when I was almost there I found a set of two staircases which seemed to go on forever. Even worse I couldn't stop for a breather half way because there was a gypsy beggar asking everyone for money. For a first world nation they have a surprisingly large amount of homeless people, who make their presence very felt in all parts of the city.

So I started to think was this really worth it, you know me if there are two things I hate it is exercise and the poor. Oh and also vegetarians. But staircases and gypsies aside once at the top of the mountain (so to speak) seeing this quaint park more than made up for it. The hike became even more bareable when I noticed that these bishes had vinyards in their park. Like seriously vineyeards? Thank god right? I don't know why we haven't thought of that back in Australia, J Gillard will be hearing about this upon my return.
After the park and to escape the cold I went into a shopping centre that was near where I was staying. Apparently red was in for Christmas 2010 in Brussels, while I am a big fan of red it just looked to me like the Christmas tree had a period. God bless those Belgians.

H&M Living

One of the things I like about travelling to America and Europe is the exposure to shops that we don't have back in Australia, mostly Zara, H&M and The Gap. Although thankfully the hot messes from Westfield Pitt Street Mall have gotten onto The Gap situation.

Anywho this is actually a little number I picked up from the H&M in New York, the one that is across the road from Bloomingdales on 5th Avenue if I am not mistaken (which I probably am).

Let's face it kids, this season it isn't just nautical stripes that are in. Also amazing is the instore ad campaign of The Gap, featuring hot mess actors and notable persons, including our very own Ryan Kwanten. Holy God the first time I saw this poster it made me want to suck more than just his blood. The hussy.

Getting to know you: Part 2

Seriously WTF is this?

This number presented itself to me when I visited the City of Brussels Museum in the Grand Place, which as a sidebar is far and beyond the most beautiful old wolrd European town square I have ever seen.

Anyway back to the museum. So as you can gather from the creative title the Museum retells the history of Brussels and kind of by default Belgium. Some serious shiz has gone down in that town let me tell you and the museum has some crazy ass people working for it. It litterally took a team of three people to work together to take my money and issue me a ticket. Like is the Belgian government trying to bet the European financial crisis from reaching Belgium by hiring three people for a job of one?

Belgium prides itself on its ceramic wears, which is both endearing and bizare as our fishy friend can attest, thankfully the curators of the museum were not content with just one fuggly ceramic animal and instead dedicated an entire cabnit to this stuff, in a fabulous kitch way it is great.

The other highlight is the top floor which explains why Manneken Pis is important to Belgians. I watched the documentary and also read most of the story behind MP and I have to say it is just plain wierd. How a little boy peeing into a pool is a sign of Belgian nationhood I will never know, especially because the Belgian people have more identities than a skitzaphrenic off meds.

The museum has asked (or more likely recieved) different national costumes from the Embassies in Brussels and have dressed a replica MP in the clothes. However it was to my utter dismay that Australia is not one of these countries. I mean who doesn't want to see MP in a pair of lifesaver speedos right? What the freak is Brendon Nelson doing in Brussels as our Ambassador? Belgian-Australian relations pretty much depend on us having an MP Australian costume. The South Africans got a Nelson Mandella MP, not even joking.

Unfortuently this was the only part of the museum you couldn't take photos in, presumably because they are scared some other country will try and steal the real secret behind MP which I assume is a nuclear code or something hidden inside the peeing boy.