Manneken Pis, THE attraction of Brussels, is a tiny statue of a little boy, relieving himself into a small pool. Supposedly, the current statue has been in place since 1619 but it is believed that a similar statue has been there as early as 1451. In 1698, the governor of the neigboring Netherlands bought the little statue a gift in form of a blue coat. Visiting heads of state continued this tradition by bringing miniature versions of their national costume. Manneken Pis has over 800 outfits, among them a Santa Claus outfit and an Elvis suit.
When we were there he was dressed as a vampire for a few hours. (Wonder who brought that...Romania?)
"Champagne - oui! Chocolate - oui, oui! Foie Gras - no, merci!"
"Maison Antoine" at Place Jourdan 1, Brussels 1000, is know for its perfectly cooked, delicious frites, wrapped in newspaper. Whenever I am on an overnight in Brussels the crew goes there to eat lunch and/or dinner. I just knew husband and the kids would like it, too.
That's me, after I opened all my birthday gifts, with a Belgium breakfast consisting of cappuccino (in Belgium, always with whipped cream) and vanilla and raspberry maccarons, in front of me. I had such a great day!
We will be back!
1 comment:
Now that I have a little boy, I have a new affection for Manneken Pis. I saw it in person back in 1992.
-Amy
Post a Comment