Brussels, minus the sprouts

Brussels-
As I near the end of this trip, memories of so many similar western European cities have begun to blur together. I have gotten very tired of shooting nearly identical churches, sunsets over rivers, and fun moments with Ian and Dwayne (they all happen too often). Thankfully, Brussels has brought something slightly different.


Our hostel was the white building to the right of the statue.

Our hostel was located on the very beautiful and oddly quite rotary near the Botanical Gardens of Brussels. Although we did not have a balcony view on to the Vltava River, like we did in Prague, this was a very nice mini-park to walk past when ever arriving or departing from our temporary home.



On my very first day in the city, I walked a great deal around the eastern side of town, starting from the newly transformed Middle Eastern neighborhood, to the rich lavish houses, and finally the historical stone archways. This city is changing/growing very rapidly.



There are cranes everywhere. Skyscrapers bookend the the older generation of construction throughout the city. This is the first city we have been in where such tall buildings were not so rare.

This constant growth goes beyond buildings. New languages are permeating the menus, ads, and walls all over this city. Although the two major languages are still French and Flemish (Netherlands). The country is so split by the two languages that it is not uncommon to find multiple ads repeating themselves in each language.


The same advertisment. Once in French (left), and once in Flemish.

This split is so strong that during the week we were in Brussels, the Belgian Government hit a standstill and the Prime Minister offered his resignation based off of reconcilable difference between the two language sides of Parliament.



Later that day there was a small protest down city center streets. Not sure what is was for because I hadn't found out about the governments dissolution until afterwards.

This has made Brussels (and Belgium as a whole) much different than previously visited Western European Countries. Oh, and the fact that we had muscles and wine for breakfast one morning.


Ian (left), Dwayne and I enjoying our breakfast of shrimp, mussels and hite wine.