Brussels, Belgium. Tuesday, 15th May 2018
Bye-bye, Brugge! Checked out after breakfast, at 10:10. Chose to walk to the station, bags in tow, as it afforded more views of this splendid town. GPRS is really a boon! We took 30 minutes to cover the 1.4 kms distance, but it was worth the effort. The church tower - omnipresent - was bidding us goodbye. During our three-day stay, we had frequently heard the sweet chimes of the bells of different churches - a very soothing sound.
The train (almost empty; wonder how the railways can afford to run empty trains!!) left Brugge on time at 11:10 and after a run of 20 minutes or so we had our first glimpse of the sun and a blue sky after 2 days. Reached Brussels-Midi on time and with directions from
the information booth, located the Gare du Midi and the kiosk for purchasing tickets. Purchased 72-hrs tickets for two (the gentleman behind the counter saved Euro 5/- for us by giving us one Brussels card-with the value of two tickets- instead of two separate cards). Caught Metro 6 for the station named Hotel des Monnaies, just two stops away. When we came to the surface by escalator, we were greeted by bright sunshine and blue sky. The escalator opened onto a broad, cobbled pavement of a very broad, sloping road. The typical European buildings with their endearing architecture adorned each side of the road.
We mistook the road we were on, for Henri Jaspar Avenue(where our apartment Le Lys d'or was located), but again GPRS came to the rescue. We crossed the road at a zebra, to finally get to no. 96, the location of the apartment. The impressive building housing the apartment was at the road-front and the entrance guarded by a strong, metal door. Rang the bell and were answered through a speaker, by the owner. On identifying ourselves, she opened the door and greeted us. Educated us about operating the door and also provided other useful information about the apartment. Then led us to our room on the second floor, along a carpeted staircase (no lift; Urmila grumbled). However, her mood lifted when she saw the apartment.
It was similar to Ubytovani Jelinkova at Cesky Krumlov, Czechia; the last year. The flight of stairs ended at a door on the second floor landing. The door opened into a small 'room' which had a neat shoe-stand to the right and a painting on the opposite wall. Above the shoe stand were three solid hooks for coats, umbrellas. One turned left to enter the sitting room - spacious, with a marble fireplace having a rectangular mirror on it, a round cane table with two cushioned cane chairs, a beautiful, polished wooden cabinet housing the T.V and on the cabinet stood decorative pieces of camels. The wall to our right had a long
window with transparent curtains and next to it, two long doors with transparent glass covering 3/4th of their length and which opened out onto a balcony. At the centre of the room, opposite the fireplace was a black, oblong table of solid wood, covered by clean, white lace cloth on which were kept magazines. A sofa for two - neatly cushioned - was placed opposite the centre table. One one side of the sofa - towards the balcony side - stood an attractive floor lamp; and on the other was a cute table lamp mounted on a wooden block. The flooring was wooden. The living room opened to the left into the bedroom which was in many ways similar to the living room, complete with fireplace and mantelpiece, wardrobe, rotating cushioned cane chair. The neatly made bed was covered by a beautiful spread. The room had a large, attached bath, spic-n-span. The apartment was comfy n cosy!
Standing on the balcony and watching the traffic plus the wonderful constructions of this bustling city, was a unique experience for us. Both of us had longed to stay in a house like this in a European capital; today we were actually doing so. Never mind that the place did not belong to us! If you desire something very strongly and passionately, you get it. Sooner or later.
Set off for lunch. Located a restaurant behind our apartment. Draught beer, chicken and coffee. Walked down to Halle du Port bus stop on the main road, the same where our apartment was located. Boarded bus no. 49 for an area known as Sablon. The ride offered lovely views of the city- robust buildings, glittering shops, cobbled roads, etc. - a typical European capital city - all under a bright sun. We did not alight at the Sablon stop but carried on to the last stop, Grand Place.
Strolled along the crowded streets and managed to find the famous Manneken Pis - statue of a urinating kid! Tried cherry beer (which had eluded me on this trip so far) at a pub, waffles with Belgian chocolate at one of the many sweet shops; and Urmila tried the local ice-cream-vanilla flavour. Good stuff! Walked to the town square, where the place lived up to its name - truly grand! We have now seen so many town squares in Europe that at first glance we get a feeling of 'deja vu'. However, on close observation one spots big differences in the buildings and their architecture, around the square - the Prague square is different from the Krumlov square is different from the Herrenberg square is different from the Bruges square is different from the Ulm square is different from the Brussels square; and so on. The edifices here are incredible!
After marvelling at the scene for some more time, shooting videos and clicking away. we walked to the starting stop of bus no. 48 - courtesy GPRS. Rode the bus back to Halle du Port. Sat on a bench in a garden that we had to cross through, then returned to our lovely apartment. It is 22:05 as I write this and darkness has fallen. Must go on to the balcony for night views of this wonderful city, before calling it a day.
