Thrilled to be going to Brussels!
Oct 30th, 2003, 06:59 PM
#21
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Stephanie, your son would probably love to see that famous statue of the little boy peeing--the manneken pis. My son is nearly seventeen now, but I do remember that at thirteen, any kind of "biological" joke was a hit!
It's been years since I've been to Brussels, but I do remember their french fries were delicious. Beer was too, but your young man is too young yet. And he should like the mussels. (My son has always loved them, especially done the Irish way with parsley, butter, and cream.) You'll have a great time in Brussels. It's such a manageable city with a lot more going for it than people credit.
It's been years since I've been to Brussels, but I do remember their french fries were delicious. Beer was too, but your young man is too young yet. And he should like the mussels. (My son has always loved them, especially done the Irish way with parsley, butter, and cream.) You'll have a great time in Brussels. It's such a manageable city with a lot more going for it than people credit.
Oct 30th, 2003, 07:06 PM
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My 13-year-old son not only loves mussels but also octopus, calamari, oysters, sea urchin, sushi, carpaccio de saumon or other fish, and every imaginable type of seafood. He never misses a chance to order moules frîtes! I don't understand why Bird would say that a 13-year-old wouldn't like mussels. Whyever not? A lot of 13-year-old Americans live on the seacoast where eating mollusks is part of everyday life. You don't have to be a world traveler to like mussels.
I also think Brussels is perhaps the gastronomic capital of Europe - more great restaurants per square foot than anywhere else. I've never found it "marginal" or "overpriced," but rather incredibly good value for the money and an amazing range of restaurants to choose from.
I also think Brussels is perhaps the gastronomic capital of Europe - more great restaurants per square foot than anywhere else. I've never found it "marginal" or "overpriced," but rather incredibly good value for the money and an amazing range of restaurants to choose from.
Oct 30th, 2003, 09:15 PM
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CMT - no reason to be startled for my mostly tongue-in-cheek comment. I'm happy if my kids will eat their vegetables, let alone mussels. (Although my older kids now eat raw oysters and sushi with me, thank goodness.)
Oct 31st, 2003, 01:44 AM
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Interesting things for Brussels would be:
- the comic strip museum, (Centre belge de la bande dessinée)
- national science museum
- airforce/airplane museum ( a lovely spot; a huge glass roof with all different kind of 'objects' that have stayed up in the air, more or less, pieces of zeppelin's and so on, lovely to get lost in for an hour or two.
- afrika museum in tervuren ( speaks to the imagination of everyone from 7 - 77)
Bruges next: just wander around in Bruges, a tour on the canals, climbing up the Belfry 366 steps with a lovely view, have mussels in the 'Breydel and Deconinck' in the Breydelstraat between Burg and market place, a 'Flemish primitives' museum for painting,...
Antwerp is also very interesting to visit. MyriamC could fill you in.
Amsterdam... has a reputation partly made on the very tolerant position on soft drugs ('coffeehouses' where you can have a joint and all that) and on prostitution... you're 13 year old boy may be very openminded and curious, but... right? It has off course the richness of a standard european capital of its scale with its museums, architecture and so on.
- the comic strip museum, (Centre belge de la bande dessinée)
- national science museum
- airforce/airplane museum ( a lovely spot; a huge glass roof with all different kind of 'objects' that have stayed up in the air, more or less, pieces of zeppelin's and so on, lovely to get lost in for an hour or two.
- afrika museum in tervuren ( speaks to the imagination of everyone from 7 - 77)
Bruges next: just wander around in Bruges, a tour on the canals, climbing up the Belfry 366 steps with a lovely view, have mussels in the 'Breydel and Deconinck' in the Breydelstraat between Burg and market place, a 'Flemish primitives' museum for painting,...
Antwerp is also very interesting to visit. MyriamC could fill you in.
Amsterdam... has a reputation partly made on the very tolerant position on soft drugs ('coffeehouses' where you can have a joint and all that) and on prostitution... you're 13 year old boy may be very openminded and curious, but... right? It has off course the richness of a standard european capital of its scale with its museums, architecture and so on.
Oct 31st, 2003, 03:42 AM
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StephanieJax, there is a fantastic science museum in Mechelen (half way between Brussels and Antwerp) called Technopolis; my children love it there. It's very new, with all hands-on exhibits. www.technopolis.be. Not sure about how to get there without a car, but it is definitely worth while.
In Antwerp I too love the Zoo (it's right next to central station). There is a new Aquarium nearby called Aquatopia; haven't been yet but it's supposed to be good. A nice place to eat in Antwerp is the Dock's Cafe, near the river. It's a brasserie, they serve Belgian food.
Don't worry about drugs and prostitution in Amsterdam; if you are not looking for this, you will not be bothered by it. Do take a canal tour, and visit the Anne Frank museum there.
Luxembourg I can't help you with; I have always found it a rather boring place.
In Antwerp I too love the Zoo (it's right next to central station). There is a new Aquarium nearby called Aquatopia; haven't been yet but it's supposed to be good. A nice place to eat in Antwerp is the Dock's Cafe, near the river. It's a brasserie, they serve Belgian food.
Don't worry about drugs and prostitution in Amsterdam; if you are not looking for this, you will not be bothered by it. Do take a canal tour, and visit the Anne Frank museum there.
Luxembourg I can't help you with; I have always found it a rather boring place.
Oct 31st, 2003, 04:24 AM
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Tulips,
I too find Luxembourg boring!
I do like the Belgian Ardennes, especially in the winter when there's enough snow for cross-country skiing and having a lovely meal and a comfy bed at night in one of the small cities. Spa for instance, is one of my favourites.
Oct 31st, 2003, 08:04 AM
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dln- I agree, the statue of the boy will be a great hit! I am not going to tell him about it until we are there and he sees it
StCirq - Hopefully all the bike riding and walking will override being in such a gastronomically pleasing place!!!
Baldrick - Great suggestion and itinerary for a trip! I appreciate it...if we don't have enough time do all that is suggested, I am imagine we will have to make a second trip!
Tulips - Technopolis sounds like something very interesting. I know we will enjoy an aquarium and zoo. I definitely have Anne Frank's on my list of things for myself to see, no matter how long the queue to get in...I don't want to miss it ...
Myriam and Tulips - I have spoken to people here that have visited Luxembourg, and they have said the same thing, that there was not much that interested them...I will do more research, and might just end up using that time to visit the seaside, etc. Going to a seaside town/city/village sounds really interesting, though I imagine it will be shut down for the winter even in March??
Steph
StCirq - Hopefully all the bike riding and walking will override being in such a gastronomically pleasing place!!!
Baldrick - Great suggestion and itinerary for a trip! I appreciate it...if we don't have enough time do all that is suggested, I am imagine we will have to make a second trip!
Tulips - Technopolis sounds like something very interesting. I know we will enjoy an aquarium and zoo. I definitely have Anne Frank's on my list of things for myself to see, no matter how long the queue to get in...I don't want to miss it ...
Myriam and Tulips - I have spoken to people here that have visited Luxembourg, and they have said the same thing, that there was not much that interested them...I will do more research, and might just end up using that time to visit the seaside, etc. Going to a seaside town/city/village sounds really interesting, though I imagine it will be shut down for the winter even in March??
Steph
Oct 31st, 2003, 09:06 AM
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The seaside in Belgium is always busy during weekends and school holidays. Our spring break is the week of Feb. 21; not when you are visiting. I have mentioned Knokke-le Zoute before (as has Myriam); it's the smartest of the seaside towns, has a lot of upmarket shopping, good restaurants (lots of mussels!) and everything is open on Sundays. There is a butterfly garden, and a nature reserve (Zwin). Great cycling there too (and your son can rent a go-cart; they come in all shapes and sizes). I love going there, but it is definitely not "quaint"; no lovely old villages or anything like that. It's a nice thing to do on a Sunday. But you may have a very full week already planned!
Oct 31st, 2003, 11:28 AM
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We love Knokke-Le Zoute. Whenever we need some fresh air after a week of work, we drive up there. A walk on the beach, people-watching on the 'Place m'as-tu-vu', a little shopping, ... It's only a 20 min. train ride from Brugge, so you could easily combine both. There are some fine hotels in Knokke.
I would definitely go to the seaside instead of Luxembourg.
Oct 31st, 2003, 11:31 AM
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If going to the seaside Oostende is maybe a half an hour beyond Bruges. That's the best place to get your mussels. I think we got a bucket there (actually more than one) for maybe $10 euros or so. That w/a side of frites & dinner is served.
Oct 31st, 2003, 02:01 PM
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Stephanie: Unlike some, I think that Luxembourg is one of the hidden jewels of Europe. It is steeped in history and the landscape and Luxembourg City are just beautiful. I highly recommend the Hotel de France in Luxembourg City. It is located right on the main square in the center of town. Sorry, I don't remember the name of the square but if you look at a map it is right in the center and shares the square with the town hall (Hotel de Ville.) It is small hotel that sits above a restaurant but the staff was friendly, the rooms were modern and very clean and the rates were very reasonable. I paid about $65.00/night for a double bed last year. I think that the hotel has a website if you want to do a search. Also, don't miss the old fortifications and city museum while you are there.
Oct 31st, 2003, 09:03 PM
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Stephanie, we just returned last month from a whirlwind trip to Belgium. It was a last minute trip and I'm so happy we were able to re-arrange our schedules to make it happen.
I agree with KT about the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels. Gorgeous building. We stopped for lunch on their rooftop, a very chic place. The Atomium was ok. I wasn't impressed. Ditto for the Chinese Pavillion. I would have rather spent more time in the actual city and not rushed thru it as we did.
We stayed in Antwerp. If you're there on a Sunday, do take in the market days in the old district. It was a great way for us to start our week. They sell anything from chickens, to fresh sausage to underwear(no kidding!)and everything in-between. The market itself closes at 2pm but the rest of afternoon can be spent walking up and down those little cobblestone alleys along the square around Cathedral of our Lady. Cafes everywhere.
Right next door to the painter Ruben's house (also in that same area) is a restaurant simply called The Bistro. Several people in our party had the mussels in marinara.
Somewhere in that very same area is a restaurant called Pelgram or something like that. It's an old prison from 12th or 13th or 14th century. We ate wayyyyyyy downstairs, downunder which was the former dungeon area. Curved adobe ceilings and I believe the only lights in the actual dining area were candles in wrought iron holders. Charming. Possibly my favorite place.
Someplace along the river is a nice little restaurant called Simple Rouge. Okay, everything in the place is red...walls, table cloths, waiter's shirts, etc. We had a one waitress to take care of our table of 20 or so. She was not only delightful but efficient as well. There was also a live band playing American music that night. Imagine our surprise when our waitress got up to the mike and belted out several songs.
We were a large group but no children as it was a working trip for the men, so I don't know about how lenient they are with teenagers and beer. However, it flows freely. It's as common as asking for a coke (and you get lemon coke unless you ask differently).
We spent an afternoon in Bruges. Considering it was Sept and a rainy day, it was crowded. I guess it was named the 2002 cultural center of Europe and that in itself has attracted tourists, not that it didn't attract any before then, just more now. One lady with us had been there 19 straight yrs in Sept and couldn't believe the increase in tourism. Just outside Bruges is a paddle boat, the Lamme Goedzak. It's a 1/2 hr trip from Bruges to Damme. Damme is a another small quaint city with many restaurants. There's also a single-lane tree-lined road that goes from Bruges to Damme that must be absolutely gorgeous on a sunny day. Even in the rain we saw many cyclists along that road as we were sailing by. There are windmills upon arrival in Damme.
We stayed an extra day and half and took Thalys train to Paris. One day's notice was all we needed. We returned to Antwerp from Paris and bought our tickets for next morning to get us to airport in Brussels. It was 6 Euros Antwerp to Brussels. No complaints there. Surprisingly, there's absolutely no security check for the trains.
I hope this helps
I agree with KT about the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels. Gorgeous building. We stopped for lunch on their rooftop, a very chic place. The Atomium was ok. I wasn't impressed. Ditto for the Chinese Pavillion. I would have rather spent more time in the actual city and not rushed thru it as we did.
We stayed in Antwerp. If you're there on a Sunday, do take in the market days in the old district. It was a great way for us to start our week. They sell anything from chickens, to fresh sausage to underwear(no kidding!)and everything in-between. The market itself closes at 2pm but the rest of afternoon can be spent walking up and down those little cobblestone alleys along the square around Cathedral of our Lady. Cafes everywhere.
Right next door to the painter Ruben's house (also in that same area) is a restaurant simply called The Bistro. Several people in our party had the mussels in marinara.
Somewhere in that very same area is a restaurant called Pelgram or something like that. It's an old prison from 12th or 13th or 14th century. We ate wayyyyyyy downstairs, downunder which was the former dungeon area. Curved adobe ceilings and I believe the only lights in the actual dining area were candles in wrought iron holders. Charming. Possibly my favorite place.
Someplace along the river is a nice little restaurant called Simple Rouge. Okay, everything in the place is red...walls, table cloths, waiter's shirts, etc. We had a one waitress to take care of our table of 20 or so. She was not only delightful but efficient as well. There was also a live band playing American music that night. Imagine our surprise when our waitress got up to the mike and belted out several songs.
We were a large group but no children as it was a working trip for the men, so I don't know about how lenient they are with teenagers and beer. However, it flows freely. It's as common as asking for a coke (and you get lemon coke unless you ask differently).
We spent an afternoon in Bruges. Considering it was Sept and a rainy day, it was crowded. I guess it was named the 2002 cultural center of Europe and that in itself has attracted tourists, not that it didn't attract any before then, just more now. One lady with us had been there 19 straight yrs in Sept and couldn't believe the increase in tourism. Just outside Bruges is a paddle boat, the Lamme Goedzak. It's a 1/2 hr trip from Bruges to Damme. Damme is a another small quaint city with many restaurants. There's also a single-lane tree-lined road that goes from Bruges to Damme that must be absolutely gorgeous on a sunny day. Even in the rain we saw many cyclists along that road as we were sailing by. There are windmills upon arrival in Damme.
We stayed an extra day and half and took Thalys train to Paris. One day's notice was all we needed. We returned to Antwerp from Paris and bought our tickets for next morning to get us to airport in Brussels. It was 6 Euros Antwerp to Brussels. No complaints there. Surprisingly, there's absolutely no security check for the trains.
I hope this helps
Nov 1st, 2003, 08:40 AM
#34
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Thank you for your posts with such great advice!
RLimb, I saw the hotel you were talking about on the Luxembourg tourist site, and it was very reasonable...thank you for the suggestion.
WGS - Thanks, that was great information! I cannot wait to go - only 4.5 months left! Of course, the kid says COOOOL about the music museum!
The dungeon restaurant sounds really COOOL too!
Steph
RLimb, I saw the hotel you were talking about on the Luxembourg tourist site, and it was very reasonable...thank you for the suggestion.
WGS - Thanks, that was great information! I cannot wait to go - only 4.5 months left! Of course, the kid says COOOOL about the music museum!
The dungeon restaurant sounds really COOOL too!
Steph
Nov 1st, 2003, 12:38 PM
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I and two friends are also going to Belgium in March and I'm copying all this good info down . . . please don't take this discussion away.
Thanks to StephanieJax for asking for it and for everyone who's responded.
Sandy
Thanks to StephanieJax for asking for it and for everyone who's responded.
Sandy
Nov 2nd, 2003, 07:52 AM
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WGS: Sadly there is no private messaging with the Fodors Board...
Sandy B: From all the information given, definitely sounds like we picked a great place to go on vacation in March!
Steph
Sandy B: From all the information given, definitely sounds like we picked a great place to go on vacation in March!
Steph
Nov 2nd, 2003, 08:04 AM
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If you want to send personal messages one of you needs to get a free e-mail account at hotmail.com or someplace like that. Then you can post that address here as an entry or with your user name like my "indytravel" address. Indytravel is a legit address, but it's not my primary one. If it gets spammed too much, I'll shut it down.
Then you can send an e-mail to the new address and exchange information and "real" e-mail addresses.
Then you can send an e-mail to the new address and exchange information and "real" e-mail addresses.
Nov 2nd, 2003, 09:32 AM
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Indytravel - thank you for your advice, you are correct 
I can be contacted at [email protected] ...
Thank you, Steph
I can be contacted at [email protected] ...
Thank you, Steph
Nov 9th, 2003, 08:45 AM
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Stephanie, in Amsterdam you might enjoy The Touture Museum on Leidsestraat, between Herengracht and Keizergracht. It's at Singel 449. Sort of an adolesent thing, but interesting for adults as well.
Do you have a cat? If so, you'd love the Kattenkabinet at 497 Herengracht. The canal house itself is worth seeing, with it's understated elegance. It is filled with art work, all with the theme of cats.
Good inexpensive lunch spot is the 6th floor cafe of Metz & Co dept store for good view of the canals. Also good views at the restaurant on top of the Kalvertoren shopping mall near the Munttoren.
You'll love the pancakes, cheese and pie. I took my daughter to Amsterdam when she was 11. Believe it or not, it's a great place for kids!
Good luck on your trip. It really sounds wonderful. I've yet to go to other places in Benelux, so be sure to get back here and write up a report!
Do you have a cat? If so, you'd love the Kattenkabinet at 497 Herengracht. The canal house itself is worth seeing, with it's understated elegance. It is filled with art work, all with the theme of cats.
Good inexpensive lunch spot is the 6th floor cafe of Metz & Co dept store for good view of the canals. Also good views at the restaurant on top of the Kalvertoren shopping mall near the Munttoren.
You'll love the pancakes, cheese and pie. I took my daughter to Amsterdam when she was 11. Believe it or not, it's a great place for kids!
Good luck on your trip. It really sounds wonderful. I've yet to go to other places in Benelux, so be sure to get back here and write up a report!
