Right after our hearty breakfast, courtesy of Madam...we strolled around the area navigating using the tourist map (found around the area) showing all the attractions within our vicinity.
The first task we did was to look for an iconic statue of this city, but in a female form. The location on the map put her in a cul-de-sac (no exit, no through road, dead end) packed with cafe and restaurants at Rue de Bouchers.
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| the cut-de-sac or dead end, full with cafes and pubs sign |
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| Jeanneke Pis |
Meet Jeanneke Pis. She has an official website (click here) and had been in the location since 1987. According to the site also, your wish will be granted if you throw coins into the fountain.
The statue, made out of bronze features a girl with pigtails squatting and urinating on a stone and onto a basin. She is now behind iron bars to protect from vandalism.
Icon number 1, put a tick on the list. Now onto the second one...or rather the first one, actually if I can get the children interested enough to walk....but then....
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| refuel.. |
We had to stop for a while, while Madam and her offsprings had another round of breakfast of fries and mayonnaise. We continued our journey but this time...the smallest of the lot wants to go to the chocolate museum just nearby the Grand-Place.
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| Grand-Place |
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| Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate |
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| Monsieur Pierre Draps (Mr. Godiva), the man that made the brand famous and delicious chocolate till his last days in 2012 |
The museum has its own website (click here) and it's only a stone throw from the Grand Place, at Rue de La Tête. The museum originally a house belonged to De Valk family and was built in 1697. It's also the name of a beer brewed in the premises centuries ago and since 2005, the Museum occupied this space.
There's the daily demonstration of making chocolate pralines which you can watch at a fee (5Euros) for adult and before entering, on your left and right at the waiting area, there'll be chocolates for you to sample (different cocoa contents) and take a biscuit and dip into the tubful of melted chocolate.
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| at the museum |
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| difference between the South America and Africa cocoa |
The demonstration was done by a chocolatier in the kitchen and feel free to ask him anything..about chocolate, that is. He speaks English and other language too...but as soon as you see how he handles the block chocolate, melt it, pour it into the mold, drain it, put in the fridge, take it out after 15 minutes, insert filling and put another layer of chocolate to cover the filing....it was that easy. That's what I told Madam...and I can recall it...but here's the difference, I didn't say it was easy that I will do it....hahaha
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| the chatty and entertaining chocolatier |
We tasted the pralines that was made earlier that day and it was nice. All over the are, you would see various chocolate shops selling the wares and we bought some from Leonidas. Lots of chocolate shop around here...take your time browsing over their windows before buying.
We strolled around the area, found a toy store named The Grasshopper and it was the children's turn to do window shopping. I noticed in Brussels there are a number of shops selling toy soldiers, delicate models and nicely painted, but exorbitant price! I was looking for 32 pieces of those sort of models to replace the mundane pieces of chess we have at home. For a start, would look for Lego pieces first.
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| The Grasshopper |
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| La Monnaie Opera on the right, note the busy street on the left...the shopping 'district' |
The weather was still gloomy and it rained, not heavily and it did not deter Madam to walk to a row of shops just after the La Monnaie Opera. She deserves it. But my gut feeling tells me, despite the need for her to destress...she'll be buying clothes for the children first. Hmmmmmmm.... typical Madam.
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