Brussels, Belgium

Sorry I haven't updated or put up pictures lately, but nothing too exciting has happened, so I just didn't do it! But here is a bunch for you all! But I went to Brussels, Belgium this weekend and it was really fun! It was a great city and really old. It is the capital of the European Union and a huge city. We saw a lot of really old (but really beautiful) cathedrals and we just wandered the streets enjoying everything. We went there and visited an American woman who lives there so she was our tour guide. We ate Belgian waffles, bought Belgian chocolate and lookes at the main sights. Brussels was a nice city and I'm really glad that I got to go! I have a lot more trips planned for the next few weeks-Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Milan-Florence-Pisa-Cinque Terra-Bologna, and then my sister is coming (YAY!) and we're going to London or Paris! There are just so many places that I want to go and things I want to see, so I'm trying to do as much as I can while I'm here because I love it! And there are people from school and my apartment who also want to travel, so it's a lot of fun to go! School is still okay, but I'm not too worried about it. And everything else is good. The weather got really super crappy here and now apparantly it's back to normal Holland weather which is downpours and hurricane-force winds. I'm not even kidding, it's insane. And it's just the most fun of adventures to ride me bike 8 miles to school and back in that weather. I love it. But I'm doing well and loving it here and everything is great! I hope you enjoy my pictures! Doei!
This is a cute old man who was playing and singing on the street. Tons of people were watching and he was so lively and happy and a really good singer! I loved it!
This is me with the St. Michel's Cathedral in the background.
Stain glassed windows inside the St. Michel's Cathedral
The ceiling and columns inside the cathedral
Me in front of Mary's Chocolatier's. It is a famous and DELICIOUS chocolate shop in Brussels. The queen and president Bush both get their chocolates here! YUM!
This is a side view (not very good) of some of the buildings where the European Union (EU) and Parliament hold their meetings and offices and stuff.
Chris, me, Mark, and Steph (Chris's sister and brother-in-law) withe Brussels in the background.
One of the lovely cathedrals in Brussels. We ate at a yummy little restaurant on the other side of it.


Sitting at a cafe on a busy street in Brussels. The view from the middle of the street. I was nearly killed, but I got a good picture!
Not sure what this is called (if anyone knows, let me know please!) but it was an entire square that was enclosed on all four sides by white buildings. It was really cool.
The view of the city from the top of a hill.This is the manneken piss. Translated it means something like, "boy peeing"'. This is a famous tourist attraction in Brussels and there were tons of people there taking pictures and stuff. It's basically just a fountain with a boy peeing, but it's really funny and if you go to Brussels, you have to see it.
Funny huh?
Me in front of the manneken piss. I enjoyed it. :)

This is the House of the King in the Grand Place in the center of Brussels. It was the bread house, and later on the house of the Duke. The King never actually lived there and now it's used as a museum, but it was amazing.
This is the 'Rue Charles Buls'. it was a large bronze plaque done by 'julien Dillens' in about 1902 and everyone rubs it for good luck. We had to wait a few minutes because everyone was rubbing it!
These are some interesting dogs that were sitting in the middle of the busy street in the middle of Brussels. They had sunglasses on and they just sat there while millions of people walked around them and stared at them and stuff!
The House of the Dukes of Brabant. This was also in the Grand Place. It was beautiful.
Side by side view of the House of the King and some guild houses in the Grand Place.
This was also in the Grand Place and the golden swan marks the building where Carl Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto in 1848.
Me eating a Belgian waffle with strawberries and whipped cream! They are so much better here than at home because they are sweet and just wonderful!
This is the city hall of Brussels in the Grand Place. Construction of this Brussels gothic building is reported to begin in 1402. Also, it seems that it was the only building to survive the 1695 bombing during the French occupation of Brussels.
Here we are eating Godiva chocolate-covered strawberries. The most delicious thing EVER!
The guild houses in the Grand Place.

Also not sure what this building is, so let me know if anyone knows! But the gardens were lovely and it was huge!