Brussels' secret agent!

After our busy day walking 12 km around Brussels with Dennis and Angela (we had to walk off the frites!) we ended the day by joining our hosts for dinner at a very interesting restaurant in the city where you have to walk through a working newsagents to reach the dining area,handy if you want to play the LOTO en route. 

You walk through Maurice's newsagent to reach his son Olivier's restaurant - thus the name.

The food from the 45 euro set menu was Michelin standard (and size) and delicious. After our dessert we were presented with an interesting end to the evening!

The chef/proprietor was an interesting character who took a wee while to warm up but once he did it made for a lovely experience, all in all a great recommendation from Anne and Denis.

Le restaurant De Maurice à Olivier 

Brussels, a long weekend, a bit of culture and a European perspective.

After our visit to 'Autoworld' inside the southern hall of the massive Cinquantenaire Palace we crossed over the courtyard and peered in the widows of the military museum on the other side to check out what was on display and whether it was worth a visit before going around to our main reason for coming here, the19th century, Belgian Art Nouveau exhibition.

 It was a similar sized 'hanger' to the one for 'Autoworld' and we did not want to commit the time to exploring it so headed off for some Art Nouveau.

The Art & History Museum's new gallery spotlights Belgium's rich Art Nouveau and Art Deco heritage. Art Nouveau takes center stage, having exploded in prosperous Belgium around 1900 with its distinctive stylistic variety.

Highlights include masterpieces by icons like Victor Horta and Henry van de Velde, plus works from Paul Hankar, Léon Sneyers, Paul Hamesse, Gustave Serrurier-Bovy, and Oscar van de Voorde.

A major star is the fully restored winter garden Victor Horta designed in 1900 for engineer Jean Cousin, dismantled in the 1960s and now dramatically reassembled.

The iconic 1912 jewelry boutique designed by Horta for Brussels' prestigious Wolfers Frères house has been faithfully reconstructed at full original scale inside a dedicated museum gallery showcasing the brand's legacy through a selection of outstanding Art Nouveau pieces.

After the museum we headed down to Place Jourdan and Maison Antoine widely hailed as one of the best spots for the famous Belgian frites. They follow the classic Belgian double-fry method: low-temp first for fluffiness inside, high-temp second for that perfect golden crisp.

Denis had brought Pauline and I here on our first visit to the city and it was only right to bring our fellow travel companions Dennis & Angela here. The ladies queued for the frites while Dennis & I got the beers in - the bars opposite the kiosk allow you to bring your frites to eat along with your beer...Brussels bliss!

After our frites stop we headed up into the heart of the European Quarter (Quartier Européen / Europese Wijk).

The uphill trek after a mountain of frites is a classic Brussels move, nothing powers a political pilgrimage like a full belly of mayonnaise-slathered chips!

Above is the 'Justus Lipsius' building, the main headquarters of the Council of the European Union (the institution where ministers from the 27 member states meet to negotiate and adopt EU laws).

We wandered through their visitors centre which does a great job of making the EU feel approachable and forward-looking, especially with their interactive exhibits on how member states collaborate. Seeing young people there in numbers amplified that impression, it draws university students on field trips, Erasmus folks and curious 20 somethings from across Europe (and beyond). As you can see from the pic above Pauline couldn't quite get to grips withe the ear piece.

After our visit we headed over to Place du Luxembourg for a coffee before headed back to our hosts Anne and Denis to change for going out to dinner later.

Wednesday for windows - it has to be Brussels

Couldn't help but take photos of the diverse range of windows we found during our weekend in Brussels, it's an absolute treasure trove for window spotting! The city's architecture spans centuries, so the diversity is incredible, flowing Art Nouveau curves with intricate stained glass and ironwork, bold Art Deco geometries and wonderful balconies.

Brussels really rewards anyone who looks up—the details are stunning

Brussels, a long weekend, where to begin?

Back in Touraine after a great stay in Brussels with our generous hosts. Brussels truly has that unique blend of grandeur and charm that can sweep you off your feet the moment you step out onto its streets. The city's style, that mix of ornate Gothic and Baroque architecture, Art Nouveau flourishes (our favourites) and elegant parks, really does hit hard, especially when explored with locals who know the hidden gems beyond the main tourist paths.

We kicked off our weekend by visiting the immersive 'Last Days of Pompeii' on the afternoon of our arrival (Thursday). It's running at Brussels Expo (Terminal 1 / Palais 1, in the Heysel/Heizel area of Laeken), The show is a multi-sensory experience with video projections, soundscapes, fun interactive elements, recreations of the city's streets, gladiator combats and the fateful eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, well worth a visit !

It location also allowed us to get up close to the 'Atomium' another of the city's attractions which is apparently widely regarded as one of the primary symbols of both Brussels and Belgium, though it's not the 'official' one in a formal sense.

Built as the centerpiece and main pavilion for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, it was (like Paris' Eiffel Tower) originally meant to be temporary but became a permanent landmark due to its popularity. Representing an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times (not strictly an atom, despite the name), it symbolizes scientific progress, innovation, and Belgian engineering prowess from that era.

On Friday we headed out to explore some of the city's other delights, starting with 'Autoworld' which is located inside the southern hall of the massive Cinquantenaire Palace in historic park of the same name.

 

Autoworld houses an incredible permanent collection of over 300 vehicles (cars, motorcycles, trucks, fire engines, and more), spanning from the late 19th century (as early as 1896 models) right up to modern icons and concept cars. Highlights include rare Belgian marques (like Minerva, FN, Imperia, and Excelsior), royal family limousines, sports cars, bubble cars and themed sections on public service vehicles or eco innovations. The setting under the hall's soaring vaults and glass roof adds a dramatic, almost palatial feel to browsing these gleaming classics.

Loved the removable back part of the 'convertible' Minerva to turn it into, wonder if they provided a crane?

Loved this very early 'camper van'.

More 'modern' version.

Who knew? The 'Jamais Contente' (above) was an electric vehicle and the first motor car to break the 100 km/h speed barrier. On April 29, 1899, it reached this milestone thanks to its advanced design and powerful electric motors.

Built with a lightweight alloy body and shaped like a torpedo on wheels, the car was engineered purely for speed. Its streamlined form reduced air resistance at a time when most vehicles still resembled horse-drawn carriages.

Driven by Belgian racing driver Camille Jenatzy, La Jamais Contente demonstrated that electric propulsion was already capable of extreme performance at the very beginning of automotive history.

Also loved the Aztec sports car (above) which appeared  to have two steering wheels but no...check out here:

More sports cars.

We caught the major temporary exhibition 'Mercedes - The Story of the Star' in full swing. It celebrates140 years of Mercedes-Benz plus the 100th anniversary of the Daimler-Benz merger, featuring over 50 iconic and rare vehicles, from the pioneering 1886 Benz three-wheeler to high-performance moderns like the AMG ONE.

My favourite, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W198) 'Gullwing' often hailed as the most iconic postwar Mercedes precisely because it combined cutting-edge engineering, racing heritage, rarity (only about 1,400 Gullwing coupés built), and timeless beauty, earning spots in 'greatest cars ever' lists worldwide.Produced from 1954 to 1957 this car shown above is the same age as me but its body is in so much better condition!

A view from the upper walkway.