A New Year's day with Friends, Beer, Chocolate and Art: Belgium

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We left at dawn from Milan with a beautiful one, in 4 overloaded to go home to celebrate with friends in Brussels. Launched at the limit of endurance of the car, almost without stopping to arrive home in the afternoon. The week will be animated by other friends who will join us later.
We visited Brussels, un po 'in our way, thanks to our personal guide, we mainly dined at the home of friends and we celebrated the new year in piazza.
During the week we visited the university city of Liege, Bruges and the romantic view of the special closeness, a puntatina in Amsterdam there was good.

-> Brussels.
? The starting point of the visit is the Grand'Place, the main square of Brussels and Belgian real jewel of architecture. On the square facing the many richly decorated buildings including the Town Hall and the Cathedral built in Gothic fifteenth. During the Christmas period in the square is the ice rink, as well as in many other cities in central and northern Europe. Around the track, obviously can not miss the sweets for excellence: hot waffles, made at the time covered a range of chocolate, honey, jam or powdered sugar. Of course let us not miss the opportunity.
Doing a lap in the middle, in the narrow streets with timbered houses is easy to meet style pub, bakeries, restaurants with local, Arab and brasseries brasserie. We make a fairly classic tour, visiting the most interesting monuments and sights of the city.
Memorable Grand'Place the already mentioned, the Palazzo Reale, the houses of Horta (see Art Nouveau), the timbered houses, the house and closer to the Manneken Pis. This last is a bronze statue of a child who does the pee and, depending on the periods is dressed festively. And 'the mascot of the city and, according to tradition, died a principle of fire in the city, built entirely of wood, thanks to her pee.
Un po 'più distante the Parc du Cinquantenaire el'atomo. The Atomium, the construction of 1958, 102 meters high, is an iron atom magnified, with nine balls that are home to restaurants and not just, thanks to an ultra-modern and ultra-fast elevator you can climb higher on the ball, and enjoy a breathtaking view of the city and its surroundings.
Wishing there was also the Théâtre Royal de La ax, the royal greenhouses of Laeken, but we have not visited.
Brussels is also the capital of the comic, was the birthplace of Lucky Luke, Tintin, the Smurfs, Suski and Wiske, Boule and Bill, and Gaston Zagor The gaffe. There are, for this reason, boutiques and shops with a wide gadgets, the colorful cartoon murals spread a little 'for the city beyond the comic strip museum (Musée de la Bande Dessinée)

? The Art Nouveau movement was a cultural complex that cut across different disciplines and is widely used by various names throughout Europe. And it is precisely in Brussels that was founded for the first time, with the construction in 1893 of the Maison Maison Autrique and Anchors on the part of Victor Horta of Art Nouveau architecture. From these two buildings developed an innovative style that inspired great artists in Europe, revolutionizing the concept of space, materials and lines.
Very amando style Liberty (the name of the movement in Italy) I could not to miss the opportunity and, in fact, I searched the tracks and recognized in many parts of the city. (see map in photo)
I read on the internet <Brussels and private door to the imagination.>>

? In Brussels this primacy is felt with pride, as pride is the beer and chocolate.
And 'a must try at least some beer in pubs, which offer the opportunity to take the "metro" in which there are many different tasting beer. I personally love the Kriek but there are lots of really good beers, there are 600 different types (see paragraph Beer: that delicious!)

? For the sweet tooth: you must try:
the famous "waffles, served with jam, sugar or melted chocolate, the brood gracht, a cake baked and finished with caramelized sugar, the speculoos, sweet biscuits and crunchy cinnamon to take home, the pancakes (served with sugar dark, melted chocolate, ice cream or jam) and the praline pralineLa greedy is the emblem of Brussels: a fine shell enclosing a soft filling, the more disparate tastes. In Belgium, the praline is an institution and there are shops where there are infinite combinations and flavors and forms. My favorites are Leonidas (Rue au Beurre 34) and Lady Godiva (Godiva and Galler, Grand'Place) but there are so many that you can eat at every corner!
Belgian chocolate is made using cocoa beans from Africa, more tasty than those of South American countries. The ingredients are very fresh, creams, etc.. Attention, therefore, if you bring a gift sweet home comperateli just before leaving.
During the period of S. Valentine events are related to chocolate, you are warned!