There is something to be said for seeing a new city, and a new country, through the eyes of someone familiar with it. There is a special feeling you get sitting in outdoor cafes and enjoying non-tour book restaurants as the rest of the tourists are huddling into the "must see" attraction as professed by Fromers. This is how I was going to experience Brussels, as I hopped the Eurostar to meet James on the other side of the chunnel. At first, I was quite excited about traveling at 180+ miles an hour under the English Channel, however, it was a bit unsatisfying as I only realized that we were on the Continent when I saw cars driving on the right-hand side of the road. No matter, as I was on my way to Belgium! And 2 hours after leaving St. Pancreas station, I was happily walking with James to drop off my bags.
We immediately set out to visit the only independent, traditional brewery remaining in Brussels for a self-guide tour and some tastings. Cantillon is a family-owned business, started in 1900, and is now run by its 4th generation. We chatted with the brewers as they treated us to tastes of their Gueuze, Kriek and Lambic brews. I especially enjoyed the Kriek, which was true to tradition with its strong sour-cherry flavor, however this one was much less sweet then others I had tried.
Having started the weekend off right, we strolled through the streets of the city, soaking up the energy, and exploring side alleys and hidden corners. We also spent lots of time during the weekend in the Grand Place, an amazing collection of buildings which now house a wonderful collection of bars, cafes, and restaurants that all have al fresco dining that is perfect for some prime people watching! Our wanderings eventually took us to one of the best seafood places I have ever been to. Now I have heard about the legend of La Maree from James for the last year and a half, and every word turned out to be true as I had the best mussels in my life! 
I did feel that I should not leave Brussels without at least seeing the infamous boy that has become a symbol for the country. So we followed the throngs of cameras and found the Mannequin pis on a not-so-quiet street corner. We found the best viewing to be at an outdoor cafe right across the street where we could enjoy a couple of beers in true Belgium style!! And of course, we could not neglect the female version of this unique statue, so we headed across the Grand Place to the Jeanneke pis....which unlike her very visual brother, is locked up behind an ornate gate. She is not without company, as the Delirium Cafe shares her alley, with the most number of beers as recorded by Guinness World Records!
My favorite time of the weekend was early on Sunday morning, when we took a last opportunity to walk the streets of the city while the rest of the city was just waking up. We were able to get some great, unobscured pictures of the aforementioned icons, along with taking a peaceful stroll through the gardens near the Royal Palace. All too soon, we were all packed up and heading to Mechelen for the night before heading to work the next morning (for me) and back to the US (for James). I can’t wait to come back for more of the non-tourist side of Brussels!
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