Lonely Planet India - August 2016

chocolate. There is also Maison Dandoy

where you can buy speculoos crisp spicy

biscuits (the cashier’s mood can be mercurial

but then what is travel without a little

uncertainty?) and Aux Merveilleux de Fred

on Rue de Marche aux Herbes where pastry

chefs weigh down light-as-air meringues

with cream and chocolate flakes.

Wander on past St Nicholas Church and

the Brussels Stock Exchange now called

Euronext Brussels housed in a gorgeous

19th-century building. Behind it is the

pedestrianised Boulevard Anspach – lined

with among other stores comic book stores

like Multi BD that flourish in this comics-

mad city. In 1991 the city commissioned

the creators of iconic comics to cover

the side walls of buildings (in Brussels

you own your house and façade but the city

can take over your side wall) and today

you have over 50 of these great street art

pieces across the comic centre of town.

Marvel first at Ric Hochet’s rescue

of the damsel on Rue du Bon Secours

before walking on to see the Manneken Pis

dressed in one of the 900 costumes gifted

to him then on to see other comic paintings

(get yourself a helpful mini map from

the information centre for this). Step onto

a side street to see a piece of the city wall

from the 11th century and tramp a longish

way past the Notre Dame de la Chapelle

the statue of King Albert much loved

because he led his troops into battle

himself and past the Central Railway

Station before coming upon

a massive figure of Gaston

an Everyman hero who

invites you to step down

to the Belgian Comic Strip

Centre. Within you will find

the art of the comic in many frames many

photo-ops with installations and special

sections on Tintin and the Smurfs.

Have lunch at the Horta Brasserie

in the museum – the pastas are excellent.

Then gird your loins and walk up through

the Railway Station and to your right

to the Chocolatier Laurent Gerbaud opposite

the Mobar. At a chocolate workshop that

has you working with chocolate and fillings

Chef Laurent – a very funny man with

a dry sense of humour – will ruin regular

chocolate for you for life.

Then walk down again buy any more

fancy chocolate you may suddenly need

to sustain you for a few months and sit

yourself down to dinner at Chez Leon

holding its own on the frenetic

Rue des Bouchers since 1893.

It has its own Leon beer

and of course it has mussels.

Because the mussels in Brussels –

you can’t not try them.

BRUSSELS ESSENTIALS

STAY

The Dominican: 00-32-2-203-0808; http://www.carlton.nl/

en/the-dominican-hotel-brussels info@

thedominican.carlton.be; Léopoldstraat 9;

from ` 8650

EAT/ DRINK

• Brasserie Horta: 00-32-2-217-7271;
  http://www.brasseriehorta.be; Rue des Sables 20;
  12pm – 3pm Tues – Fri till 3.30pm Sat – Sun;
  express three-course lunch: ` 990


• Chez Leon: 00-32-2-511-1415; http://www.chezleon.be;
  Rue des Bouchers 18; 11.30am – 11pm Sun – Thur
  till 11.30pm Fri – Sat; mains from 685 mussels from 800


• Delirium Café: 00-32-2-514-4434;
  http://www.deliriumcafe.be; Impasse de la Fidélité 4a;
  10am – 4am

SEE/ DO

• Theatre Royal de la Monnaie: 00-32-2-229-1211;
  http://www.lamonnaie.be/en; Place de la Monnaie; guided
  tour in English: 12pm Sat Sept – Jun; 920 adult 460 (six – 30 years) child under 6 free


• Jeanneke Pis: http://www.jeannekepisofficial.com;
  Impasse de la Fidélité 10-12; free


• Manneken Pis: corner of Rue de l’Etuve
  and Rue du Chene; free


• Belgian Comic Strip Centre: 00-32-2-219-1980;
  http://www.comicscenter.net/en; Rue des Sables 20;
  10am – 6pm; 765 adult 535 (12 – 25 years)


• Chocolaterie Laurent Gerbaud: 00-32-2-511-1602;
  http://www.chocolatsgerbaud.be; 2D Rue Ravenstein;
  chocolate workshop: 11.30am – 1pm Sat prior booking
  required; ` 2670/ person

BUY

• Leonidas: 00-32-25-128-737; http://www.leonidas.com;
  Rue au Beurre 34; 10am – 11pm; chocolate bars
  from 76 ready box of assorted minis: 660


• Elizabeth Chocolatier: 0-32-2-344-3303;
  http://www.elisabeth.be; Boterstraat 43 Rue au Beurre;
  10am – 10pm; chocolate-covered orange rind
  from ` 800


• Maison Dandoy: 00-32-2-540-2702;
  http://www.maisondandoy.com/en; 31 Rue au Beurre;
  9am – 7pm; Spectaculoos Speculoos: ` 920/ 250g


• Aux Mervielleux de Fred: 00-32-5-40-2608;
  http://www.auxmerveilleux.com; 7 Rue du Marche
  aux Herbes; 9am – 7pm; from ` 250


• Multi BD: 00-32-2-513-7235; Boulevard Anspach
  122 – 124; 10.30am – 7pm Mon – Sat 12.30pm –
  6.30pm Sun; comics from ` 840

GOOD TO KNOW

• In Brussels many streets have official names
  in white and comic names on blue plates.


• Watch out for the Manneken Peace –
  not part of the original comic tradition –
  on your walk though Brussels.


• More information: http://www.visit.brussels/en

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EASY EUROPE FLANDERS

PHOTOGRAPHS: © ARTERRA PICTURE LIBRARY/ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (1) © MAURICE SAVAGE/ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (2) FACING PAGE: © DEBORAH HARMES/ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (1) © IMAGEBROKER/ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (2) © STUART FORSTER/ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (3) © RICCARDO SALA/ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (4) © AGE FOTOSTOCK/ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (5) © IAN DAGNALL / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

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