I used to think
Eurostar was the travel method of choice only for business types, rich folk and blokes trying to impress their ladies with a weekend in Paris. I now know differently having found it cheaper to travel to another country than it is to get to the other end of my own – girls, don’t be fooled into thinking Blackpool isn’t a statement of true love!
Arriving in Brussels in a journey time equal to that it would take to reach Leeds, I was amused at the vast number of kebab shops seen on route to the hotel, Sultans of Kebab seem to have cornered the post pub hunger craving market. They didn’t however win the best sign award, this going to the shop whose name I forget, but which could be identified by the picture of a chip having a piss.
Now, if you had to list famous Belgians, I imagine you might struggle; probably the best known of them all is a cartoon character. The Tintin Museum,
The Belgium Comic Strip Centre to give it its proper title, does do this Belgian icon justice and is well worth a visit.
Housing a wealth of information, pictures and 3D models charting the development of The Adventures of Tintin, plus other cartoon favourites such as
The Smurfs and
Lucky Luke, whether you’re a big kid or art enthusiast, an hour spent here will not be wasted.
There is much wall space given over to the evolution of
Tintin,
Snowy (who nearly always saves the day of course),
Captain Haddock and
Professor Calculus. Beginning as simple line drawings published in a children’s supplement of a Belgian newspaper in early 1929, these world famous characters expanded into albums, magazines, TV, radio, film and theatre.
For those interested in the art form, replica studios such as
Herge would have used are there to be explored. I know computer generated animation is a great skill of a totally different kind, but you can’t fail to be impressed when you imagine the painstaking process drawing everything by hand would have been.
In the same way as I believe people are missing out on so much when they come to London and only do the obvious things, I am actually trying to write a book inspired by that thought but that’s for another blog, I’m sure I’m doing Brussels a disservice in only remembering Tintin, chocolate and beer, but that’s what a two night tourist trip is for, right? I even found it a struggle to track down an
Anderlecht scarf, having to pick one up at the home of major rivals Club Bruges instead.
On the subject of beer, I strongly recommend
Kwak, disappointingly not spelt quack. As for chocolate, one particular shop had limited additions from every conceivable cocoa exporting country and, with Cuba being one of my favourite places in the world, I naturally chose that.
If Brussels left me a little underwhelmed, then Bruges was the exact opposite. One hour’s train ride from the countries capital, it’s like entering a city stuck in a time warp. The centre is full of ancient, unspoilt buildings separated by cobbled streets rarely used by traffic, the most likely thing to run you over when crossing the road is actually a horse and cart.
My next recommendation is
Martin’s Hotel, not least as it’s the first place I’ve stayed in that has a teddy bear in each room. I couldn’t help but imagine, were you to visit the bar of a daytime, you might find them all gathered round the fire discussing who’d been staying in their room last night, the sort of thing
Alan Bennett might have written a play about. Maybe when I get bored with the London book I might write that one instead.
Just as in every other Christmas loving location, Bruges was very much gearing up for the festive period. One week later the place would have been heaving with folk come to enjoy the famous Christmas market. I confess I’m still not sure why half way through Sunday afternoon we happened upon Santa riding a white horse accompanied by a brass band, perhaps he was arriving in style for the
Club Verses
Cercle Bruges derby game that evening. Equally confusing was the musicians choice of tune,
‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’ doesn’t appear on ‘Now That’s What I Call Christmas’ to my knowledge. You can’t argue that it’s not factually correct though.
Having highlighted Belgium’s chocolate and beer producing reputation, their love of the chip is also worth mentioning, even if only to then tell you that Bruges has a
chip museum. It was shut on this Sunday, like most of Bruges with the exception of pubs and a few shops, so the history of the potato will have to wait for another time.
At the risk of emphasising the Brit abroad reputation, I shall close on two beer related points. Londoners who have enjoyed the wonders of the
Porterhouse in Covent Garden will confirm that an extensive beer menu is an excellent sight. Being confronted by one the size of one of those giant catalogues you’d find in Argos as we were in our pub of choice in Bruges is most agreeable. As was
Corsendonk Brown, an abbey beer with a sweet after taste.
Back in the bar at Martin’s, Huyghe Brewery were encouraging sales of
Delirium with an interesting collection of merchandise.
“Buy five beers and you could be the proud owner of your very own pink elephant!”
Whether I can now claim to be a member of the Conferie van da Olifant (brotherhood of the elephant) I can’t say. I did return home with my cuddly toy, Club Bruges and Anderlecht scarves to hang on the bedroom wall with the Hertha Berlin one bought earlier in the year and some new favourite beers to hunt out in specialist shops.
So in 2010 it was Berlin, Brussels and Bruges: any suggestions of places beginning with C to visit in 2011?
Wait, next season’s
rugby league fixtures have just been announced and Castleford away is one trip I’m yet to make.
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