Penultimate day, walking westwards into the City centre via Ambiorix Square (screen.brussels), the angle looks a bit weird in this photograph, but it's just the angle I took the image at. 😉 Oh yes, and just after passing this fountain we witnessed a wee drug deal, it happens everywhere, even during a quiet morning, in broad daylight, in a scenic Brussels square!
Our first port of call on this, mostly, nostalgic wander around Brussels, was to the Comic Art Museum (website), which is situated in an Art Nouveau building designed by Victor Horta in 1905. Originally a department store, it opened its doors as the museum in October 1989.
Getting closer to our first beer (and lunch) destination, we stopped briefly by La Monnaie (website), the national opera house, where a dear relative of mine sings... In addition, this is where the Belgian Revolution of 1830 first erupted. Essentially from 1815 Belgium became the Southern Netherlands following the Congress of Vienna (Britannica), and the Belgian bourgeoisie began to tire of King William I of the Netherlands, and now he had forbidden the presentation of Daniel Auber's opera La Muette de Portici at La Monnaie.
The opera included what the King considered a potentially inflammatory story of nationhood, courage and freedom, and he was correct! The opera had been banned since the 3rd of August, but it was performed on the 25th of August 1830, and its language incited the audience to riot, leave the theatre and take to the streets, soon joined by the working classes, because there were other factors, of course, including unemployment and the harvest failure. By the 4th of October 1830 independence was declared, a week after the Dutch forces retreated from Belgium.
Closer to the City centre we reached Le Cirio, Beursstraat 18, 1000 Brussels (website), next to the old Belgian Stock Exhange, La Bourse (Brussels). This is an old favourite bar of ours, originally an Italian Delicatessen founded by Francesco Cirio in 1886, the present interior was redesigned by Henri Coosemans in 1909 in the style of an Arts Nouveau Italian cafe.
Together with our tasty food in Le Cirio, we each had a beer from Hoegaarden (website), their 8.5% Grand Cru, a spicy wheat beer, which has developed since the monks of Hoegaarden started brewing in the 15th century. Hoegaarden suggest that their early wheat beers were extremely sour, and the monks began experimenting with orange peel and coriander, which comes through in the taste still, together with forest fruits, peach and pear, and slightly malty. An interesting mix of wheat beer and Tripel, with spicy undertones, still pretty good.
Just around the corner in the Grand-Place is the City of Brussels Town Hall (website), a majestic Gothic building originally built in the 15th century, but much of it rebuilt after 1695 when it was damaged by fire when French troops bombarded the City; the original tower and walls survived. I decided to buy myself a map in the Tourist Office in here for a Euro, my previous map having been lent to a friend who didn't return it, life... Interestingly, the tower and building dwarf the Duke/King's House opposite (website), guilds people being wealthier?
Then we wandered southwards and just before the Sablon we reached one of the most interesting bars you'll ever find, La Fleur en Papier Dore, Rue des Alexiens 55, 1000 Brussels (website), 'the flower made from gold foil'; it's many years since I last visited, but it hasn't changed a bit, with very friendly bar staff! It really is an 'arts' bar, created by Gerard van Bruaene and filled by artists and musicians, such as the Surrealists including Rene Magritte, and Jacques Brel. Bits and pieces here and there, much unmatched furniture, and pictures and all sorts adorning the walls, and reyt laid back! Surprisingly, I went for a pilsner as I hadn't drunk Maes for years, and it was in 40cl glasses, which amused me: Maes Pils (website), 5.2% and, well it's a pilsner, brewed with Saaz hops, and what more can I say, other than refreshing and still very enjoyable!
We carried on walking southwards where, very soon after passing Saint-Gilles' Town Hall (where my older Belgian niece's birth was registered), we reached Chez Moeder Lambic, Rue de Savoie 68, 1060 Saint-Gilles (website). This was the first of their 2 bars selling Moeder Lambic beers, and specialising in Lambic and Geuze beers (as you can see in the photograph below), and they sell many others as well as their own, indeed they stock over 300 different beers!
I drank a bottle of their very own 8.0% Moderation (I've seen it called La Moederation elsewhere), and I think Dan did too. It's not a lambic, but a very pale golden ale, refreshing and bitter, with a nice dry finish. I wrote 'between a lager and a bitter' to my taste, and not bad at all!
With our dinner that evening we had a bottle each from the
St Feuillien brewery (
website), their 7.5%
Blonde, with a deep golden colour. Hints of malt and spices, and a light bitterness and dryness to the finish. This isn't a bad beer of its style at all, and you can buy it in M&S if you fancy a bottle... Tasty, and you can buy it in Hastings!
Oh yes, and I came back the next day, another dire travelling experience, although I did get back £32 from Eurostar, for it was their fault, cheers folks!
