Brussels

     I'll be the first to admit - I've never really cared to check out Brussels. I've passed through several times on my way to India, but never wondered what was out there. I finally had a reason to go, and so I did. The entire time that I planned out the trip, I didn't spend more than a few minutes here and there thinking about what I would do in the city where my travels would begin and end! There are a few possible reasons for my lack of interest:

1. I haven't read or learned much about Belgian history
2. I haven't read or learned much about Belgian geography
3. All I knew of Belgium's offerings were chocolate and beer (wait, why wasn't that enough?!!!??)
4. I haven't read or learned much about Belgian culture

     Last year, I was enthralled watching scenes from an Indian movie set in Bruges, and I was in love! But more about Bruges later - all in good time!! Bruges was the only Belgian city I was interested in seeing. And because I planned it that way, I wasn't left with a lot of time to see Brussels.

     As we walked the streets of Brussels, I found myself intrigued with the local "flavor". This parade for instance. No idea what it was for. But these guys (including the cutest little kids), all dressed up were walking around, playing drums and throwing oranges at people (what?!)!

 ...and why are there SO many statues peeing???? This one was peeing beer :-/

     I found the city to have a lot of somewhat-indoor-somewhat-outdoor areas like this one. A covered structure, with storefronts along both sides, not enclosed on either end. 

     

     I've always thought of Belgium to be primarily French-speaking (think Hercule Poirot, folks!), but I was surprised to learn that a lot of Belgium speaks more Dutch than French. I found this theme over and over again. European countries are often divided in languages...the part of the country you're visiting would likely speak the language of the country nearest to it, unless the country has a language of its own.

     Since I didn't have the time to see all the attractions, I harassed Sanjay until he helped me drill down to a couple of places I *had* to see!! One was Grand Place. And boy, is it well-named! Ornate, gilded buildings, and a wide city square full of people:

Here we go with people in costumes again!!

I took this picture in a moment of thrill, when I suddenly realized...I'm in Europe! This is it!!! The pattern made by the cobblestones was strangely hypnotic.

There were even horse-drawn carriages! I didn't take a ride...but in hindsight....(maybe next time!)

     Then of course, there was this behemoth of a building - Palais Justice, the largest courthouse in the world. It has been under renovations for years now. There is something very sad, and yet very regal about this place. I felt a sense of awe when I walked in that I'd never before felt in my life. I had never felt so small in a BUILDING. 

I mean, seriously...look at how big just the DOOR is! (there's Sanjay so you have a frame of reference!)

     Can you imagine how Palais Justice may have looked when first built? 

Let's start at the very beginning.

   

     I was born to a tenacious woman who was bitten by the proverbial travel-bug when she was quite young. My mother was a flight attendant back in the 70's, when it was just as glamorous as a profession as was starring in movies. When I was a toddler, she quit what remains her favorite job to be home with me, something I regret for her, every single day. She has these fascinating stories from those years, which she tells better than I ever could. So, if you know her, ask her...she'll freely tell you, and fondly reminisce.
     There is one story, however, that I'd like to share about me. When I was a child, I was calm, quiet and obedient (don't laugh, it's absolutely true! Ma will vouch for me!). Ma took me with her to Europe when I was a little girl, and we were walking through Heathrow Airport in London. I was wearing her long red coat; although it dragged on the floor, she didn't want me to be cold. She was lugging multiple suitcases, and so I was instructed to respond to her as she talked to me incessantly. Monosyllabic responses were acceptable, so I apparently said "Hmm" every so often! Suddenly, she realized I hadn't "Hmm"-ed in a while, so she turned around and saw me a distance away. Well, she saw her red coat sprawled out on the airport floor with what she hoped was a sprawled out little girl in it. I don't remember this at all. Nor do I remember traveling with her to the US, to Europe, to various parts of India and Asia with her early on in my childhood. And of course, the travel opportunities slowed down drastically after she left her Airline job. So, with the exception of visiting the US for one summer when I was thirteen, most of my travel memories are limited to a couple of places in India.
   Since my teenage years, I did a bit more traveling,  but nothing that moved me - pun intended. I've been in the US since 2000, and in the past 15 years, I've lived in Southern California (Orange County) and Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh and the Lehigh Valley). I have been to 12 states and driven through several more. I went to India 3 times, but none of them really count, for reasons I won't go into now. Above all, I've always held this strong need to go to Europe. Blame my mother's stories, or the wander-lust-ful Bollywood movies I've watched since I was young enough to tie my own shoelaces.
     A month ago, I got to live that dream. In a matter of two weeks, I drove through Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and France. In a matter of two weeks, I was forever changed. Sanjay, my wonderful traveling companion, humored what he called an "ambitious plan", did the driving when I was afraid of the steep drop-cliffs or just wanted to nap, carried my stuff everywhere, and was basically, in every way a lifesaver. This trip would have been nothing without his presence.
    I don't know what my ultimate intention is for this blog. For now, it is a place to jot down memoirs. Many of my friends and family have asked me to share details. This is a way for me to do so, and I'll cherish the opportunity to relive those moments. Someday, if and when I have children, I now have stories for them, like my Ma had for me. Maybe decades from now, I'll have a daughter or son planning a trip looking through my lens. If nothing else, someday, I know I'll read my own words and laugh, cry and be able to live these moments over and over again. Could this blog evolve? Maybe. Maybe not. But I'm not going to while away today worrying about tomorrow. Perhaps that's the biggest lesson I learned in a matter of two weeks.