I headed to the focal point of the city, the Grand Place. Talk about in-your-face architecture! And you wouldn’t think that the narrow alley you’re walking down on would open up to such grandeur: the humungous plaza, rows of guild houses, sculptures and gilding.
First stop was to the Musee de la Ville de Bruxelles at the Maison du Roi. Similar to the Amsterdam Historisch Museum, it tells of the city’s history. But more importantly, it houses the 800+ outfits designed for the little pisser himself, Brussel’s beloved Manneken Pis statue, including the Elvis, cosmonaut, french cook, Momo Taro & Daimyo, Chinese mandarin and maharaja looks. and I thought Barbie had a killer wardrobe. Why, just this past April, Manneken Pis was dressed as Dracula for the zombie parade.
Manneken Pis is just a short jaunt from the Grand Place. For a bronze statue, it kicks up a lot of fuss. First off, it’s wrought ironed fenced off and there’s hella lot of tourists, jockeying to get as close a look as possible. While people are ooh’ing and ah’ing, I’m imagining a thought bubble hanging in the air. Manneken Pis is grinning and saying, “I pee on all of you.”
Left: Manneken Pis. Right: Manneken Pis chocolates in white chocolate, strawberry, orange, apple, cherry, banana, raspberry, cassis, milk chocolate and dark chocolate.
Also at the Grand Place is the Tintin store. Tintin the boy wonder and his dog Snowy are Belgian’s most celebrated comic strip character. Since 1929, 200M Tintin books have been sold worldwide and translated into 56 languages. I remember reading the Adventures of Tintin when I was in elementary school.
And here was a store devoted to all things Tintin: t-shirts, games, postcards, key rings, stationery, mugs. and figurines. None of which are cheap. The high quality, copyrighted goods come at wallet breaking prices. The Blue Lotus figurine set range unbelievably from € 145 to € 189,50. For the serious collectors only.
With the mercury hitting 28C, I headed back to the air-conditioned Musee Royaux in the afternoon. Michele was working today and was kind enough to comp me a ticket to both the Symbolism in Belgium exhibit AND entrance to the Magritte Museum. It’s nice to have friends in high places.
Michele didn’t like the exhibit because it was too dark. And she’s right. The symbolism is the dark, Gothic side of Romanticism. If we’re speaking literature, the precursors to symbolism in art are Edgar Allan Poe, Christina and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Charles Baudelaire and William Blake.
The Symbolist artists featured are mostly Belgian: Jean Deville, Fernand Khnopff, Xavier Mellery, Leon Spilliaert, George Minne, Joseph Middeleer, Jan Toorop and Félicien Rops, to name but a few.
Clockwise from top left: Deux Femmes by Jan Toorop, Autoportrait by Leon Spilliaert, Pornocrates by Felicien Rops, Une Aile Bleue by Fernand Khnopff, The Sphinx or the Caress by Fernand Khnopff, Les Elements en Movement by Willy Schlobach, Le Cycle des Pasiones by Jean Deville.
There was paintings and drawings from the 1890s-1900s artists that were perhaps viewed as diabolical and taboo. Some of the works were disturbing, but others were fascinating. There were paintings that looked like they were from a modern day graphic novel. And to think that turn of the century artists were imagining all this during such a conservative and puritanical time.
The exhibit lead to the sub-level floors of the Musee Royaux des Beaux Art where I stood and contemplated favourites Edward Burn-Jones and Salvador Dali.
The Wedding of Psyche by Edward Burn-Jones
La Tentation de Sainte-Antoine by Salvador Dali
After that exhibit, I headed to the attached Magritte Museum. Every time I see a Magritte painting, I hear that brilliant Nina Simone song, Oh Sinner Man, in my head. Ever since I watched The Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. His paintings and song have become inexplicably linked.
The 4 story museum was dedicated to Surrealist artist René Magritte’s life and works. You start on the 4th floor which tells of his beginnings and work your way down.
Clockwise from top left: La Magie Noire, Memory, The Return, The Domain of Arnheim and Scheharazade
Ever the romantic, I was more intrigued about his romance and marriage to Georgette Berger. They were together for life.
What surprised me was that none of his bowler hat series were displayed. I thought for a second that I may have missed it? The security guard told me that the painting, The Son of Man et al were in Houston.
Magritte had painting those when he was living in the US and there they remain. How ironic. A museum that was a shrine to René Magritte did not possess some of his most famous works.
As shops are closed on Sundays in Belgium, I made my way to Rue Neuve, which is the main pedestrian shopping with all the high street labels. I’ve noticed that in Amsterdam and now here that people SHOP. They have only one late night shopping in a week, (and that’s only til 7pm) so people make sure to take advantage of when a store stays open after they finish work or on the weekend. The shops are packed, especially now that there’s summer madness sales.
The heat was stifling and oppressive, so I just got some takeaway sandwiches and headed back to the apartment. I wish I could say that I was taking advantage of the nightlife, but going to these places by myself would not be so much fun. And besides, I always start my day early and stay out for like 8-10 hours, so I need the night to recoup and recharge.
I end my evenings watching tv. In Amsterdam, they air Dutch programs as well as North American shows, which are in English but with Dutch subtitles. In Brussels, throw in the mix French programming. some of the US shows are dubbed in French or Dutch. I’m finding that Netherlands and Belgium are big fans of Frasier, CSI, House and That 70s Show cuz that’s on every day. iI’s funny to see what strikes a chord with a country.
Tonight, Pichou graced me with his presence. He ventured gingerly into the living room to sniff me out. Little by little, he came to rub up against me and plop himself on the floor, loving all the petting I was lavishing on him.
It’s nice to have the whole apartment to myself, but it’s even nicer to know there’s a little heartbeat in that house with you.
View more photos of my trip on my Flickr album.
2 Comments
awww… cute kitty. That’s nice that you had a little friend to keep you company.
@ tex – i miss lil’ pichou. i wonder if he misses me?