This is one of the grand cathedrals in Brussels, called the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. Construction here began in the 11th century. It is incredibly beautiful, filled with wonderful artwork, stained glass, wood carvings and sacred paintings.
Many coronations and weddings are held here.
Waffles are the other grand treat of Belgium. with almost as many waffle shops as there are chocolate shops. These are a real treat. They are thick and heavy and you can choose from dozens of toppings.
It didn’t take long to see that everything we’d heard about Belgian chocolate was true. They say that everyone in Belgium eats some chocolate every day. There were more chocolate shops than I could count. One every street, on every corner, in every part of the city we found chocolate.
This is the Royal Gallery, one of the oldest covered malls, built in 1846-47. There were chocolatiers throughout the gallery, one specialty shop after the next.
Jean Neuhaus is the founder of one of the most respected and delicious chocolate companies in Belgium. He started as a pharmacist. He started coating his medicines with chocolate to make them easier to swallow. Before long, more people were coming to buy chocolate from him than medicine. He made the decision to change his profession and he became a master chocolate maker.
This weekend we had meetings in Belgium and the Netherlands. Thursday afternoon we got in our car and drove the 4 hours to Brussels, arriving late afternoon. First stop, after finding our Marriott hotel, was food. We were hungry. Our typical car food includes peanuts and pretzels and fruit. I was thrilled with my choice–a big heavy raisin roll. It was one of the best baked treats I’ve had here.
This view of the old stock exchange building was the view from our hotel windows.
This is our Marriott Hotel:
Inside the old stock exchange building:
We walked through the building, and then out into the Grand Place, or square or plaza. It was a spectacular sight.
From Wikipedia:
The Grand-Place; “Grand Square” is the central square of Brussels, Belgium. It is surrounded by opulent Baroque guildhalls of the former Guilds of Brussels and two larger edifices; the city’s Flamboyant Town Hall, and the neo-Gothic King’s House or Bread House building, containing the Brussels City Museum. The square measures 68 by 110 metres (223 by 361 ft) and is entirely paved.
The Grand-Place’s construction began in the 11th century and was largely complete by the 17th. In 1695, during the Nine Years’ War, most of the square was destroyed during the bombardment of Brussels by French troops. Only the facade and the tower of the Town Hall, which served as a target for the artillery, and some stone walls resisted the incendiary balls. The houses that surrounded the Grand-Place were rebuilt during subsequent years, giving the square its current appearance, though they were frequently modified in the following centuries. From the mid-19th century, the square’s heritage value was rediscovered, and it was thoroughly renovated.
Nowadays, the Grand-Place is the most important tourist destination and most memorable landmark in Brussels. It is also considered one of the world’s most beautiful squares, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998
The city “owns” the facades of these buildings. In truth, there is not always useful space behind the facades. The windows are old, the heating is poor, and the tenants are few.
The buildings are famous for their gold decor.
Today was an exciting day. We welcomed Chris and Jacque Feinauer, who will be taking the Garbers’ place when they depart next week. John and Chris worked together years ago for the BYU Alumni Association. It’s good to be reunited.
As part of our new Zone Leader role, we are now in charge of the airport arrivals and departures and orienting the new missionaries. This will be fun.
It’s always a delight to be in Sis Enger’s home. Now it’s decorated for Easter. We feel her love and we feel peace when we come. This week we learned about different Easter traditions in Europe, including decorating Easter trees and enjoying budding branch arrangements in our homes.
We’re also learning the names of different flowers.
It’s exciting to welcome Spring to our world!
Our Frankfurt Germany Mission 