Category: Uncategorized
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If it’s October, this must be Belgium (#12, Final Post)
Last Day in Brussels: The Fine Arts and Magritte Museums October 29, 2025 We fly back to New York tomorrow, October 30. For our last day in Brussels, we wanted to check out the museum dedicated to Belgium’s own René Magritte. We were surprised that the Musée Magritte is actually a part of the complex…
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If it’s October, this must be Belgium (#11)
The Horta Museum October 28, 2025 Okay, it’s almost time to go home. I had told you about our failed attempt to see the Horta Museum this past Sunday, and their suggestion to just show up on Tuesday at 2 pm. Well, it worked; we actually got in! The place is truly an Art Nouveau…
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If it’s October, this must be Belgium (#10)
Maison Hannon, Design Museum, and the Atomium October 26-27, 2025 On Sunday, we made an attempt to see the Horta Museum. You’ll recall that Victor Horta (1861-1947) was a Belgian architect and designer, and one of the founders of the Art Nouveau movement. His home is a museum, and a resplendent example of his art.…
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If it’s October, this must be Belgium (#9)
Antwerp October 24, 2025 Antwerp (or Anvers, in French) is to Brussels sort of like Chicago is to New York, the “Second City.” Culturally different, since Antwerp is the de facto capital of the Flemish (Flanders) part of Belgium, and you hear no French spoken. It was home to the artist Peter Paul Rubens, who…
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If it’s October, this must be Belgium (#8)
Uccle: The van Buuren Museum Wednesday, October 22, 2025 We, and our new friends, Daniel and Debbie, selected as our activity for today the Musée David et Alice van Buuren. Located in the très luxueux Brussels neighborhood of Uccle, it is the former home and grounds built by David and Alice van Buuren in 1928.…
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If it’s October, it must be Belgium (#7)
The Musical Instrument Museum Tuesday, October 22, 2025 Tuesday was somewhat problematic. We ran into some technical problems (washing machine, computer) that absorbed most of the morning. But all got fixed. In the afternoon, we visited the Musée des Instruments de Musique, or Muziekinstrumentenmuseum, or MIM. It’s in the Upper Town, near the Royal Palace.…
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If it’s October, this must be Belgium (#6)
Bruges (or Brugge, as the case may be) Monday, October 20, 2025 Day trip to Bruges? There was a good chance of rain, but we decided to go for it. Up and out, to the Gare du Midi, to catch the train (an easy one-hour ride) to Bruges, a world-class trading center and economic powerhouse…
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If it’s October, this must be Belgium (#5)
Ixelles and Art Nouveau Sunday, October 19, 2025 Our Lonely Planet travel book (sorry, Rick Steves, you are not the only act in town) mapped out an Art Nouveau walking tour. Belgium claims to be the birthplace of this style of art and architecture popular during the Belle Epoque period (between 1890 and 1910). It…
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If it’s October, this must be Belgium (#4)
The Upper Town Walk Saturday, October 18, 2025 The Lower Town of Brussels, which we visited yesterday, is more the old renaissance, bourgeois, commercial part. The Upper Town is more the aristocratic, royal part. The start of Rick Steves’ Upper Town Walk is the statue of Godfrey of Bouillon (1060 – 1100). He is famous…
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If it’s October, this must be Belgium
The Grande Place Walk Friday, October 17, 2025 One of the many things we like about traveling the apartment-rental route is the absence of fixed schedules. On a guided group tour, we’d wake to an alarm, rush to the hotel dining room for a buffet breakfast, and then meet in the lobby before being bused…
Something to Declare 