In my previous opus I mentioned that the Brussels leg of our recent trip to Europe didn’t turn out anywhere near as wonderfully as my wife Sandy and I had expected. But, shit, that’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. Life ain’t perfect, that’s for damn sure. Though I’d do anything but complain if it were.
We fully were expecting to dig Brussels, the capital of Belgium, a lot. Advance research had indicated to me there were quite a few museums, parks and neighborhoods worth investigating, and that the chances were good that we’d attend one or two concerts during the four full days of our stay.
Alas, we attended no concerts and didn’t see all that much of the city. Basically, we were thrown off our game. The bad cold that Sandy came down with had plenty to do with that. It bummed both of us out. And the on-and-off rain showers we encountered on several days were not exactly spirits-boosters.
In the end, then, our explorations were limited substantially to the old, tourist-thronged, cobblestone-streets section of Brussels, whose hub is Grand Place, an imposing plaza. That old section looks similar to how it did long, long ago, and at times we had fun taking in the sights there. On one of its many narrow streets sits Choco Story museum, a place we’d put near the top of our things-we-want-to-see-in-Brussels list. So, after paying the admission fees, we embarked on a self-guided tour of the museum’s galleries.
Choco Story’s unpretentious layout appealed to me. Its exhibits explain the history of chocolate, a product first developed and enjoyed, as a beverage, by the Mayans and Aztecs. Solid chocolate, a European creation, made its appearance in the 1800s. I found all of this pretty interesting. And I became especially interested when I reached the end of the exhibits. For, lo and behold, I noticed a sign that said a chocolate-making demonstration was about to begin in the room just beyond the sign. Sandy and I wasted little time in sitting down on a bench in that room. Moments later, a chocolatier walked in.
Speaking in heavily French-accented English — though French, Dutch and German are Belgium’s official languages, I imagine he used English for the benefit of the museum’s largely non-Belgian clientele — the gentleman explained to the 20 or so folks in the audience the processes required to produce solid chocolates. Temperature control plays a big part. And, while talking a mile a minute with wit and confidence, he demonstrated each step of the operation. Voila! At the end of the show everyone lined up and grabbed a praline (the pralines he offered to us had been prepared earlier, to allow them to solidify properly). Belgium is famed for its chocolates. And, I’m pleased to say, the chocolatier’s creations didn’t let his nation down.
Choco Story wasn’t the best of the two museums we visited in Brussels, as it turned out. Not even close. That honor belongs to Musical Instruments Museum, commonly known as MIM. What a place! And not in the old part of town, either. I’d never seen anything like it. From the moment I began touring the premises, I was certain I was in a truly great museum.
Hundreds and hundreds — thousands? — of instruments fill MIM’s several floors of gallery space. They come from every corner of Planet Earth. Most, it seemed to me, date from the 16th to 20th centuries. And two are from 14,000 or more years ago: pierced animal bones used as whistles by our ancient relatives.
MIM’s cornucopia is meant to please more than our eyes. Our ears are blessed at the museum too, because recorded music performed on a goodly percentage of the instruments can be heard by entering designated code numbers on the headset device given to each museum visitor. Simply put, I was blown away. I listened to saxophone pieces, harmonica pieces, sitar pieces, you-name-it pieces. MIM, on its own, is not reason enough to pay a visit to Brussels. But it almost is.
I hate to be remiss. Which is why I’m going to mention one other aspect of the Brussels vacation that agreed with me well. I’m a bit of a beer geek. And, through reading, I’ve known for years that Belgium produces fine beers, most of which (save for beers made by Leffe, Stella Artois and a couple of other breweries) do not find their way to the USA, the nation I call home.
I’m happy to report that I downed delicious brews in Brussels, each of which I’d never heard of before. The majority of them entered my system at Bier Central, a cozy, handsome tavern whose food is very good. More to the point, its beer selection is out of this world. 366 beers, all of them from Belgium! If you’re a beer lover and ever find yourself in Bier Central, I recommend trying, among others, Floreffe Dubbel (made by Brasserie Lefebvre). It put a contented smile on my frigging face.
In conclusion, I regret not seeing more of Brussels than I did, and never getting a feel for the city. I had a good enough time there, though, to consider the visit a reasonably enjoyable one. And, here in the States, I’m now going to make it my mission to try and find some elusive Belgian beers. Cheers, skoal, bottoms up!
Yeah, Another Blogger 
What fun! Oooh, the chocalatier!
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Hello there. He’s a talented guy. My wife and I liked his demonstration a lot. And his chocolates were real good.
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I would have loved to have seen (and tasted) that.
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You sure saved the best for last! Over 300 beers! I’d love that. I think I’d also love the instrument museum, especially if you could hear them being played.
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Can you imagine having so many beers on hand? I’d have liked to see where they store them.
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The hundreds of beers on tap was one of my favorite things about Brussels plus the architecture, of course, Neil. ;0)
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Hi Pam. Of the beers I had there, Orval Trappist Ale was my favorite.
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Well! It doesn’t sound like Belgium was a complete waste, Neil. And indulgence in Chocolate, the MIM museum (which sounds remarkable), and 366 beers! lol. I’m sorry that a cold and the rain got in the way, but you both made the best of it. 🙂
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We usually feel as though we’re a part of whatever city or area we vacation in. That didn’t happen in Brussels, which kind of frustrated us. Anyway, that’s no big deal. We had a decent amount of good times there.
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Any experience that has “indulgence in chocolate” as a descriptor has to be a fantastic one. Yes, I know. Chocoholic here. Not even ashamed to admit it 🙂 Funnily enough, when I was a (younger? 🙂 ) lass, my favorite chocolates were Leonidas which is a Belgian truffle company!
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I don’t really like chocolate that much, but if I start eating it, I can’t stop! Lol
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🤤 😋
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I think I saw Leonidas chocolate shops in Brussels.
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Sorry that your time in Brussels was less enjoyable than it could have been. I like the sound of all those museums though. There was an upside. And, I didn’t realise that chocolate as we know it had only been around since the 1800s – our ancestors didn’t know what they were missing!
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Solid chocolate was a very great creation, for sure.
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Very sorry to hear about Sandy’s cold. Alas, I had sciatica in Rome, so I “get it” and please pass on my condolences. But for just four days, it sounds like you did find a couple of really great places. I would love to hear the music from the medieval instruments or the prehistoric bones. And Choco Story…I would have probably rushed the stage, dipped my hand in the chocolate and licked each finger CLEAN. Actually, Brussels was my first city ever in Europe, age 17, with my high school band to play concerts across five different countries. The walls of our hotel room swayed when you leaned against them. Turkish boys followed us through the streets, snapping their fingers, shouting, “Whore, whore!” (It was July, and we were dressed seasonably enough in shorts.) Despite being extremely against the Vietnam War, I realized how much of an American I am because I missed our great hot showers. Life! It’s a trip. Literally.
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Hey there, Amy. Sandy and I regret not having brought home more of the Belgian chocolate than we did. And I wish I had brought home some cans of Belgian beers!
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It’s been a good few years since my last visit to Brussels, but I still remember how tasty their chocolate was and how beautiful the architecture around the main square was. I am sorry to hear about Sandys’s cold. Even the best vacation plans can go awry if you’re forced to spend the trip cooped up in your hotel room, hacking up a lung. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
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Hi. I liked the main square area of Brussels. But I sure wish I had gotten to see much more of the city. Oh well . . .
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366 beers?! Wow. I’ve only been to the train station in Brussels, but one day I hope to see it. I’ll certainly do a little taste testing when I do!
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I love it! Your travel share brightens up this year’s season with chocolate, savory foods, old country music and drinks. Tops! Thanks for sharing Neil. Loving regards!👠☕️☕️
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Thanks, AOC. Have a great weekend. Take care.
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I’m sorry to hear your wife wasn’t feeling so well during this part of your trip. But glad to hear you enjoyed some of the best Brussels has to offer, e.g. chocolate and beer! The Musican Instruments Museum sounds fascinating.
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You know, I think one reason we didn’t fully connect with Brussels is that we came there directly from Paris. Paris sets a very high bar that not many places can come close to matching. So, Brussels seemed like kind of a let-down after being in Paris. That said, we had a nice amount of fun and enjoyment in Brussels.
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Beer and chocolate – ooh, la!
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I had plenty of both, especially beer.
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And the Belgian stuff can be jolly strong too! Helps them put up with the weather! (As is the case in Scotland.)
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Yeah, another comment:
[05:09 9.1.25, Thu]
1. Your article was easy to read.
2. Since I recently restarted updating my wordpress blogs and visiting other bloggers:
3. I realised why I have always been motivated to be interactive learner though it doesn’t appeal to many people with whom I respectfully defer.
4. An example: I have come across many articles in newspapers about Brussels but wasn’t motivated to read as much as this
one because of being able to directly interact with the author of the information.
5. Brussels sprouts. There was a moderator from Belgium on a forum we used to interact when I had just started to learn using interaction on computer using slowest internet there was. Those chatrooms seemed like a great delight. Still building blocks of rudimentary communication skills acquired by us.
Thanks for sharing with us this treasure trove of trip! Best wishes for the rest of the year 2025.
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