I experienced a magical moment in Brussels. An awe-inspiring, Disney-esque magical moment. It took place in the Grand Place, which is an enormous town square in the heart of the city. First, the Grand Place is overwhelming in its scale and opulence. Just looking at it, I have a wave of emotions as I tried to process everything that I was seeing and feeling. Here are some picture, none of which come close to showing the magnificence of the Grand Place.

My magical moment, that I was certain had been orchestrated by Disney's atmosphere department ( everything goes back to Disney with me), happened here, when seemingly out of nowhere, an orchestra appeared and began to play. 

We continued our city tour and visited the statue of Everard t'Serclaes. Legend goes, if you touch the statues' arm, you will return to Brussels. 

Another famous statue in Brussels is Manneken Pis. Manneken Pis is small, only standing twenty-four inches tall and done in bronze, depicting a little boy peeing. Yes, the peeing is a water feature. Manneken Pis is dressed up in various costumes that are often given as gifts from visiting dignitaries. 

Some shop owners have created their own Manneken Pis statues. 

More pictures from the city.

We were left on our own for the last two hours of our time in Brussels. I had to navigate dinner solo. I actually love to dine solo. It gives me a great excuse to people watch and eavesdrop under the guise of reading my book. I'm totally nosy and unashamed to admit it.

I steeled myself, prepping for the hard sell, and headed back to the narrow streets with all of the restaurants. I was determined to peruse and picked a special place for my Brussels meal. Almost immediately I caved. I'm a push-over. A manager from the first restaurant I passed, caught my eye, grabbed my arm and led me to a table. So, I ate at Le Jardin de l'llot Sacre. 

 I had a salmon fillet and a glass of chardonnay. Although this wasn't the crazy memorable meal that I was hoping to have in Brussels, it was good. When I returned home, I saw that the ratings for Le Jardin de l'llot Sacre were very low and that it's seen as a total tourist trap. I guess I got caught here!

On my walk back to the bus, I saw a Smurf statue. As a kid growing up in the 80's, I used to LOVE the Smurfs. 

And the final images of Brussels were these statues in a park near our bus. I hate that their covered in graffiti, however the spray paint colors add another element. 

I absolutely loved Brussels and I look forward to returning. I touched Everard t'Serclaes' arm, just to make sure that it would happen. Although every terrorist attack has been devastating, I was extra heartbroken with the recent attack on Brussels. I may have only spent three hours in the city, but the grandeur and beauty made a huge impression. Brussels was pure magic.