Brussels, Belgium (Flower Carpet)

After a fun day "exploring" Mini-Europe we headed into downtown Brussels to find our hotel and check out the Flower Carpet!

We stayed at the Chelton Hotel, which was not within walking distance of the Flower Carpet but was withing walking distance to the Schuman Metro Station.  It was 93 EUR for one night (including parking but excluding breakfast) and the staff was friendly and the hotel was clean.


After we unpacked we headed to the Metro and four stops later we were at the Grand Place, the central square of Brussels and the Flower Carpet!

15th century Gothic Town Hall building (you can pay
to take a guided English tour and go up to the balcony
 to get even better views of the Flower Carpet!)

"The square, famous for it's aesthetic and historical wealth, is surrounded by the Town Hall, the King's House and many guild houses.  The market is considered one of the most beautiful squares in the world and the Grand Place has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1998."

The Flower Carpet this year (it only happens every two years) was in honor of Africa.  The making of the carpet is really cool, we didn't know it but it actually starts a year out with all the planning, outlines, color combinations, illustrations, etc.!  Everything then culminates in over a hundred experienced gardeners laying out a jigsaw of over 750,000 begonia flowers in under four hours!  The flowers are so tightly packed that they don't even use soil to lay them out...crazy!

After checking out the carpet we stopped for a snack, took a peek inside the St. Micheal Cathedral, walked around downtown for awhile, ate dinner, found the Manneken-Pis, and finished the evening off with some yummy ice cream!

Belgian pomme frites!

Cathedralis SS. Michaelis et Gugulae - Bruxellis

"Look Mom, he's so tiny!"

The next morning we took a much needed sleep in day and then took the kids to get some fresh Belgian waffles for breakfast (and OMG they were delicious!).  Then, on our way out we stopped by Chocopolis to taste-test some Belgian chocolate!  We didn't want to leave!

Roll Tide, Brussels, Roll Tide!

Belgium waffles, Belgium fries, Belgium chocolate, Belgium beer (yep, we stopped at Cora on the way home!)....we fell in love with Belgium!  It was a wonderful trip away and we can't wait to go back!