This was Tiffany's first time doing a Hop-on/Hop-off tour and she was a great sport about accommodating the needs of a seven-year-old. Luckily we like the same things so when a stop was coming up, we'd either give a curt nod or shake of the head to indicate the hop-worthiness.

Worth it: this park.

Worth it: wisteria growing up a building

Worth it: actual Belgian waffles

worth it: this guy and his dog

worth it: this beautiful shopping center

worth it: how is all this chocolate possible??

worth it: this chocolate is as delicious as it looks!

worth it: these tools

they're chocolate!

really! chocolate!

seriously! all chocolate!

worth it: these streets are incredibly charming and tried to eat my boot heels. Nice try, charming cobblestone.

Ummmm...maybe not worth it. Viv hopped on first and the bus door started closing. Tiffany donned her cape and shoved her hands into the doors, which closed. On her hands. Then she yelled, "the doors closed on my hands!" while I gave a death ray look at the bus driver and Vivian bounced up and down calling, "mommy! Don't let them leave without you!" This picture is a dramatic recreation showing Viv's worry and Tiffany's relief when the doors opened.

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The Atomium is a building in Brussels originally constructed for Expo 58, the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. Designed by the engineer André Waterkeyn and architects André and Jean Polak, it stands 102 m (335 ft) tall. Its nine 18 m (60 ft) diameter stainless steel clad spheres are connected so that the whole forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. It is now a museum.

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Grand Place Brussels

The Grand Place or Grote Markt in Dutch is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe with architecture from eras of Baroque, Gothic and Louis XIV. All these eras made their marks on the square giving it an eclectic flavour. This eclectic quality earned the Grand Place a listing as one of the Sites Of World Heritage by UNESCO in 1998.

History of The Grand Place

The Brussels Grand Place was historically a marketplace where traders and citizens traded goods. You can notice that streets surrounding the square are named after foods. Like butter (Rue au Beurre), herbs (Rue du Marché aux Herbes), cheese (Rue du Marché aux Fromages) and so forth. As the city grew, market stands gave way to grand buildings by which the Grand Place is surrounded to this day. The Maison du Roi, in French means king’s house, but the lesser used name of Broodhuis in Dutch means bread house. Most of the buildings were rebuilt or restored after the bombardment of Brussels by France in 1695.

Atmosphere at The Grand Place

The Grand Place is always packed with people. There are tourists and school groups during the day and during the night, people sit on the stones in small circles drinking and talking. Overlooking them is the glowing Gothic tower of the town hall (Hotel de Ville), which one may mistake for a church or a castle. It acts as a great landmark because you can see the tower from most corners of the city.

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Everard t'Serclaes (c. 1320 – 31 March 1388), lord of Kruikenburg (alternatively Cruyckembourg), was a citizen of Brussels, who was made famous by his recovery of that city from the Flemings.

After the death of John III of Brabant on 5 December 1355, his daughter Joanna and her husband, Wenceslaus, succeeded him as rulers of the duchy. Their succession was disputed by the count of Flanders, Louis de Male. Louis invaded Brabant and quickly seized Brussels. On the night of 24 October 1356, Everard scaled the city walls leading a group of patriots and drove the Flemings from the city. This enabled Joanna and Wenceslaus to make their Joyous Entry into the city.^[1]

Everard was later made schepen (alderman) of the city five times. As an old man he led the successful opposition to the selling of a section of crown land to Sweder of Abcoude, lord of Gaasbeek. A group led by Sweder's illegitimate son ambushed, beat, and mutilated Everard on the road from Lennik to Brussels. He died five days later as a result of the attack. In response, the citizens of Brussels, joined by allies from across Brabant, razed Gaasbeek Castle.^[2]

Everard is commemorated by a monument sculpted by artist Julien Dillens (1849–1904), which is located on Charles Buls street in Brussels, just off the Grand Place. It is said among locals that the statue of Everard t'Serclaes brings luck and grants the wishes of all who touch it. Many tourists touch (or rather rub) the statue, particularly the arm, because legend has it that rubbing the arm will ensure one's return to Brussels. Other parts are also touched frequently by the tourists such as the face of an angel, a dog, and one of the shields. This constant polishing keeps the body shining compared to the rest of the sculpture.

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worth it -- Tiffany taught Vivian the chopped off thumb trick and Viv wowed people from many different countries without speaking any of their languages. We now know the thumb trick is universal.