Train ride from Amsterdam was great and easy. After arriving in Brussels we decided to take a 4 hour bike ride covering the sights of the city and to orient ourselves. Unlike Amsterdam which is very bicycle riding friendly, bike lanes and all flat, Brussels is automobile dominant, bumpy roads and hilly! The city is a mixture of touristy old world paved road and ancient architecture on the one side and modern city, tall building, nicely paved roads on the side that contains the European Union Parliament. Surprisingly lack of security in the EU section of buildings, no tours or anything unfortunately. Seems that Belgium has been occupied by so many countries over the centuries, that there is a lack of Belgium identify. French is the major language followed by Dutch. One major tourist stop is Mannequin Pis, which is a small statue of a little boy pissing and the other of course is one Belgium chocolate store after another. Animated cartoons are another big claim to fame. Smurfs was created in Belgium. Charming dining one evening, on a warm night, cozy cobblestone streets with so many people dining street side, but we were accosted by multiple beggars making it unpleasant. City is seems dirty with heavy graffiti.
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