Had lunch today with my friend the best dressed diplomat. To my great distress, she is leaving Belgium in August and abandoning me (on the plus side she needs to shed some of her wardrobe, so this may not be all bad for me).
She has asked me to recommend 12 things for her to do before she leaves. These are they:
1. Shop on Rue Antoine Dansaert, buy shoes in Suede on Rue de Tongres. Saunter down the Avenue Louise (suspect you will do this more than once). Shop in the Galeries de la Reine. Actually buy something in that nice bookshop.
2. Eat in all your favourite restaurants. Also go to the Belga Queen (because it’s hip and has those strange toilets) and the Ogenblik because it should be one of your favourite restaurants. Save your shillings and go to Comme Chez Soi. Just the once, because otherwise you will be beggared.
3. Go to Ghent for the day. Inspect the altarpiece of the Lamb.
4. Go to the Ardennes for the weekend and do the descent of the Lesse in canoe.
5. Attend the 21 July parade and related celebrations.
6. Go to the musee des beaux arts and gaze at the Magrittes and the Flemish primitives and anything else that takes your fancy.
7. Go for a walk around the Etangs d’Ixelles. Go rollerblading in the Bois de la Cambre (I will lend you my rollerblades, if necessary). Take the tram from Montgomery to Tervuren. While you’re there have another look round the African Museum.
8. Take the art nouveau tour.
9. Go to mass in Notre Dame au Sablon. Have breakfast in the Pain Quotidien (has to be done). Wander round the expensive antique market and buy an overpriced antique map of Belgium and then head for the Jeu de Balle via rue Haute/rue Blaes.
10. Have a very bizarre beer in that pub across the road from the Saint Gilles maison communale. Have a standard beer in the Metropole. Have a drink in the Grand Place.
11. See something in the theatre de la toison d’or.
12. Come round to us for dinner.
on 05 May 2004 at 09:20
Good woman. We know that you are up for this because you have a tattoo (sp?) on your ankle…very cool indeed. Alas, I’m not sure how to spell tattoo.
For your information, this is the description of the pub in Saint Gilles which I mentioned at no. 10.
“MOEDER LAMBIC, rue de Savoie 68, just next to the maison communale of Saint-Gilles. A place, a temple, a spot not like the others. To put in the tierce of the estaminets of the city. Minuscule and hot as a cocotte-minute, full of vibrations and usual customers. More than 1000 ( THOUSAND!) different beers in stock, no comment. It’s quite simple, they serve you “all the Belgian existing beers”, dixit the waiter. Around gross wooden tables, young sympathetic loudmouths you can easily make acquaintance with. An authentic spot, I tell you! Long life to Moeder Lambic!”
English may be a little dodgy but facts are accurate. Come to Belgium and visit.. 
I know this is a very ancient entry but we have a short break in Brussels after Easter so I am just taking notes from this for ideas! Sadly the Art Nouveau tour doesn’t run any of the days we are there…