Brussels' Chez Leon

Brussels is one of Europe's culinary capitals, where one could spend much time and money seeking out the great and the best. Being a mussels aficionado and having dined on mussels at Leon of Brussels restaurants in Paris many times in the past, I wanted only to find the mother-restaurant. Sort of like finding the mother Ikea in Stockholm. It was not difficult.

There, on the Rue des Boucherers, near the Grand Place

Chez Leon

A table for two, by a radiator, SVP

It's not New Zealand, but I am in mussels heaven

For me, a starter of poison soup (running gag); for Vicki, more
pain, SVP

My main, moules et frites; Vicki's steak and frites in view; the
steak was good, she said

Looking around; we've been at the museum all day, it's 4 in the
afternoon, but the place is not entirely deserted (I try not to shoot
people...)

The cute plastic bowls they use for discards; I thought of trying
to pilfer one...remember Paris, girls?

Looking further; note little bronze plaques on back rests...

Thus; and seafaring art

Very famous patron

Another

Infamous patron

More looking around

Belgians eat a lot of bread

Mussels cartoon...of course

Mussel sculpture

Great food, neat place

Brussels' Royal Museum of Fine Arts, 2

I could have gone on with the Breughels--there were more--but there is much else of interest in the Old Masters section.

Our Breughel interest was fueled by a wonderful collaboration
between the Museum and Google, "Unseen Masterpieces," which
took a closer scholarly/creative look at several of the Elder's
paintings, and particularly the "ousting of the angels"; these were
shown in the Breughel Box, as above, a separate large room at
the beginning of the Older Masters section, and at kiosks in various
places; really enriched the experience, illuminating relations
among the works, the culture, philosophical and religious issues... 

Moving right along...one of a number of Anthony
van Dyke paintings, a portrait of Father Jean-
Charles Della Faille, SJ

Jan Breughel's Aeneas in Hades

A Quentin Massys genre piece,  A Banker and a Woman

Jacques Jordaens, The King Drinks

A Snyders still-death...made me think about dinner

Rembrandt, Not A Self-Portrait

Steen's, The Rhetoricians...

Hals' portrait of Franz van Heytheusen

Teniers' Archduke Leopold William and his Gallery of  Italian
Paintings

Pedro Pablo's Jesus and the Adulteress

Never miss a Claude Lorraine....Aeneas in Africa

Brussels' Royal Museum Of Fine Arts, 1

As one might expect, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts is known especially for its collection of northern masters, one of our interests, so we had to visit. Alas, the Old Masters section has been under renovation (asbestos removal) for some years, and the exhibit is much reduced. Nonetheless it is world-class and is especially strong in paintings by our favorite painting family, the Breughels, Peter the Elder, Peter the Younger, and other son Jan.

Nice Annunciation, possibly by Robert Campin, a contemporary of van Eyck 

Panel on Justice under Emperor Otto, by Dirk Bouts, mid-15th; note the frame
tracery exactly matches that in the panels; also note also the burning lady (witch?)
 in the right panel

Really nice Bosch, Triptych on the Temptations of St. Anthony; now reckoned a copy

One of several Rogier van der Weyden works

Very famous Cranach Venus and Amor; Amor has gotten into a
bee hive

Old Masters is the upper bit

Now into the Breughel room...Elder's Magi

Elder's Fall of Icarus (saw something similar in Rome, in 2013)

Elder's Expulsion of the Angels (nasty angels)

An Elder Breughel Winter Scene (more famous one in Vienna)

Elder's Census in Bethlehem; most interestingly, on the adjacent wall hung
Younger's almost indistinguishable copy 

Younger's Kermess, Theater and Procession

Detail from the Bethlehem census

Younger's Combat of the Carnival

On To Brussels

After s-Hertogenbosch, we thought we might return to Amsterdam for King's Day, which had been recommended to us. In Amsterdam, particularly, it is sort of a national block party, with street markets and yard sales galore. The largest of the city parks becomes a gigantic flea market for children only, where they can set up tables, buy and sell, barter and haggle, and learn the fundamentals of capitalism. It's in their genes anyway. The forecast was for continued cold, rainy, and windy weather, however, and we decided a flea market wouldn't be so much fun in a gale. Besides, neither of us has a stitch of orange to wear. So we headed on to Belgium and Brussels, finding a coop campground in Kraanem, a short bus ride from Metro #1 and thence to the city center.

We had three goals in Brussels: walk/shop the old bits again, and the Grand Place; visit the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, and especially its Old Masters section; and see some art nouveau in the city where architect Viktor Horta reigned. Throw in a cathedral, a memorable meal, and fine if chilly weather, and it was a pretty good visit. Plus I stocked up on Duvel, and, as a superb later bonus, picked up a few more bottles of Westvleteren #12. But that's another post.

Our first day was at the Royal Museum, and walking around the city center, and lunch at Leon's.

Just out of the Metro at the central station, up into a square,
mostly contemporary architecture

But with some nods to tradition

Thus; on the left is the Old England building, an art nouveau
structure we'll see later

More traditional Flemish too

Looking back toward the Grand Place

In one of the beautiful late 19th century covered arcades

Lots of lace and chocolate; not pictured. Mary's, where Vicki
indulged a bit

Into the Grand Place

Thus

And thus; it's much better at night, but
impressive enough by day too

In our campground's neighborhood, one of the most vined
buildings I've seen

TinTin Land; at the cartoon museum

Out on the street too

Container sculpture