Playgrounds in Brussels: Tournay Solvay and Rouge Cloiter

Our first week in Brussels we wondered what we would do with Elisabeth and Kate: were there parks for kids, play grounds, etc.? Everything we had read said that Belgium was not kid-friendly, especially restaurants. We had heard that dogs were treated better - often sitting at a table in a restaurant with a plate of food.

Fortunately, Elisabeth's school, International School of Brussels (ISB), sent a list of play grounds in Brussels. This list was especially helpful as school did not begin for another few weeks. Here are two of our favorites.

Tournay Solvay, Boitsfort

One of the first parks we visited was Tournay Solvay park in Boitsfort. We parked at the Boitsfort parking lot and entered the imposing iron gates to the park. In French, "bois" means wood and "fort" means strong. The park itself is heavily wooded with a huge tree canopy. Kate calls it the "tree tunnel" because she can't see the sky through the trees.

The girls picked a path and we proceeded to cross an old bridge, meandering towards the haunted house, the Tournay Solvay mansion. The mansion is in ruins and somewhat overwhelming for the girls. Incredible architecture. We quickly passed the mansion and walked down the hill. At the bottom of the hill we discovered three or four ponds with weeping willow trees and, in some places, covered by fog (very spooky - a great place to visit for Halloween). We passed the lakes and then headed up a steep hill (a "mud mountain" according to Kate). At the top of the hill is an apple orchard and just past the orchard a walled garden with a maze. The girls enjoyed running through the labyrinth. Exiting the walled garden on the other side we turned right and walked through a short tunnel. At the exit of the tunnel we could see a clearing in the woods and a terrific park with an airplane, a slide and forts. We enjoyed our time at the park and the walk back to the car. What an adventurous morning!

http://www.opt.be/informations/tourist_attractions_watermael_boitsfort__park_tournay_solvay/en/V/17547.html

Rouge Cloitre, Auderghem

During our first week we also enjoyed an outing to Rouge Cloiter park in Auderghem. We parked on the street next to a soccer stadium and walked along a tree-lined path that meandered through a field. There is an impressive stone wall in the distance. As we turned a corner we looked down a slight hill and saw the most delightful park with a pirate theme. The girls especially enjoyed the zip line and pirate ship. The park is enclosed by a fence and very well manicured hedge. Down the hill is another playground, but we haven't been there yet...a long hike back up.

http://www.opt.be/informations/tourist_attractions_auderghem__rouge_cloitre_park/en/V/39694.html

Antwerp and the Zoo

Each Saturday we select a new city to visit in Belgium. A few weeks ago we visited Antwerp. The girls had heard about a new baby elephant, Kai, at the Antwerp Zoo. The zoo is very kid- friendly. It is flat, has a few play grounds scattered about and you can see all the animals in two hours or so.

Car or Train?

We considered taking the train to Antwerp. The trains in Belgium are very clean and efficient. Plus, the train station in Antwerp is incredibly beautiful. In the end, we decided to drive (too much to drive to the train station, park the car and buy the train tickets with two kids).

http://www.antwerpen.be/eCache/BEN/52.html

Antwerp Zoo

The zoo is one of the oldest and most famous zoos in the world. The zoo was very easy to navigate. The girls held the map and directed us. The girls especially enjoyed the penguins (Elisabeth is currently reading Mr. Popper's Penguins). Elisabeth and Kate also liked the monkeys: two were playing with a stick of bamboo and the girls enjoyed observing their sisterly skirmish.

We especially enjoyed the elephants and the newest addition, Kai. Next to the elephant area was a tree house. The girls climbed the rope ladder to the tree house. They could watch the elephants from the tree house and then slide down the slide. We stayed for about 45 minutes watching the elephants and playing on the slide and rope ladder.

http://www.zooantwerpen.be/

Antwerp Central Railway Station

Adjacent to the zoo is the Antwerp Central Railway Station. Rich and I enjoyed showing the girls the trains. Beautiful architecture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antwerpen-Centraal_railway_station

The Grote Market

We drove from the Antwerp Central Railway Station to the Grote Market in Antwerp. It was difficult to find parking. Next time we'll take the street car. The girls enjoyed the medieval feel of the city and the Grote Market. We enjoyed a horse drawn carriage ride around the old city of Antwerp.

The day we visited Antwerp, the citizens were celebrating the anniversary of Antwerp's liberation from the Nazi's in WWII by the Allied forces. We enjoyed watching the reenactment of the Allied forces entering the city. Lots of Brits, antique tanks, jeeps, and people in military dress. The girls enjoyed the Scottish bagpipes and the marching bands.

Note: Some incredible shopping in Antwerp. Very chic...saving it for our next visit!

De Haan & The Beach

Everyone told us to pack winter clothes for Brussels. However, we are enjoying some incredibly warm and sunny weather here. We've visited the beach three times since August.

We took advantage of the weather and drove to de Haan, on the northwest coast of Belgium. De Haan is a quaint little beach town, hundreds of years old, with beautiful architecture. Most of the buildings are white stucco with orange tile roofs. There are no high rises or modern buildings.

We headed straight to the beach and enjoyed swimming in the North Sea. The beach was 300 meters wide at low tide and stretched along the coast. Lots of sand dunes. We all went in at first. Rich and Elisabeth braved the cold for a long swim and Kate and I hid on the beach under the beach towels. Kate was overwhelmed. The girls enjoyed collecting sea shells, watching kite surfers, and strolling on the beach.

At de Haan, the local children make flowers out of colored tissue paper and sell them for sea shells. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed collecting sea shells to buy the flowers. Perhaps they can sell their own flowers next summer...

After the beach we walked to the town center to play on the extensive play ground. We enjoyed putt putt golf, moonbounces, go carts and face painting before pizza for dinner and a relaxing drive back to Brussels.

We're thinking about returning next summer and renting a house at de Haan next the beach and the town center....

The Netherlands & A Visit to De Hoge Veluwe National Park

We enjoyed a trek to the Netherlands and loaded the girls new very pink bicycles on the bike rack Saturday morning. Surprisingly, the bike rack and bikes fit on our little silver Citroen.

Herberg Rijzenburg

A little tricky navigating out of Brussels - our two hour drive turned into a three hour drive. However, we arrived in time for lunch at a quaint little restaurant, Herberg Rijzenburg, in the Netherlands just outside of the park near the Schaarsbergen entrance. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed playing hide and seek in the trees adjacent to the patio. They collected chestnuts while we waited for our food. The roof of the buildings in the Netherlands were made of moss.

De Hoge Veluwe National Park

We then drove the 12 km into the de Hoge Veluwe park. There are boar and moose inside the park. We looked carefully, but didn't see any wild animals during the drive. The girls noticed the landscape - there were lots of sand dunes (but no ocean). It reminded us of a desert.

Bike Trails

There are 1600 bikes available to visitors, free of charge, at the De Hoge Veluwe National Park. When we first arrived, we unloaded the bikes and hopped on the bike trail. Incredibly beautiful day in the Netherlands. Kate and Elisabeth were confident bike riders. However, it was challenging biking on narrow trails when a whole Dutch extended family on bicycles would approach. Unlike DC trails, bikers bike side-by-side and in some cases four or five across. They do not ride single file or say "passing on the left" to notify other people on bicycles. A few near misses.

Kroller Muller Collection

After our bike ride we visited the cafe at the museum for some bubble juice (aka Sprite) and some cookies. I love that drinks come with cookies on the side in Belgium and the Netherlands. So yummy! The Kroller Muller Collection is housed in the museum. Helene Kroller Muller collected works of art during her lifetime. In the 1920's and 1930's her company was severely hit by the depression and she donated her collection to the Dutch State. The collection includes many paintings by Van Gogh, Seurat, Renoir and Picasso. There is also an extensive sculpture garden. Quite impressive. (Today, Elisabeth and Kate were playing with beads and wire. During clean up time, I picked up some wire to throw away, but Elisabeth said it was her "sculpture" and that I shouldn't throw it away.) Kate's favorite painting was a clown with a violin by Auguste Renoir. Elisabeth's favorite was Van Gogh's Bridge of Arles (Pont de Langlois, 1888).

De Koperen Kop and Play Ground

After the museum we drove to the De Koperen Kop restaurant and play ground for an afternoon of fun. The playground was rustic with tree houses, zip lines, basket swings, logs, horses, etc. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed it. Elisabeth's favorite was the basket swing and tree house: To climb to the tree house she had to cross a log 15 feet in the air and to get down she had to use a rope. Some good pictures of Rich spotting her! Kate's favorite was her swing: for the first time Kate was able to sit on her swing and then stand on the swing herself. Quite strong.

We enjoyed a nice dinner on the patio adjacent to the park. Surprisingly, the weather was beautiful, warm and sunny in September. The girls fell asleep in the car on the drive home. A three hour drive for us, but Rich and I enjoyed talking and catching up on the week.

No Car Day in Belgium

Sunday, September 20, 2009 was "no car" day in Belgium. All public transportation was free: streetcars, trams, buses, metro, etc. The streets were opened to the public and full of people biking, roller skating, walking, etc. to promote alternative transportation and environmental awareness.

In the morning we walked to the tram station and took the 94 tram to Avenue Louise in the city center. We attended mass at the Anglican church, Holy Trinity, and enjoyed a lovely "English" breakfast downtown. The sermon was incredibly thoughtful and worth the long trek. Holy Trinity

http://www.htbrussels.com/news.html

We took the tram home, but Kate was tired on the return journey so I took her home for a nap. Rich and Elisabeth continued on to the Boisfort market. They bought a delicious plum pastry and bouquet of flowers for me.

Boisfort

http://www.watermael-boitsfort.be/

In the afternoon we biked on Avenue de Sovereign. Exciting to see everyone on their bikes in the streets. Elisabeth and Kate rode their new bikes and Rich and I tried to keep up with them! Both were pretty in pink on their pink bicycles!

No Car Day in Brussels

http://english.cctv.com/20090921/102226.shtml

Bouillon & Dinant

We enjoyed a fun weekend exploring Belgium. Earlier in the week we bought the girls new bicycles. Both are very pink with baskets, streamers on the handle bars and lots of flowers. Elisabeth has a 20 inch bike (without training wheels) and Kate has a 16 inch bike (with training wheels). Early on Saturday morning we bicycled to our local pastry shop for a tart de citron. Delicious! We biked along the bike path along the Parc de Woluwe - a former railroad line that has since been converted to a lovely shaded bike path. The highlight was when Kate had a little tumble and Rich's pastry fell down "a mud mountain" (according to Kate). Glad Kate didn't go down the mud mountain with her bike! There is a great park for kids along the trail. The girls enjoyed eating their pastry and playing at the park.

Parc de Woluwe

http://www.opt.be/informations/attractions_touristiques_woluwe_saint_pierre__parc_de_woluwe/fr/V/17557.html

Bouillon

Mid-morning we piled into our little Citroen and drove to Bouillon in the Ardennes. Bouillon is southeast of Brussels so it was easy to take the E411. About an hour and a half drive. Bouillon is situated on the Semois river and the Castle of Bouillon looks over the river valley. We enjoyed a picnic lunch along the river and then hiked up the hill to the "princess" castle. Our first. Very well maintained and fun to explore. Especially enjoyed a Birds of Prey exhibition with hawks, eagles, condors, vultures, owls, etc. Truly incredible. The girls thought the Condor was a turkey!

Bouillon

http://www.trabel.com/bouillon/bouillon.htm

Castle of Boullion

http://www.trabel.com/bouillon/bouillon-castle.htm

Dinant

After touring the castle, we enjoyed an ice cream along the river. We jumped in the car and enjoyed a scenic drive through the Belgian countryside. The Ardennes are especially beautiful in autumn. We drove to Dinant known for William Sax, the inventor of the saxophone. We took a cable car up a steep cliff to a fortress on top of the mountain. Truly incredible! There is a wonderful children's park at the top. It had a zip line and the girls enjoyed swinging on the line and playing "pirates" at the park. We toured the fortress later in the afternoon. The elderly tour guide led the tour and spoke four languages (French, English, Dutch and German) for the audience. I think the girls were impressed. Today Kate said in the car, "I speak English, German and French."

http://www.trabel.com/dinant/dinant.htm

At 5pm we started to look for a restaurant for dinner. Unfortunately, all the restaurants were closed until 6pm. We decided to try a restaurant that was open on the waterfront and enjoyed a lovely meal on the balcony looking out over the river, Meuse. Rich enjoyed a steak, I enjoyed lamb and the girls had an incredibly delicious chicken with fries and applesauce! Rich and I agreed that the chicken was the most delicious.