Can you believe that it’s almost Christmas? In the last 2 weeks I have traveled to Brussels and Vienna and now I’m finally at home, waiting for the cozy days of Christmas. The festive and cheerful mood, the cities decorated with fairy lights, makes me already been in the Christmas mood.
Here is the diary of the days spent in Brussels during the festive period, the “Winter Wonder” event, how it is called:
The light show in Grand Place: during the evening, at every 30 minute, it plays Sia’s festive album “Every day is Christmas” together with the lights show over the facades of Grand Place. It is such an amazing show!
The Christmas market, located behind Sainte-Catherine Church, it is like a small village of chalets which sell gourmet souvenirs made in smaller workshops.
My souvenir gift guide from this local Christmas market:
– The gourmet vinegar from “Saveurs de Crete” (I bought the one with honey, which it’s delicious and transforms every salad into a remarkable culinary experience). It would be a good gift for mother and for cooking enthusiasts.
– Soaps and lavender sacks artisanally made in Marseille from “Les Savonneries du Soleil” (The soap of the sun).
– Wool scarfs. I received ones last year from my sister, and since it becomes my favorite scarf, I bought some as a gift.
– Belgian chocolate it is ones of the most representative gifts if you visit Brussels. In this article and this one I wrote about my favorites chocolatiers in Brussels.
We ate at NONA a super delicious pizza made from organic ingredients from Belgian farmers. I really recommend this place if you visit Brussels (address: Rue Sainte-Catherine 17-19, 1000 Brussels)
Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate
Here I tasted different types of chocolates, being fascinated by the history of chocolate, where cocoa is produced and how the cocoa beans are turned from fruit seeds into delicious chocolate. More than that, here is a chocolate making demonstration: the chocolatier shows the process of making chocolate from liquid to hard shell.
The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula completes the magical Christmas atmosphere with a multicultural crib exhibition designed by various catholic communities from foreign countries established in Belgium.
These were my 2 days spent in Brussels before Christmas. What are your favorites Christmas Markets? I’d love to read it, since there are so many traditional and beautiful Christmas Markets in Europe.
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