Gay Brussels – The Gay UK

gay Brussels - The Gay UK

There’s no real scientific evidence to suggest that chocolate actually does work as an aphrodisiac. Many foods have been assigned such qualities, but by and large, they tend to have a strong placebo effect instead. In other words, they get you thinking about sex just by association, and this puts sex to the front of your mind. Could this be why ‘Chocolate Row’ in a central part of Brussels positively glows with the frisson of sexiness?

Belgium is known for two things, and if you are not here for the beer, then you should head along to the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert and try the chocolate. Found right in the heart of gay Brussels, this glass-domed series of galleries was one of the first shopping malls to be built in Europe and still retains the grandeur and architectural spectacle that reflects its century and a half age. It is filled with high-end boutiques, cultural organisation and, of course, a generous helping of chocolate shops.

And if you are looking to explore the heart of Brussels social scene, bars and nightlife then there is no better location to use as your base than the nearby Hotel Hubert. Only a few minutes from the Grand Palace and Brussels Central Station, Hubert is a perfect mix of the luxurious and the easy-going, aims towards self-service but has an attentive staff to help you negotiate its modern concepts.

By Ray Si – Full Story at The Gay UK

Belgium Gay Travel Resources

 

The Grand Place in Brussels at Midnight – Keep Calm and Wander

Grand Place in Brussels

I visited the Grand Place in Brussels at midnight and I was surprised to see a crowd of hedonists there. Boy, it’s a rendezvous of both locals and tourists who pretend to be locals. I’m not really sure about drinking in public places in Brussels but seems like it’s legal? I saw people sitting while drinking and smoking on the city’s main public square. So, I guess, it’s allowed? 🙂

Grand Place or Grote Markt? Both are correct. The former is French and the latter is Dutch. This is Brussels’s main square and if you ask any local using either of the name, they’ll surely know where it is.

What’s in / around Grand Place? This square is surrounded by Brussels’s guild houses and town hall. If you stand in the middle and turn 360 degrees, you’ll be awed at the magnificent buildings, mostly of Gothic style. There’s no doubt that this place is still a centre of political, social, cultural, and commercial life. In August (every two years), this square turns into a huge carpet of flowers. It is said that a million begonias are harvested and brought here – designed and set up in stunning patterns.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Brussels Gay Travel Resources

The Groeninge Museum in Bruges – Keep Calm and Wander

Groeninge Museum

At Groeninge Museum in Bruges, I’ve seen my very first Flemish paintings. That, if my memory serves me right. And these are not just your regular paintings. They’re the works of master Flemish painters, like Jan Provoost, Jan Van Eyck and Hieronymus Bosch. The museum also have some works from the Renaissance which I figured out before I read their detailed descriptions.

With our further ado, I’m presenting to you some of the art pieces you’ll see inside Groeningemuseum in Bruges.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Belgium Gay Travel Resources

Atomium in Brussels: Tower, Building, Pyramid or Sculpture? – Keep Calm and Wander

Atomium - Brussels

Atomium in Brussels is an iconic 105-meter high structure. It cannot be called a building or a tower or a pyramid. It is between a sculpture and a science model, and it dodges  any classification. Modeled on a unit crystal of Iron that has been magnified 15 billion times, it is shaped from nine steel spheres connected to each other by large steel tubes and resting on support pylons. These tubes have access stairs, escalators, and a high-speed elevator which allow connection between the spheres.

Atomium was designed by architects André and Jean Polak and engineer André Waterkeyn and built for the World Expo in 1958. It symbolized the dawn of the Atomic Age, the optimistic spirit of the times and postwar progress. People saw a golden future for humankind in advancing science.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Belgium Gay Travel Resources

 

A Day in Gay Bruges – Keep Calm an Wander

gay Bruges

From Brussels, I hopped on a train to Bruges for a day and did my own walking tour. I arrived at the city’s train station around 10 in the morning and wasted no time. As soon as I exited, I went right away to the Tourist Information Office. I asked for a map and the lady behind the counter was very helpful. She gave me a map of the city’s attraction and recommended that it’s best to go on for to discover the city. I told her that it’s what I intended to do. Since I’m bad at reading maps, I sat down for a while and pinned all the places on my google maps for convenience.

Bruges is a quaint little town in Belgium that has wonderfully preserved Romanesque and Gothic architecture. It has such a romantic atmosphere with old world charm that you will immediately come under its spell. Bruges is a spectacularly endearing place.

Bruges feels like a place that popped out of a fairy tale storybook and dropped in today’s world. The cobbled streets, the grand squares the scenic canals and soaring ancient towers make you wonder, why were you not there before? As you wander around and behold the sights, you can nibble on luscious chocolates, munch on scrumptious waffles and binge on crunchy fries with a variety of sauces, to keep your hunger at bay.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Belgium Gay Travel Resources

Food Porn in Brussels – Keep Calm and Wander

Food Porn in Belgium

Nothing beats the taste of Belgian waffles in Brussels. When you eat these in the country that started it, it’s more gloriously delicious! In Brussels, these waffles are in every corner and you can even smell them from afar – that is if you have a good sense of smell. To be honest – I only had two of these because they were just too much for me. They’re topped with whipped cream, bananas, cheese, butter, margarine, strawberries, vanilla, syrup, and of course, chocolates! It’s carbo and calories galore!

I had the chocolate and banana (No, I’m not a monkey!) flavours and I felt so bloated after. I walked three miles after gorging on them.

When you’re in Belgium, there are four things you should try to eat: waffles, mussels, chocolates and fries. Don’t ever try to order or eat them all at the same time. Or else, you’re gonna be so stuffed that you can’t walk. And yeah, pair them with a bottle of Stella Artois or any local beer you can find.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Belgium Gay Travel Resources

The Peeing Statues of Brussels – Keep Calm and Wander

Peeing Statues of Brussels

These peeing statues are tourist attractions in Brussels. It’s kinda weird, right? Huge statues like the “Statue of Liberty” in New York or “Christ The Redeemer” in Rio de Janiero are famous in their size and historical value. But, these tiny statues in Brussels are a league on their own. Peeing statues as tourist attractions? Never heard of that, eh?

These are the peeing statues of Brussels that you have to see. Well, two of them are the most famous while the other one seems to be unheard of among tourists.

Let’s see them.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Belgium Gay Travel Resources

Flemish Fairy Tale Town Of Bruges Is Europe’s Hidden Travel Gem

Bruges The above picture perfectly captures an impossibly quaint, engaging side to Bruges. But it’s not the side of the city I was initially introduced to. I arrived in here alone, by train, at 11pm one perfectly clear, chilly Friday night in March – without currency, a map, or phone battery. Go me. No matter, I told myself. I’d soon find my hotel. The seventh largest ‘city’ in Belgium (population 120,000) is actually tiny and thus, I hoped, instinctively easy to navigate. Failing that, I’d ask a passerby for directions. Until I realized there weren’t any. No traffic, no pedestrians, no cyclists – there weren’t even any lights on in any of the charming townhouses I was admiring. A friend later explained, Bruges just doesn’t have the nighttime drinking culture I’m used to (in London at least). It was as if the entire town was asleep. It reminded me of Christmas Eve, or a childhood tale of an enchanted town: at once magical and eerie, and so, so understated. Note: not boring, understated. In all honestly, it was one of the most surreal travel experiences of my life.

By Jamie Tabberer – Full Story at Gay Star News

Belgium Gay Travel Resources

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