As we left London at 5:30 a.m. the outside temperature of 2 degrees Celsius certainly squashed the little anticipation which harboured within us. Six hours of travel crossing the English Channel and driving towards Belgium further decreased my expectations from this holiday. The dull and never ending French countryside certainly didn’t help. However, as we approached Brussels, there was certain anticipation within me towards seeing one of the most iconic structures of Europe, the Atomium. A massive structure offering scenic views of the city of Brussels, the Atomium is perhaps the symbol of Brussels and even Belgium (After Belgian chocolate, of course). The Atomium is basically a number of massive stainless steel balls which are also utilized as viewing galleries; these balls are connected together to form a massive intimidating structure. Surrounded by beautiful parks and overlooking a fountain, the Atomium is definitely a worthwhile photography spot. Here is a picture to help your imagination.
We were surprised to learn that like the Eiffel Tower, the Atomium also housed a restaurant offering breath taking views of the city of Brussels, but sadly due to the lack of a reservation we could not indulge in this experience, and headed towards Germany.
Quite unfortunately, our itinerary in Germany was very brief and included only a day spent at Black Forest, famous for the cuckoo clocks and the delicious black forest cake. As we entered the region, we were greeted by the famous dark black trees, which inspired the name for this region. The trees were dark charcoal black in colour and thoroughly blocked every ray of sunlight. They also added as a change in landscape, after seeing acre after acre of lush green European countryside. However, only pockets of the region were marked by these trees while the rest featured common European flora and fauna.
Quite unfortunately, our itinerary in Germany was very brief and included only a day spent at Black Forest, famous for the cuckoo clocks and the delicious black forest cake. As we entered the region, we were greeted by the famous dark black trees, which inspired the name for this region. The trees were dark charcoal black in colour and thoroughly blocked every ray of sunlight. They also added as a change in landscape, after seeing acre after acre of lush green European countryside. However, only pockets of the region were marked by these trees while the rest featured common European flora and fauna.
We soon arrived at a square of sorts, characterised by a massive cuckoo clock, and various shops and cafes selling their respective wares. The speciality of this clock was that at every hour it chimed a beautiful tune and had a small sort of wooden courtyard protruding out, where a wooden couple danced to mark the passing of the hour. After seeing this wonderful sight we witnessed a demonstration which enlightened us about the working of these clocks, and exactly why they were famous.
Cuckoo clocks are basically of two types, manual and automatic, the difference being a few hundred euros. Their speciality is, however, their creative ways to mark the passing of an hour, one certain cuckoo clock which caught my eye was where a mother chased her son around the wooden courtyard with a rolling pin in her hand occasionally hitting his head with the same, which produced a loud dong sound.
Cuckoo clocks are basically of two types, manual and automatic, the difference being a few hundred euros. Their speciality is, however, their creative ways to mark the passing of an hour, one certain cuckoo clock which caught my eye was where a mother chased her son around the wooden courtyard with a rolling pin in her hand occasionally hitting his head with the same, which produced a loud dong sound.
After learning about the history of cuckoo clocks, we sampled the famous Black forest cake which originates from this region. The cake featured a bitter chocolate sponge with a sweet and sour cherry mixture in between, coated with a rich layer of cream. All of these flavours combined to form a heavenly combination, one which was certainly unique and different from the black forest which we consumed back home. Hence, our day ended having been spent admiring the sights of two wonderful countries, Belgium and Germany.
Stay tuned as I explore Switzerland, Italy, France and a lot more. Till then sayonara and keep exploring!
-SUBIN MITRA
Stay tuned as I explore Switzerland, Italy, France and a lot more. Till then sayonara and keep exploring!
-SUBIN MITRA