Skeddie Sauce and other Delights: Sing Out Loud

Jens and I went Brussels years ago. We had a great time. I really loved it. I have always wanted to go back and experience it again. For me, it was like a quiet and cozy Paris. Paris on a smaller scale. In 2015 I did a very extensive blog on our trip to Brussels. My blog is actually so large, I made the blog post into 5 chapters. Here is the link to the 1st chapter if you want to see ALL the photos - which are pretty amazing.

11 years later in 2026 Dan asked me if I wanted to go to Brussels with him and his choir. I didn't ask any question. I just said: YES!

Every 4th year, there is a huge international singing program called Various Voices. There were 120 choirs 4,000 singers from Europe and USA. And they were all LGBT+ choirs. I was supposed to go 4 years ago when the event was being held in Bologna. But the day before departure, I got Covid. I did however end up going to Bologna the following month on my own, but I missed the big event.

I only said Yes to Dan because I really wanted to go to Brussels again and because I needed a big break from the nursing home. I didn't really care about the choirs. I wasn't expecting anything special but that is exactly what it was. Special - very, very special! Wow!! And now I am excitedly awaiting for the next event 4 summers from now in Brighton.

I didn't snap a million photos. We sat too far from the stage to shoot clear videos on my cheap phone and I left my really good zoom camera at home. I wont overload you with too many pix and videoclips but here are a few to get you warmed up.

Upon arriving at the airport in Copenhagen, I am carrying on the tradition Jens and I stared 36 years ago. Every time we traveled, we started our travels with a glass of Gammel Dansk - Skål !

I was a bit bummed because in the old Diners Card lounge, it was small but it had everything including a full bar. But now at the huge SAS lounge, they only had white wine and Gammel Dansk - which is a very bitter snaps. But then I got wise and drank my money's worth. Once I drank myself silly, I decided to take a look upstairs. SAS actually put the bar furthest away from the public. Needless to say, it was the busiest corner in the 2 story lounge.

With all that I drank, I have no idea how I got here:

Notice only 2 S's instead of 3.

I recognized everything right away from the last

time I was here with Jens.
This was the way to our hotel last time

and this is the way to my apartment this time.

Photos of my amazing new apartment.

Fully equipped kitchen.

Once I got settled in, Dan and his choir and I went for a group dinner.

It was baking hot in Brussels as well as in most of Europe. The sky was very hazy and steamy. My pix came out on the gray hazy side. I had to do a lot of work to these photos to make them presentable. But in real life, it is a beautiful town.

Later that evening was the welcome/opening concert.

This went on and on and on.

There were 114 choirs from Europe.

6 from the US

and a total of over 4,000 singers.

My apartment was just around the corner from

the Manneken Piss.

This is a must-see for all tourist.

The Manneken Pis is even smaller than the Little Mermaid sitting on a rock in the Copenhagen Harbor. It is from the mid-15th century. But this one, the one all tourist come to see, is not the original. That was repeatedly stolen and damaged throughout its history. Since 1965, a replica has been displayed on this site and the original is stored in the Brussels City Museum.

One of the most beautiful squares in Europe with the town hall and buildings dating back to the 14th century. I was actually able to see part of the square from my apartment window - it was so wonderful.

Enter thru one of the arches as the one above

and you come to see figures and flowers

such as this below.

I told my neighbor that I was going to Brussels and I asked him if he wouldn't mind keeping an eye out on my place. Our doormats are only 6 steps from each other. He said sure and he gave me a tip. "It's not the fanciest restaurant," he said, "but my wife and I go there often to eat." "You go there often???" It turns out his daughter and her family lived right around the corner. I had to give it a try. It was a bit out of the city and the 2 guys that I was traveling with, weren't really interested in the 17 minute long journey on bus 71. for me, it turned out to be a very well worth excursion.

The restaurant is in the building but I just had to sit

on the terrace under all the trees. It was really a

wonderful experience.

I ordered the local trout. It was some of the best

fish I have ever ordered.

The trout was baked or fried in vat of butter

and covered in toasted almond slivers.

Once I completed my delicious lunch, I walked back to the city center. The restaurant was lake-side, so it made for a very lovely walk back to town.

Upon returning to town, I came across these gardens.

Later that evening, it would be another group dinner with Dan's choir.
Mussels and fries are served at just about every restaurant in town.

I of course ordered them. So de-lish.

Gotta have mussels in Brussls.

Chocolates, pastries and treats flood just about every street.

The town hall square at night is so fascinating.

My phone camera does not do it justice.

And this is the view

of part of the square

from my apartment window.

The following day I hung out with Stephan from Germany.

That's Dans husband.

We were there to enjoy the sites and concerts.
We are not the do - re - me - fa - so - la - ti -da kind of guys,

but we are great supporters.

After a coffee and soda, we went to see a few choirs.

There were 2 choirs from Denmark.

Below is the choir Dan is in.

The choir is called Carmen Curlers.

I learned just a couple of years ago that Carmen Curlers were actually a Danish invention. In 1969, the US company Clairol bought the entire Danish company and the rights to produce and distribute the product world wide. In 1990 US closed the company in Denmark and moved production to Asia. Then in 1993, Remington bought and put their spin on it.

But all of that is for another blog.

And there were several comical choirs.

And then there was the very powerful

Barcelona choir.

Afterwards, Dan, Stephan, and I went out to eat.

And then later on we met up at one of the very

festive street parties with the rest of the

Carmen Curlers as well as other choirs.

The following day I got up early.

The town was very quiet.

I got on a tram headed for the

Atomium.

Yes, that's right, the

Atomium.

The tram was so cool.

I don't know if it was supposed

to feel like stepping into a

time machine,

but it did.

The Atomium is a 102 meter / 335 feet tall landmark in Brussels designed to represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. It was constructed in 1958 - a very good year - as the centerpiece of the Brussels World's Fair aka Expo 58. It was built as a tribute to scientific progress and Belgian engineering skills. It consists of 9 stainless steel spheres, each 18 meters / 59 feet in diameter, connected by tubes that contain escalators, stairs, and an elevator, allowing visitors to access 6 of the spheres. The top sphere houses a viewing floor and upstairs is a 2 story restaurant with panoramic views of Brussels.

The structure is modeled after a cell of an iron crystal, symbolizing the atomic age and humanity's faith in scientific advancement. I really could feel it the moment I stepped off of the tram. Its futuristic design reflects the optimism of the 1950s and Belgium's role in nuclear research at the time.

Originally intended to last only 6 months, the Atomium became a permanent symbol of Brussels due to its popularity. Today, it serves as a museum, art center and cultural venue, hosting exhibitions on science, technology, art, and history. It attracts over 800,000 visitors annually and is considered one of the most iconic landmarks in Belgium. (remember the manneken piss?)

It really is worth your time to check out the Atomium website if you are into this kind of thing. For me, it was very exciting. There are also numerous wonderful photos if you google "Atomium."

It was very hot and very hazy this day - well...... actually each of the 5 days that I was there in Belgium. But it did clear up a bit as the day went on. Here are a few pix from when I got off of the tram and approaching the imposing structure.

Thanks to Dan and Stephan, who had been there a few days before my arrival, they said, - Eddie, book your ticket on line today and get there early because they are closing early due to the heat. That's what I did - I ordered my ticket via my phone. The following morning, I was first in line and first in the elevator up to the top.

Each sphere has 2 floors for tourist and a "basement" for servicing the building. The upper floor of the top sphere is where the restaurant located. And the restaurant itself had an upper floor. I was in awe of just how amazing this structure is. It's ½ a year older than me. When Jens and I were in Brussels back in 2015, I was sorry that we didn't make it here. I knew that one day I would be back and I would make it a point to visit the Atomium. So this was exactly what I did. When I got to the top, sat down, and ordered lunch, I just sooooooooooo much wanted to share this experience with Jens. Well.... I ended up crying when my phone rang a mile high in the sky. It was Jens calling to say hello. I was just so touched by it all. Jens couldn't be there physically with me, but he was there with me ear to ear and I was describing it all to him while forking amazing salmon sandwiches into my face.

I thought it was going to be awful tourist food

but it was so delicious and reasonably priced.

Below: This was my view while feeding my face

and trying to de-code Jens' speech.

A view from another window.

The building is one of many convention halls.

The restaurant is at the top and it goes completely around the sphere. It even had an upstairs section but I don't think there were any windows up there. Didn't matter because I didn't notice it until I was leaving.

Here now are a few random pix and vids from some of the different spheres which are connected by escalator.

Do you recognize

Elisabeth Taylor?

Here you can clearly see

the structure of the spheres.

When I think of Benny Goodman,

I think of Jacob Biddulph.

There were light shows in the

escalator shafts.

One of the spheres had light shows on both floors.

This is a connector shaft without an escalator.

another photo of the sphere structure.

One of the windows had pink glass.

It was fun to look out and see another

sphere where you just came from.

This is the last escalator going down

and leading to where I started the tour.

After I turned and touch every trinket and souvenir in the gift shop, I make my way back to the tram to go back to town. But first I take a few more photos of the Atomium because now the sky is starting to clear up.

I zoomed in on the top sphere where I had lunch.

I wrote "with this window at my back" because

if you scroll back up to the restaurant photo,

you can see the tiny corner window at my back.

This is how I know where I was. And it couldn't be the

opposite side because the view of the field is to the left.

And of course I snap my last photo

of this wonderful experience

at the Atomium

from the tram platform

just before the tram arrives.

Tonight is a huge concert. It's outside of town. I ride along with Dan and Stephan and a few of the choir members. I wish we were taking the train but the choir didn't wanna deal with it. "We'll take an uber," they tell me, "We'll get there much quicker." Wrong. There was so much freaking traffic because there was some other rock and roll or punk rock concert almost adjacent to where the Various Voices concert was taking place and all of that was not far from the Atomium. There was so much traffic that the police had closed some of the roads which meant that we would actually have to get out of the uber and walk about ½ a mile. We got to the ceremony venue at the last minute. But I can tell you, it was definitely worth the struggle to get there. It was a great concert with loving voices singing their hearts out loud. I enjoyed it sooooooooo much.

A few pix now from this evenings concert.