The Royal Palace- The Pride of Brussels, Belgium

As I caught my first glimpse of The Royal Palace in the heart of Brussels, Belgium, my hand spontaneously reached for my camera. As I searched through the overcrowded pocket of my backpack, I distinctly recall thinking that by snapping a few photos of the majestic palace, I would forever be able to preserve my memory of one of the largest residencies I have ever laid eyes on. My plan of preservation, however, went south in a ‘flash’ as I snapped a blurry picture from the moving tour bus. As the bus came to a screeching halt, I jerked forward and nearly dropped my camera over the side of the double-decker bus. To top off my mini spurt of bad luck, my camera battery died leaving me with mixed feelings of rage and fury, which were made apparent by the words I began to mutter under my breath. For the first time thus far in my European travels, I was at a loss of what to do. I felt as if I were drowning because I was in a foreign country with no sure way of communication and now without one of my two major lifelines, the one surviving being my iTouch.

As I began to listen to the history of the Royal Palace of Brussels, my mind began to get lost in the amazing facts being shouted through my cheaply made earphones that were included in the tour. “The Royal Palace of Belgium, located in the center of the nation’s capital, is the official palace of the King of the Belgians. Build under the request of King Leopold II, son of King Leopold I and first King of the Belgians, the Royal Palace boasts over 300 rooms and is often the host of balls and galas thrown by the royal family.” While you may be skeptical of those details I recall hearing from a tour bus, it never ceases to amaze me how well the mind will work when there is a lack of technology. The following link is a great mini explanation of the history of The Royal Palace: http://www.trabel.com/brussel/brussels-royal_palace.htm

Staring at the palace as if in a trance, I couldn’t believe the magnitude of the castle of a nation I thought inferior to my own. In comparing the Royal Palace to the White House, the showpiece of our leader, it was easily triple the size of one of America’s most cherished monuments. If the size wasn’t enough to impress me, the architecture and landscaping surrounding the castle definitely was. As the bus began to creakily resume the tour of Brussels, I imagined the pride the Belgians must feel when they gaze at the Royal Palace. As a national monument, the Royal Palace symbolizes the history as well as the economic prosperity Brussels has achieved. The following picture is a professional shot of the palace at night- Not even the professionals can encompass the entire palace!

When looking at a map of Europe, it is easy to see how the Belgians have come to prosper mainly through trade. Their location in Europe is ideal to allow exports, being situated on the English Channel that can serve as a gateway to the North Sea. As I continued to listen to the facts that were being obnoxiously shouted through my earphones, I heard that Ford and Audi assemble their cars in Belgium and then transport them around the world. This made my appreciate the country even more knowing that the car I drive in the United States inevitably

passed through Belgium at some point. As the bus tour passed other sites important. I couldn’t help but think about the Royal Palace, which had a profound impact on my trip to Brussels. The palace not only made me realize how prosperous and economically savvy the Belgian people are, but also how their location geographically has helped boost their economic status. Moreover, the palace serves as a showplace of pride for the Belgians who can looks at The Royal Palace which symbolizes more than just the home of their king; it is a reminder of their history and prosperity achieved through hard work- and who couldn’t be proud of that?