I was recently given the opportunity to take a trip to Belgium.  Susan Bass, fellow dog trainer, and breeder of Beaucerons (see picture) has a female, Raissa, whom she wanted breed to a dog in Belgium.  I was able to escort the dog over, and take a short vacation at the same time!

Beaucerons are a French herding dog, which looks like a cross between a German Shepherd and a Rottweiler with cropped ears.  They are a large breed dog with a long lifespan, and are not prevalent in the United States at this time.  They were recently admitted to the American Kennel Club.  Raissa, Susan’s dog, is a foundation dog with the AKC and is also UKC registered.  She is an International Champion, and a fully trained Assistance dog.

The dog pictured is one of Jean Claude Rogge’s breeding, Strauss.  Strauss is a wonderful dog with an awesome personality.  He is also an international Champion.  

I arrived in Brussels on Wednesday morning, around 8 AM, after a 12-hour flight from Atlanta.  Raissa and I were both worn out. 

Jean Claude met us at the airport, and took me out to his farm, about an hour south of Brussels.  I was able to meet the stud dog, Lex, and both Raissa and I were given the opportunity to stretch our legs.

Jean Claude speaks limited English, I speak limited French, and so our communication consisted of a lot of sign language.  But we managed!

About 1 pm, he took me back into the city, and dropped me at my hotel, going in with me, to assure that I was checked in, and all was well. (Ever the gentleman!)

I took a nap, then about 6 pm, decided that it was time to hit the streets of Brussels.  Since the sun rises there about 5am, and does not set until 10pm, I had lots of time to “get lost”.  So I did.

It was interesting!  The weather was warmer than usual, and it DIDN’T rain!  I was fortunate, as this is the rainy season there!  But I had packed mostly jeans!  They became cut offs in short order!

I headed north up, what I considered to be the main drag, and had a bite to eat.  Since I wanted to acclimate myself, I did not attempt to take pictures at this time.

The next day was a different story!  I headed out the next morning about 8 am, and started north on the street that I knew.  I then took off east and headed to the “GRAND PLACE”. 

 And what a place it was!  Brussels is an old city, with proof of it dating back to the 9^th Century; however, history is showing it to be much older!

As I headed home for lunch, I came across this little doggie potty area, which I found vastly amusing!   

Europeans seem to love their dogs very much, and this proves it.

By the way, I saw no strays while I was there, cats or dogs!  I also so no rodents, cockroaches or mosquitoes!

This was another favorite picture, taken several days later!  I found this on a side street!  It is a statue of a dog hiking his leg!

As I continued on my journey, I came across a Cathedral, St. Catherine’s. I was immediately in love, and knew I had to hit all of them that I possibly could.  Several of the cathedrals that you will see were built hundreds of years ago.

The art work, the history and the beauty reduced me to tears.  While I am not the most religious person in the world, I was raised in church, went to a Christian school, and love God.  I was in awe of the beauty that I saw there.  Here is some of that beauty. 

This was the front of St. Catherine’s.

The stained glass windows date back to the 1700’s!  Their beauty struck me.

I loved this crucifix.  It was so beautiful. 

  These sculptures amazed me.  Almost every church had one!  They are made out of oak, and the engraving is awesome!

Every statue is different, but it seems that they were all built around the same time!  These are just wonderful to see, and you could spend hours examining all the details.

This next picture is a very popular tourist attraction in Brussels.  The history behind Mannekin Pis is unknown, but he is very well loved anyway! 

Brussels is an old city, with history dating back to the 900's! Many of the walls that once surrounded it are still standing, to some degree or another.  Below is one of those walls.