Music, good food and great view...

Sounds like a date, doesn't it? Well, actually not. Not possible since Ray is in California racking up more 1K points. So, in my quest to stay busy while Ray is away, what to do with the girls for the one day I didn't have plans for?

DS & PS sitting in front of a statue (I'm still trying to figure out what this is) near Gare Central Station...

I decided to take the girls on a jaunt to the Musical Instruments Museum (Musee des Instruments de Musique) here in Brussels. A tram and metro ride later, we found ourselves in the heart of Brussels and a short walk away to the museum (after we figured out where to go, that is).

The exterior of the building which houses the Musical Instruments Museum...

The museum is sitated in a lovely art-noveau building, which was once the luxurious Old England Department Store in the 19th century. Friends have said the restaurant at the top is a must for its fabulous view, so we made it our first stop. We had an enjoyable lunch and the bird's eye view of the city did not disappoint.

A corner table with an incredible view...

DS & PS love going out to restaurants...

Salade de nouilles aux legumes des de poulet aux herbes... (what happened to my chicken salad? Note to self -- bone up on French!) My noodle dish with chicken and vegetables actually turned out to be quite nice.

Spaghetti jambon fromage for the girls...

After lunch, we proceeded to browse the museum. We were armed with infrared headsets which played the sounds of the instruments as you stepped in front of each exhibit. Pretty cool. The museum houses thousands of instruments, modern and historical from practically every culture and country of the world. My favorite -- the bagpipes, which coincidentally, sparked a funny conversation between DS and I on how we might get Daddy to dress up in a traditional scottish kilt. Like I said, it was a pretty funny conversation.

DS and PS listening to the music of this instrument from Asia...

The girls enjoyed the area where they could actually touch and play some of the instruments. Although this area was quite small, they also enjoyed walking through the museum listening to different types of music.

PS demonstrating her musical abilities...

DS giving it a go, too...

On the way back to the metro station, we came across Hotel Ravenstein, which I learned is the sole surviving building from the 15th century Burgundian Period. It's amazing how you find little pieces of history just walking through the city...

The girls posing in front of Hotel Ravenstein...

We made it to Gare Central Station for the trip home!