Brussels

Brussels is the capital of Belgium. Much of Belgium's wealth as an independent country was derived from exploiting the Congo.

King Leopold II built the Royal Museum for Central Africa to entice investors into helping him strip the Congo of resources. The museum was only recently re-imagined to focus on the cultures of Africa and provenance research - finding out where looted objects came from.

The wall of things that are still racist

The first exhibit in the museum shows the old statues featured in the museum.

There was a struggle over what the museum should be. In 2013.

Mukanda masks

A variety of masks from Africa

A traffic direction robot from the DRC.

The museum has covered up statues of white Belgians helping the Congolese rise out of their perceived savage state. 

The Bali people in north-east Congo did actually assassinate people using claws dressed as leopards.

The royal mask of the Kuba people

A nkisi contains a spirit of an ancestor. You can drive nails into the statue to activate it to help you.

These ones got a lot of use. They were supposed to ward off sleeping sickness.

Besides being home to some of the greatest crimes against humanity, Belgium also has some great beer.

And some odd restaurant mascots.

No trip to Brussels is complete without a trip to Maison Dandoy for a waffle with Speculoos and a coffee.

Brussels is the capital of the EU and hosts the Parlamentarium, a museum about the EU. It was actually pretty interesting, if a bit saccharine.

Right now all of Europe can agree on one thing: Russia bad, Ukraine good.

I'm not sure why these ostriches had their heads in the sand next to the EU complex.

The Parc du Cinquantenaire houses many museums, including the Musee Art & Histoire.

It has a great collection of artifacts from around the world. Also some looted, I'm sure.

They had a great exhibit about aboriginal art from Australia. Some tribes would dry and crush their dead, then place them in these hollow burial poles.

Sacred hearts

Looks like Belgium had some German influence.

Not your average Christ rising from the dead

Spooky tombstones from the 1200s

A ghost you definitely don't want to encounter in a church at night

Who knew tapestries could be so much fun?

Brooches found in Belgium during the 500s-700s.

They also had very fashionable beads back then.

The reliquary of Pope Alexander from 1145

With sleds, your imagination is the limit.

Art Nouveau... does it belong in a museum?

The museum was enormous. We were pretty exhausted by the time we reached the other half.

Cuneiform tables with friezes

I think this is a Mamluk Sultan's helmet from the 1300s. I can't read Dutch or French...

This tile panel shows a man fleeing from lions. It was made in Isfahan for the Safavid shah in the 17th century.

A vase made during the reign of Napoleon, showing the trials of Hercules in kind-of classical style

The Belgian Triumphal Arch, constructed in 1905

The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gulda is Brussels most prominent religious building.

Saint Gudula lived in an abbey in Brabant in the 600s, and was known for her good works. 

The main structure of the church took 300 years to complete, from 1226 to 1519. Charles V was crowned King of Spain here soon after.

The most impressive spot in Brussels is the Grand Palace, encircled with building glowing with gold inlay, built in the 14th century.

Brussels was extremely wealthy from being on the trade routes between Bruges, Ghent, and Cologne, and later as the capital of the Burgundian Netherlands.

You have to eat mussels in Brussels, so we dined at Chez Leon. The restaurant is self-aware that its kind of a tourist trap.

At least their having a good time.

They were also famous for this appetizer, with tiny shrimps and a tomato filled with something like mayonnaise. I'm not quite sure what to make of it.

The mussels, as you would expect, were excellent.