Up and Atom

Built for the 1958 World Fair, the Atomium is probably the most identifiable symbol of Brussels.

The design is based on an atom magnified 165 billion times. Each of the nine spheres that make up the atom are 60 ft in diameter and linked by escalators and stairs. You reach the top sphere via elevator which takes you up the 120 meter (335 feet) at a speed of 5 meters per second. Once at the top, you have 360-degree view of Brussels, and even the port in Antwerp on a clear day.

I've also been spending some of my time visiting a couple of museums including the Magritte Museum. The surrealist painter is probably best known for his "man in the bowler hat" paintings. A new museum opened in 2009 which is a much larger exhibit space than the old museum I visited a few years back. This museum is next to the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, which I hope to get to before it's time to leave.