Amsterussels

Here is a recap of my trip to Amsterdam + Brussels.  I only spent about a day in each, so it was a very short trip.
Amsterdam, Netherlands:
Steeping out of Amsterdam Central Station, you see the famous "Basiliek van de Heilige Nicolaas", no elaboration necessary:

Amazing canals, much less crowded than Venice:

We see some interesting Amsterdam charms:

The canals:

Dutch food and efficiency:

In front of the Rijksmuseum, their national museum:

There are a few Van Gogh paintings here, but most are housed in the special Van Gogh museum across the plaza.

Napoleon:

The Night Watch, by Rembrandt van Rijn.  He was a Dutch master, known for painting scenes that seem to be filled with movement:

Syndics of the Drapers' Guild

Self-portrait:

The entire hall:

Other exhibitions in the museum had interesting wooden ships:

Outside:

Royal Concertgebouw Hall, where one of the best orchestras in the world plays:

Most people here ride bikes, but the trams are very convenient too:

Here is a culinary jewel of the city, a restaurant called Gartine.  They grow their own vegetables in their own garden, and this meal was one of the freshest and most delicious lunches I've ever had:

Monument to Rembrandt:

Tulip bulbs everywhere:

Famous Fries:

Brussels, Belgium:
A short train ride away from waffle perfection:

Délirium Café, a landmark for Belgian beer enthusiasts.  It has one of the largest selections of beer in Europe!  Unfortunately it was quite dark and noisy in there so great pictures were few:

The next day, I went to see Atomium, a building considered a symbol of Brussels, but actually a unit cell of an iron crystal:

In Brussels, one of the attractions is Mini Europe, a "theme park" that specializes in making elaborate miniatures of famous sites across the European Union.  A thinly veiled propaganda for EU government.  Strangely (or fittingly), the mascot of Mini Europe is a turtle.
Try to guess the landmarks!

This one is Brussels:

You'll never guess:

They actually modeled a Eurostar train crossing the English Channel:

Belgian food:

Manneken Pis, you can read Wikipedia about the legends, but it is still strange that hundreds of tourists (including me) are taking pictures of a little boy urinating:

The tourist waffle.  Ordinary Belgiums might disapprove, but it sure tastes good:

Pissing graffiti:

Brussels Town Hall and square:

Jazz marathon session playing:

Climbing a steep hill, you can reach the musical instrument museum, a curiously wonderful collection of ancient and modern instruments:

One of the coolest aspects of the museum in the audio tour; when you stand near an instrument the guide machine allows you to hear what it sounds like!

Some real crazy ones:

View from the top:

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a famous shopping strip in Belgium where all the famous chocolatiers are located:

Law Court:

Two different cities with different feels and styles.  Amsterdam certainly seems quite vibrant, young, and liberal, while Belgium has a gritty and ancient feel to it (though of course both are quite old compared to cities in the US).  Unfortunately, there are too many cities in Europe to visit in a year, so I will certainly have to come back.