The fictional Belgian detective won his way into fame firstly in the British novelist Agatha Christie’s stories
This led to a cross-generational appreciation for his sleuthing adventures
“Death on the Nile,” which has re-invigorated the “little grey cells” of all who love this genre
I grew up watching detective shows as a joint pastime with my mom
who could often figure out the whodunit before the episode’s end as I sat back in wonder
she would conquer my expectations of the plot as he would conquer the expectations of those around him as a boastful
He laid out evidence that he had been meticulously collecting the whole time
often rooting out the killer and motivations surrounding heinous crimes
I found it interesting that he was transplanted from his homeland of Belgium and solved many cases in his adoptive England
He became an idealized world traveler to many readers
set on providing justice for many wrongs committed
There are two theories that Belgians and Christie fans have about where Poirot came from and one is the town of Spa in the Ardennes mountains
Spa’s actual history lends credence as to why Poirot left Belgium
which was represented in the form of the German Army taking up headquarters in the town during World War I
Poirot shared that he left his homeland to escape the ravages of the Great War
but not without his silver-swan tipped cane that he was known to carry throughout his many cases
The town of Ellezelles also claims Poirot as a native of their town and has paid tribute to him with a relief sculpture of him
hands on his vest pockets as if reaching for his pocket watch or glasses
The town also proudly possesses his birth certificate
stating his parent’s names on the document
Poirot’s birthday is declared to be April 1
Even one of the best-known actors to portray Poirot
made sure to visit this Belgian town on a nostalgia trip
A notable portion of Poirot’s sleuthing career came from his experience as the Chief of Police in Brussels
If you have not yet walked through its Grand Place in front of the Gothic-style 15th century town hall
you should dedicate at least a day to wandering the streets of this vibrant city
The city is full of Art Nouveau architecture
Be sure to sample and bring home a box of rich Belgian chocolate… as long as it is not poisoned like the one in the Poirot episode
“The Chocolate Box.” This was the failed case that Poirot lamented to Arthur Hastings that he was never able to solve in his early days