Brussels, Belgium : A Glutton’s Paradise

So, for my first school year vacation I spent a long weekend in Brussels, Belgium! (That's right in France there is a 10 day vacation called Toussaint - it's for All Saints Day)  I had always wanted to go here since my last time being abroad, so needless to say I was excited to finally explore this little city!  Let me just warn you, if you are looking for an in-depth cultural bit on Brussels you will not find it here.  Before leaving France for Belgium (with 6 other assistants) the general consensus was to try as much food and beer as we could.  That was our Brussels mission, and boy did we accomplish it.

Beer:

I tried about 5 or 6 different beers through out the weekend.  The group went to a place called Delirium Café which is this crazy, 3 floor bar with endless types of beer and open til all hours of the night. (I only made it til 1am!) Each time we ordered another beer we tried a different kind!  It was really fun to check out all three levels, however I couldn’t drink too much beer as many of the beers were 9,5% alcohol! (So high compared to the US!)  My favorite was Leffe Blonde which I can still get in France (win!) and apparently is available in the States but very expensive.  I suggest you try it if you can find it in the States! (It kicks Bud Light’s butt!)

Waffles:

A Belgian waffle in Belgium is not the same as a Belgian waffle in the States.  The sit-down, restaurant waffles here are crispy on the outside but then somehow extremely soft and warm on the inside- it was delicious! I topped my first waffle with whipped cream and fresh fruits…amazing!  For my street waffle experience (similar to crêpe stands in France) I topped my waffle with strawberries, dark chocolate, and a little whipped cream!  I could have eaten the whipped cream and chocolate alone!!  The only thing I didn’t care for in the street waffles was that they were a little harder and there were clumps of sugar in them….overall still delicious!

Fries:

First of all, did you know that “French fries” were created in Belgium and not France?  Apparently they were given the name “French fries” after World War I when the delicious snack was introduced to the English-speaking world by the Belgian soldiers who spoke French.  Still, I don’t know if this is 100% true since people from the UK call fries “chips” (and they call chips “crisps”) so I don’t know how only American soldiers got to calling them French fries? Anyway, Belgian fries are superior to all other fries I’ve ever had.  YUM.  We first went to a fry stand and split a small snack of fries and mayo- so good!  Then we went to a famous fry stand (one of the oldest, and locals go there!) called Maison Antoine….oh my gosh- heaven!  I don’t know what they do but the fries are crispy and perfect and the sauce options are endless! (And the fries don’t get soggy from all of the sauce…it’s magic I swear!)  I am  fry queen (ask my family) so trust me when I tell you these were the best fries I’ve ever had.

Chocolate:

Aside from the chocolate on one of my waffles, one night a bunch of us went into a chocolate shop and filled up little bags of various chocolates and truffles and goodies galore!  I felt like a little kid!  It, of course, was delicious!  I will say though I think I prefer the bitter, dark chocolate in France to the more milky flavors I had in Belgium.  But chocolate is chocolate so it’s hard to complain!

Moules-frites:

Moules-frites is a typical Belgian meal….it’s simply mussels and French fries.  And I loved it. LOVED it.  I loved it so much that I ate it twice for dinner during my 3 nights there. (No, I’m not ashamed!)  I’m going to try and bring back moules-frites to the states…or at least implement at some sort of holiday function because it’s just too yummy not to eat at least once a year!  Luckily as a New Englander this shouldn’t be too difficult to accomplish. (And I’ve already found a recipe for Belgian mayo to dip the fries in!)

Do you now see why it’s a glutton’s paradise?  It’s just so much food, and it’s all so delicious and rich!  Everyone needs to spend some time in Brussels, just to enjoy the food and drink!

Okay, I suppose I can get into some cultural tid bits….

-In Brussels people only faire la bise (cheek-kiss greeting) on one cheek instead of two cheeks like in Dijon (or 4 in Paris!)

-People said “s’il vous plait” for “you’re welcome” in stead of “de rein”

-It has two official languages: French and Dutch
-The architecture was clearly influence by both East and Western Europe which was really cool to see
-Belgium currently has no government (see this link) and there is a high probability it will split into two countries as there is already a French speaking section and Dutch speaking section (Brussels is in the middle of the two sections!)
-There is a royal family/monarchy and the king (currently Albert II) is head of state and formally addressed as “King of the Belgians”
-It is the capital city of Europe and home to the European Union headquarters

Grand Place at night!

                                                                    

Aside from eating we wandered around the city a good amount of the day and took in the sites!  We saw the EU headquarters, mini Europe, the Atomium, the royal palace, Grand Place, cathedrals, and so much more!  I had a fabulous weekend in Brussels and it was nice to get a chance to see what some of my fellow McDaniel friends have experienced during their semesters abroad there.  Although it is quite lovely by visiting it solidified my decision to study in Paris for a semester rather than Brussels. (What can I say Paris will always have part of my heart!)  That being said- I wouldn’t mind visiting again, or perhaps visiting the French and Dutch parts of Belgium to compare the two!

I'm happy to have traveled to another Francophone country during this vacation because I told myself for this experience I would mainly focus on exploring different parts of France, so I feel like I can let visiting Brussels slide!  Next on the big travel to-do list will be Strasbourg, France for the Christmas Markets in December!  I'm also going to try and take a day trip to Lyon, France sometime soon.

Word of the Post: un glouton – a glutton