Chocolate and Waffles and Bier oh my!

Welcome to Brussels, the capital of Belgium. We were fortunate to be hosted for about a week and a half with our old neighbors from Carlsbad. Michel, Laurence and their son Noah lived a few doors down from us but had to move home to Belgium about 5 years ago. Having kept in touch over the years, we reached out to them once we planned this trip. It was so great catching up with old friends and comparing our culture to theirs. They toured us around Brussels, took us to Bruges and really went out of their way to make us feel at home. We are SO grateful to them and hope to return the favor one of these days.

Our first day there happened to be Brynn’s 12th Birthday. So our friends surprised her with a custom made Belgian Chocolate cake – delicious! And they made dinner reservations at a local Indian restaurant (her favorite). It was a great start to this destination. The next day we visited the spectacular Atomium, a 335 ft tall building shaped like an atom. Designed as a temporary display for the 1958 Worlds Faire, it was originally constructed of aluminum, hence the name Atomium. But they decided to be keep it as the symbol of Brussels and was rebuilt out of stainless steel. Its a beautiful piece of art. We took the lift up to the top and enjoyed a amazing view of the city. From there you can take various escalators and stairs to each of the giant balls which contain interesting information and exhibits.

Unfortunately that night, Brynn and Taryn both ended up getting sick. Our first stomach bug of the trip. 😦 Luckily it was just a 24 hr thing and the next day they were fine. But then Jett and Mike got it the following night… bummer. It hit them a little harder and took them out for a couple days. This put a bit of a damper on the trip. But eventually we all recovered and got to visit more of the city.

Like many places in Europe, Belgium is influenced by the countries surrounding it. People in the north speak Dutch and people in the south speak French. Brussels is fairly central so most of the signage is in both languages – there isn’t a language called ‘Belgian’. Some other highlights here are the Grand Place (Grahn Plahs) – the massive central town square. As with most European squares, it is bordered by cafes filled with locals and tourists alike, sipping espresso, beer and wine. There is a giant tower atop the Town Hall building and across from that is the Museum of Brussels. It’s particularly stunning at night when lit up. And there’s the enormous Basilica – one of the largest Cathedrals in the world. And we certainly won’t forget Manneken Pis and Jeanneke Pis (The statues of the little boy and little girl peeing). Often decorated, the little boy was covered by a funky costume the day we visited. However, there are plenty of replicas around town to pose with.

When living in Carlsbad, Mike and Michel had bonded over cooking. So Michel prepared several delicious meals including a traditional Belgian stew made with Speculoos (an addictive Christmas cookie common in The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany). Needless to say, we ate incredibly well. We also surprised them with a traditional San Diego meal of Fish Tacos. Finding the ingredients was a bit of a challenge but we managed. And it was a nice taste of home for us. We ended the week with a stroll through central Brussels and the outdoor street market, visiting the many (and I mean MANY) chocolate and bier shops. We finished the night with an awesome dinner at a local Italian restaurant.

That weekend we all drove to Bruges. This ancient and quaint city on the water was all we had anticipated with it’s many shops, narrow streets, canals and bridges. We did a bit of shopping (Desigual anyone?) and had some waffles and chocolate of course. We also took a boat tour in the afternoon. Some of the bridges were so low we came only inches from scrapping our faces. 🙂 But it is really a spectacular place to see. We also recommend the film ‘In Bruges’ with an amazing cast of talented actors featuring Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes. Funny, clever and a little disturbing, all in the backdrop of Bruges.

On Sunday we went back to The Atomium to make our World School video and they were having a massive outdoor festival! There were tons of booths with food, beer, waffles and live music on a giant main stage. Thousands of people sprawled across the lawn sipping beer and wine. And there was a crazy long zipline attached midway up the Atomium. No Merci.

Belgium is such an interesting country with a deep appreciation for the good life. I mean, Chocolate, Waffles and Bier? ‘Nuff said. Merci beaucoup to our good friends for their generosity! We look forward to the next time we meet. Indonesia??? (hint hint) Onward to Munich.