Belgium: Waffles, Chocolate, & Beer

“Gaufre:” waffle
“Chocolat:” chocolate
“Bière: Beer

First of all, I am not sure how anyone could stay thin living in this country. On every corner there is a waffle man ready to serve up fresh waffles topped with sugar, berries, chocolate, ice cream, whipped cream….we indulged one morning in waffles for breakfast--mine was covered with ruby red strawberries, and it was fabulous! There are chocolateries almost every third shop! I am not sure how one stays in business over another because they are all so close together! Of course we bought some chocolate, dark for me! Finally, the Belgian beer is delicious! It has so much m ore flavor than any other beer I have had. So many different kinds to try!

On the way back from Amsterdam to Paris, we stopped in Brussels, which is actually spelled Bruxelles. We arrived at about mid-day, and we were staying near this big square, the “Grand Place.” We wandered around the area to find somewhere to eat, and finally decided on “Les Chapeliers” (the hatter’s place). It was on a street lined with restaurants, again, I do not know how one stays in business over the other since they all seemed quite similar. I ordered a Chimay Bleu beer, and waterzooï, which is a traditional stew-like dish, mine with chicken and potatoes in a creamy stew sauce. It was delicious and quite hearty!

After lunch, we walked around the area for a bit, taking in the sites. We did not make it to the European district, which contains all of the modern buildings for the headquarters of NATO, also with Brussels being the capital of the European Union. That night we ventured to the Rue des Bouchers to find a place to eat. Apparently a famous street for people (or tourists) to eat on, it is lined with one restaurant after the other, most of them boasting lobster and seafood dishes. We walked a long the whole street to check it all out, along the way being called in by the restaurateurs, each claiming theirs is the best! We settled on one, where my mother and I both ordered non-seafood dishes, as we are not fishy eaters, but my dad had his healthy dose of the moules frites (mussels and French fries).