Beloved Brussels

Part of the charm of Brussels is in the layers of grey clouds that coat the city, the drizzle that makes the streets sparkle, the constant sight of your breath, and the quietness of the streets of such a large city. Brussels itself has never been on the top of our travel lists and it's main draw was seeing our friend; however, there is something very special about Brussels that begs the traveler to explore. Maybe it's the architecture of the early 13th century, or maybe it's the smell of freshly baked waffles wafting down the streets, or quite possibly, it's the dozens of chocolate shops that line the streets. Whatever it is, we love Brussels and the people here and already know this is only the first of many trips to come.

We have felt so spoiled and so welcomed here. Anne, her family, and friends have treated us like they've known us a life time. Anne's friends joined us and took us on a historical walk through the city center of Brussels. They were so knowledgeable about the history of the buildings and city blocks.

Anne's mom, Marie Francios, hosted a special dinner at her house for us along with Anne's brother and girlfriend. We ate delicious appetizers, a traditional Belgium meal, and a delicious sugar pie desert. It was so special and thoughtful.

Last night, all of Anne's friends meet up with us last night at a cafe (bar) and spent the night hosting us in their country. Between the 4 or 5 different languages spoken (!), everyone was able to communicate. The four of us, only speaking English, are amazed by the ease of speaking so many languages.... it is true, that French may be the most beautiful language in the world. Being surrounded by it, is inspiring by itself.

Brugges is considered a mini Venice, with it's foggy canal lined streets, large churches, cobblestone streets, and square filled markets. It is small and quaint and filled with dozens of chocolate shops which we attempted to try each one. We spent the day walking, chatting, eating, drinking.

Speaking of eating and drinking, we have tasted over 25 beers since our arrival just 3 short days ago. Oh, the beer. It's cheap, fresh, delicious, refreshing. The chocolate... it's nothing like we've ever tasted before. Rich, decadent, melty, amazing. The cheese... sticky, rich, and irresistible (and we hear it will only get better once in France). Bread... fluffy, flavorful, crispy. Now, smother your bread in cheese, taste a sip of beer, and follow with chocolate. Repeat.

We crack ourselves up, and those around us, by trying to speak french, anything French. It is definitely an art, and one that we don't have.On the metro, in the market, at the cafes, those around us find us hilarious because of our terrible pronunciation. It is fun to try a new language, and it's the thought that counts as people are so friendly. Just yesterday on the metro, we started chatting with a couple of Flemish guys about the differences of America and Belgium. They opened their backpack and gave us a couple beers. Nope, not illegal, you can drink in public, on the metro. The only problem we have is that not everyone understands the things that Heather says. The happier and the more excited she becomes, the faster and higher she talks. The issue is that she's really happy and excited her all the time. Yes, she has been told that her English is different from everyone else. The thing is, not even Adam understands everything she says. :)

Other differences, we stay up until 2 am and sleep until late in the morning. The day here starts a bit later and goes a lot later. Dinner at 9 or 10 pm, followed by drinks, and more cheese at 1:30 am when we arrive back at Anne's flat.

Belgium is also more advanced when it comes to environmental protection. Energy and water are conserved on many levels. There are two different flush settings on all the toilets for going number 1 or 2, motion sensor escalators and lights, mandatory recycling programs, and incredible effective transportation... and this is just the start. It makes us realize how easy it is to be wasteful in our lives back home. Speaking of toilets, another funny site is Belgium's answer to lack of public toilets. They have outdoor stalls but we still don't know what the women do.

Tomorrow we leave for Paris and the adventure continues. We'll be switching from beer to wine and continue our quest to find the most delicious pastries in the world. We have a feeling it won't be too difficult.

Day 1- Planes, Beer, Chocolate, and More Beer….

We have finally arrived in Belgium, but not after a crazy last 24 hours. So it all began Sunday at 4 am when we left for the airport with some of our best friends Jenny and Brandon. We promptly boarded our plane and arrived in Washington DC after one of the most the most turbulent flights ever. Every time we tried to sleep our heads would be jolted by the bone rattling turbulence. Finally, we arrived in DC and boarded our plane to Belgium… and then the wait began. As we taxied to the runway the pilot came on the intercom and announced that a warning light had turned on in the jet engine and he was going to restart the engines to see if it would disappear. Warning light…Jet engine…this was not sounding good. And, did you really need to tell us that? Couldn’t you have just said something else? Anything else? After 2 hours of sitting on the runway the pilot told us we were returning to the gate. Fine by us. The good part. Brandon and Adam got to finish the 49rs game in the sports bar. The bad part. We were the only 49er fans on the East coast and unfortunately they lost, no in your face victory dance for us. Once the girls tracked us down in the bar, we boarded the second plane; 5 hours after our original departure time. Again, we taxied to the runway and as the pilot prepared to take off, he announced that our journey was about to continue, but not to Brussels. Another warning light. Different plane different light. What the heck? You’ve got to be kidding. So once again we return to the gate and the pilot tells us that the hydraulic pump that controls little things like, wing flaps, air pressure, and landing gears has failed, but not to worry. Note to self. Never fly United. They seriously need new planes. This time a mechanic replaced the pump and 10 hours after we arrived in DC we were on our way to Belgium, thus concluded our 24 hour journey.
The moment we touched down we felt at peace with the world. We were excited, eager, and relieved to finally arrive. After a quick trip through customs we exited the airport and were greeted by a wonderful homemade sign that Anne and her mom had made. The sign read, “Bienvendue a Bruxelles” or “Welcome to Bruxelles”. Have you ever noticed that America gives different names to cities throughout the word? Brussels is actually Bruxelles, Florence-Firenze, Rome- Roma. Anne is Heather and Jenny’s friend from high school. She was a foreign exchange student and last year she visited us in the US. 14 years later we are repaying her with the pleasure of our company and visiting her. Anne’s mom only speaks French but she is so excited to see us and take us on a tour of the city. Anne is our translator as many people only speak French. However, smiles and Bon Jour’s go a long ways!
Once at home, Anne prepared an amazing array of meats, cheeses, breads, and chocolates. As we were oohhing and ahhhing, Anne said, it’s nothing! Nothing to her, but incredibly delicious to us. Soon after, we bundled up and headed out to where else? The market of course! We walked through picking out more cheeses and yummy treats like foie gras, a European specialty (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foie_gras) Later in the evening we walked to the Monday night market, drank hot wine, and meandered through the numerous cheese, meat, and vegetable stands, eating little bits of this and that.

We toped it off at a nearby pub.

The bartender asked us our beer preferences, sweet or bitter, light or dark, and picked out our perfect beer. Traditionally in Belgium beer is served with a big chunk of cheese, a sausage, and roasted barley seeds. Delicious of course! Anne’s Mom, Mary François, picked us up and drove us all around Bruxelles, showing us the most famous sights and monuments.

When she asked Adam and Brandon if they would like to see the hookers they both looked at each other and laughed. She drove us through the Red Light district where half naked women sat in windows with red lights. The street was packed with men gawking at the women. It was a strange and disturbing sight but interesting none the less. Around 11pm we stopped by a “French” fry stand, picked up fries wrapped in paper cones and a variety of dipping sauces. Back at the flat, we eat our late night dinner and were ready for bed!

As we finish writing this, we are getting ready to go out for the day…more sightseeing and undoubtedly, more incredible European cuisine, and a few more toasts to our incredible friend and host, Anne. Thank you already for the best introduction to Europe we could have ever wished for.