Brussels

Quite amazing, this country.  Two, maybe three, languages.  Home to the European Union.   Wonderful cuisine.  Adjacent to France, Netherlands, Germany and Luxemburg.  Also borders on the North Sea.  Great Festivals celebrating Mardi Gras and Beer.  Speaking of beer, it’s a major product in Belgium.

The country is divided into two parts: to the north of Brussels, the capital city – Flanders { Flemish-speaking}.  To the south – Wallonne {French-speaking}.  In Flanders lie towns you may have heard of: Bruges, Antwerp.  In Wallonneare Liege, Waterloo and Charleroi – the Pittsburgh of Belgium{many steel mills}.

I lived in Belgium for three years in the late 70’s working as Sales/Marketing Manager for a U.S. Company that had recently purchasedthis Belgian manufacturer as a gateway for their products into the European market.  Since these products targeted flow control, they were right up my alley.  I lived in Brussels and commuted one hour south to work.  The factory was located in the Wallon region, so French was the lingua franca.

Thus, the motivation for visiting Brussels.  I wanted to show off Brussels to my bride.  So much for the background.  Now to the meat of the topic.

After the pandemonium in Schiphol, we mounted the train to Brussels.  Thanks to our excellent travel planner, Anzie, we had reserved seats on the very crowded train.  We arrived in a very crowded Brussels: crowds of people toting suitcases here and there.Obviously, the Icelandic volcano had reached farther than we could imagine to disrupt travel plans.  We had no problem registering for our reserved room at the hotel.

We then went out to dinner, which brings up one of Belgium’s important features: cuisine.  Did you know that French Fries were invented in Belgium?  Neither did I.  Probably the most famous dish in the country is “Moules Frites”: Mussels and French Fries.  You are served two bowls – one filled with mussels, the other empty – for your shells.  Plus, a basket of fries.

For a beverage you may order a white wine – an import from France, or a beer.

Belgium is famous for her variety of beers.  Here’s just a sampling: Lambic, Trappist, Strong Ales, Pilsner, Wheat, Stout, Cherry Fruit Beer and Gueuze.  This last one is a sour ale.  Some patrons may develop a taste for it.  Not me!  There’s a stew that is popular, made with gueuze, which is pretty tasty.  Belgians drink 68 liters of beer per year.  That’s down from 100 liters in the early 1900’s.

Around just about every corner you’ll find a frites stand.  The reason they’re so good is that they’re fresh.  They come with your choice of sauces, including Bearnaise!

A couple of negatives.  Firstare eels.  Due to the proximity to the North Sea, eels are on just about every restaurant menu.  They’re served in a bowl covered in a white sauce.  The whole thing is slimy!

Second is steak, and this goes for French cuisine, too.  Both Belgian and French palates prefer a steak that is tough.  We Americans prefer our steak firm, but not to the point that we tire out our jaw muscles.  The steak in these two countries tastes like the poor cows were run to death!

Festivals: There are plenty of beer festivals going on throughout the country all the time.  One that I found as interesting as it is unusual is the Carnival de Binche.  Held in various towns and villages in the Wallon area just before Ash Wednesday, it’s like Mardi Gras.  People parade in strange medieval costumes.  The men wear vibrant costumes of the country’s colors –red,  black, orange – with padding front and back.  They look like Quasimodo.  They carry baskets of mandarin oranges that they toss to the crowd.

Arts:  Lots of good music.  Bizet, the composer of Carmen, is Belgian.  So there’s opera. You’ll find theater.  Unfortunately, it’s in French.  You’ll also find jazz spotsDining out is the favorite sport.  It is said that Belgians spend 30% of their income on eating out.

Happy travels,

Chuck & Anzie

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