We travelled to Brussels over Easter to visit good Danish
friends Henrik and Barbara who have lived there for a couple years now after
Henrik landed a market research job with IKEA. We were anticipating seeing our friends for 4 days, but had
not expected to be as surprised and delighted with the Belgian architecture,
food, and sheer old world charm. I described it as Paris with a touch of Vienna.
The city bustles with an interesting mix of people and languages. It is the headquarters of the European Union, as well as NATO and one is reminded that the Republic of the Congo used to be the Belgium Congo and there are several vibrant Congolese neighborhoods.
We walked a great deal through the streets of Brussels,
Bruge, and Leuven. Mostly this was
deliberate—a street-level tourism approach shared with our friends—but extended
a bit when a wildcat public transportation strike broke out over worker
security after a shocking incident where a transport worker was beaten to death
after a tram/car accident. We were walking through town when we came upon the first moments of the strike. Trams and buses were being maneuvered into street blocking positions, drivers and workers began to gather on the square and everyone around us was wondering what was happening. The strike lasted the rest of the time we were in Brussels.
 |
| Transport workers blocking traffic with buses and trams. The city's free bikes in the foreground. |
Our day trips took us to Bruges, a medieval city threaded with canals. It is called "Venice of the North". Well, not quite like Venice but the over 700 year old belfry and cathedrals and the beguinage- a cloister and refuge for the poor and widowed women were beautiful.
Another trip took us to Leuvan 20 minutes from Brussels (everything is remarkably nearby- next time we will take a day trip to Paris, an 1 1/2 hr trip on the fast train). Leuvan is a centuries old university town and has the most elaborate town hall we have ever seen. Built in 1439- its facade is a boggling vision of humanity.
Lovely architecture and historical events, impressive cathedrals filled with elaborately carved pulpits and beautiful stain-glass windows were abundant but THE FOOD!!!! One highlight was the French fries (those who know me, know the fondness I have for potatoes, esp in this form). We visited the French fry museum in Bruges and learned that this holy food was supposedly invented here in Belgium, and was misnamed by the American soldiers during WWI who heard the Belgian soldiers who offered them this treat, speaking French. In Brussels we stood in line for 45 minutes to the walk-up French fry stand for this delicacy. We then took them across the street to the bar for the accompanying beer.
Then there was the Sunday market near their apt with carts and tables loaded with wonderful vegetables, mushrooms, pates, homemade quiches and cheeses.
One booth was surrounded by its customers, drinking wine and eating the escargot which was served out of a bubbling pot of broth. The talking, the eating, the enjoyment of a nice Sunday noon glass of wine in the sunshine was delightful to watch.
Of this last delight, it has to be written by Nat. I am not the best describer of the marvels of chocolate and desserts but I certainly appreciated the beautiful works of art.
 |
| Godiva Chocolate shop strawberries. Henrik bought a cone of them and they did not last long. |
 |
| Lemon meringue tart--the best I have tasted and I grew up in a homemade lemon meringue pie kind of family. |
 |
| Terrific tasting beer. Henrik is a beer enthusiast and introduced us to a score of different kinds, including a random wild yeast brew (the vats are left open for spores in the air to settle in the kettle). A Belgian beer guide described another beer of this kind as tasting like "horse blanket," so we weren't prepared for what turned out to be a pretty darn good citrusy tasting brew. |
We
walked many, many hours each day, but always rewarded with good food and drink
along the way and when we made our way home in the evening.
