mussels and waffles and bier, oh my!

Brussels, Belgium

Mussels and Waffles and Bier, oh my!

our mussels, in Brussels

Bonjour! In Brussels, the people speak French!  I felt so sophisticated hello-ing with BONJOUR and thanking with MERCI and goodbye-ing with Au Revoir. Lucky for me, though, the Belgians are also hip to English - I couldn't get by an entire day with the only three french words I knew after all....

With the advice of our friend, Rich, we decided on a day trip to Brussels.  I had never been to Belgium and Erik had been for only a short day trip himself.  After a three hour train ride (we battled through an intense game of rummy to pass the time) we were in french speaking, chocolate/beer/mussels/waffle-making Brussels! 

Erik's amazing memory got us right to the Grand Place - and, GRAND it was - a city center surrounded by large, I mean massive, buildings.

This space was once used for city meetings, hangings as well as family gatherings.  Now it is a daily home to the thousands of tourists who come to marvel at its excellence.  We stood in the middle of this square for over a half hour - turn by turn, we were amazed.

Before lunch, we decided to make our way to the Manneken Pis, a bronze statue of a young boy urinating in a fountain. It has been on this corner since 1619 and holds some sort of significance, although, most stories of the young boy are just that - stories.  For example, when Brussels was being attacked by a foreign power, some attackers had a plan to light explosives but this little boy, named Julinske, spied on them as they were preparing these explosives. He urinated on the fuse and saved the city!  It is a local tradition to dress the statue a few times a week. This is why he is wearing a sports cap...

Chocolate/Candy Mannekin Pis'

While on our self-made walking tour of Brussels, we came across a little something familiar ... VERSAILLES!

Versailles is not just a town in Missouri .... or a city in France .... it's in Belgium, too!

After an hour or so we were thirsty for some Belgian bier.  It's great, right?  We found our way to an open table in the Grand Place.  How lucky!  Known for their "bucket of mussels for 20 euro", we stopped at the 't Kelderke for just that.... and, some bier.  I like ordering bier here ... in both Amsterdam and Brussels, because specialty biers come with their specialty glasses.  It is an experience, everytime! 

wall to wall bier!

The mussels were delicious but, the bier was better.  Just one or two is all it takes for a smile and giggle ... and we were on our way.  We decided to walk up and down the city streets to get lost a little and to see what Brussels really had to offer.  Some streets were tackled by tourists while others were quiet, quaint ... lovely.  More walking called for more bier.  We stopped at another cafe, right on the corner of the street, for another taste and some great people watching. 

Once the bier and mussels settled, it was time for a Belgian Waffle - yes, we literally ate and drank our way through Brussels!  There were countless waffle stands - it was hard to choose, but I decided to join the line that had made this little one the happiest girl in the world....

The variety was shocking - I mean, where is the waffle, anyway?  Whipped cream, fruit, ice cream ....  dare I ask for simple syrup or powdered sugar? 

Lucky for me, tucked to the side was an option for a waffle that was ... well, naked!  That was my waffle - just as it was, with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.  1 euro later, I was in Belgian Waffle heaven....

 Our day of good eats came to an end after another skip around the Grand Place for more pictures and memories ....

Love Brussels - for its mussels, its peeing statue, its bier ... but most of all for its ambience and culture... 

Ciao!
Kate & Erik
4/25/2011