Tuesday, March 15th

[Beth]: Now that Jared has told you of our adventure eating at the Belga Queen Brasserie on Monday evening, I can move on to the following days.  I also spent Tuesday and Wednesday sight-seeing (and doing lots of walking) around the city.  On Tuesday morning, I toured Coudenberg Palace, or rather it’s remains.  The Palace was a 12^th century creation, sited on the hills of the Upper Town when Brussels was still small and confined to the Lower Town area.  In the following centuries, the hill was leveled and new palaces built atop it.  So all that remains today are well-preserved ruins.  It was remarkable to be underneath today’s buildings and imagine all the events and history that took place below street level.

After spending the morning in the cool, dark ruins below ground, I was ready for some sunshine!  Jared came back from the conference over his lunch hour, and we met at the hotel.  We walked two blocks to the Galeries Royales St. Hubert, which is Europe’s oldest still-operating shopping mall.  It was built in 1847, and is glass-covered for convenient window-shopping.  The ground floor has boutique shops, theatres, and restaurants with apartments on the upper stories.  Originally, people had to pay to get in, and the architecture still makes it feel quite upscale.  We ate lunch “outside” at Le Mokafe in the galleries and spent a pleasant hour eating and people-watching.  As we may have mentioned before, much of Brussels feels Parisian, especially in restaurants.  At Le Mokafe, the chairs at the patio tables were turned facing to the walkway, rather than facing each other.  It greatly enhances the people-watching – and sharing lunch with your spouse!

After lunch, we had a bit more time before Jared’s next conference session.  So we walked to the Grand Place to the Brewery Museum.  It is a small museum, made up of only two rooms.  The first is a room with old brewing paraphernalia, which was pretty neat.  The second was less exciting as it has modern equipment and a little video on modern beer-brewing.  The best part was that the admission fee included a glass of beer for each of us!  The ambience of having a true Belgian beer in an old cellar couldn’t be beat.

Once Jared headed to the metro to go back to the conference, I walked back uphill to the BELvue museum, the buildings that are on top of the Coudenberg Palace.  The walk uphill wasn’t too long, but it was quite strenuous, and I can’t count the numbers of times I climbed it that week.  By my logic, though, every trip I made uphill entitled me to more truffles!  The BELvue museum is basically a national history museum.  It covered nearly all of the country’s history from declaring independence from the Netherlands in 1830 until today.  The museum also had extensive displays on the royal family, which I think is even more beloved by the people than the William and Kate by the British.  (Like that reference to the wedding just yesterday?  I must say, I really enjoyed the Bishop’s sermon at their wedding).  I learned a good deal about the country and its people that afternoon.

Guess what I did after that?  I bought more chocolate!  I also bought some beers from the local grocery store, so that we could enjoy them on our hotel room balcony.  It was a bit cold outside, but we enjoyed the pre-dinner treat.

For dinner, we met some of Jared’s French counterparts on the Grand Place.  We sat at one of the many restaurants on the square for some beers.  It was a gorgeous evening, and it was fun to again sit, relax, and take in the atmosphere.  We finally tried the traditional Kwak beer, which is served in a tall, thin glass with a wooden contraption to hold it up.  When you drink it, you pick up the wooden holder and all, and as the glass gets closer to empty, the remaining beer comes out with a “Kwak Kwak Kwak” sound.  It wasn’t the best beer we tried, but it was one of the most fun to drink.

After the beers, we wandered for a while looking for a place to eat dinner.  I shall not waste much time describing that because we ended up at a touristy, cookie-cutter place on the Rue du Bouchers (i.e. Restaurant Row).  This old narrow street is lined with restaurants, all serving stereotypical Belgian food to unknowing tourists.  The meal was ok, and we had to wait almost a full hour to get our food.  So after that experience, we were ready for some more beer.

Thankfully, close by was the Delirium Café, a place recommended by friends of friends and some French guys.  Delirium is an enormous bar and pub with an even bigger beer list – supposedly over 2000 varieties.  Between the four of us, we managed to try a good number that evening.  One guy even ordered the cactus beer, a drink that was in fact beer, but looked more like nuclear lime juice.  It tasted pretty gross.

It was great to experience some of the city’s nightlife, and thankfully we were able to sleep in the next morning.  Next up is Wednesday and even more delicious restaurant reviews!

Brussels' Beautiful People (and their bathrooms)

[Jared]:  I think it's fair to suppose the blame for the three week delay in blogging about our trip to Europe rests largely on my shoulders.  These last few weeks have been a bit stressful.  However, you were promised a story of toilets, and I shall not disappoint!

After my first day at the European Wind Energy Conference, I was fully excited (or "stoked" as they say here in southern California) to see more of Brussels and to enjoy a nice meal.  We decided to head to a restaurant mentioned in our guidebook.  After wandering for some time and getting quite turned around, I am ashamed to admit that we resorted to using the map app on my iPhone.  Finally we approached the restaurant.  In his book, Rick mentioned that this was a restaurant where Belgians come "to see and be seen".  As much as we love food, Beth and I don't typically find our way to "trendy" locales so to speak. I for one was a little intimidated by this place; and I was not comforted by the door man in a hipster tuxedo and top hat.  And so we passed by.

We attempted to regroup as we peered inside. Should we go in?  Are we dressed cool enough?  We don't have reservations!  Our French isn't great... and so forth.  Finally, Beth imbibed me with the requisite courage.  We had come this far, why turn back?  Let's just go for it.  So we did!

The restaurant was indeed trendy.  An oyster bar to the left, a cocktail bar to the right.  The lobby and main dining room opening up straight ahead.  We informed the hostess that we had no reservations, and she was quite helpful.  Our options were to wait roughly 45 minutes for a table or they could make a place for us at a very tall table right by the entrance.  Given that it was late and we were hungry, we opted for the table - a decision I admit I regret.  The table was the only bar height table in the entire dining room which helped us feel nice and conspicuous.  Also our chairs were more like stools as they did not have backs, which meant that by the end of the meal, my lower back was screaming at me.  What was done was done, but Beth and I pride ourselves on our ability to look on the bright side in such situations and did not let trivial inconveniences keep us from enjoying our evening.

Despite a supremely tempting menu (i.e. foie gras), Beth and I decided the chef's tasting menu was the optimal choice.  We rarely order the same thing at a restaurant, but made an exception this evening.  Everything was delicious.  We both especially enjoyed the beer pairings with each course.

To top the meal off, we were treated to our choice of a classic cocktail on the house.  We never were able to translate why we were offered the free drinks.  As best we can tell, it was a relatively random thing.  Maybe they were training a new bartender?

After so much hydration, we each required a trip to the facilities where we encountered our final surprise of the evening.  Although our guidebook noted this restaurant as a place where people go "to be seen", I did not think this edict would apply to bathroom stalls.  And yet, there I stood, facing a bathroom of see-through glass walls.  Men and women's sections were noted with their respective gender symbols, yet still perfectly translucent.  I admit the consequences of this truth took a moment to sink in.  I cautiously approached a stall, entered, and closed the door behind me.  I could still see the common space and sinks.  By the transitive property of vision, I knew this meant my business would be on display to the world.  Then I locked the stall door.  The glass instantly became opaque!  It was mind boggling.  There weren't any shutters or sliding doors.  One minute I could see through the glass, the next instant I could not.  I once was exposed, but now I'm private.  Hallelujah!

There you have it.  It was quite an evening.  There's more fun and food stories to come.  I'm going to hand the blog back over to Beth who promises to be a more reliable blogger than I.

Brussels, Monday March 14th

[Beth]: Monday morning we awoke (mostly) refreshed and ready for a week in Brussels.  In making our hotel reservation, we were able to get breakfast for both of us included.  Which turned out to be an amazing – and delicious! – deal.  Each morning there was a full spread of pastries, eggs, meats, fruit, and juices.  We got our own pot of fresh-brewed coffee, and we quickly fell in love with croissants with chocolate spread.  I can think of no better way to start the day than with coffee and chocolate!

Jared went off to his wind energy conference, but since most of our readers aren’t in the industry, we will spare you the details.  However I will show you our balcony, which my businessman-husband just happened to be standing on!

While Jared was busy learning and networking, I got to explore the city and its sights!  On this first morning, I explored the area around the Grand Place and Hotel de Ville (aka City Hall).  I had planned on going to the Costume and Lace Museum, but sadly it was closed for a month for renovation.  So I took these pictures in a nearby courtyard.

I had lunch at the quaint yet bustling Maison des Crepes.  Since it was sunny and relatively warm outside, I ate my ham, cheese, and egg crepe at one of the sidewalk tables.  Along with my Lindeman’s Peche (peach) beer, I enjoyed people-watching as I ate.  I love people-watching, especially in a new and foreign country.  What a wonderful way to learn about a new locale!

After lunch, I headed for St. Michael’s church.  But, on the way, I somehow got pulled into Neuhaus Chocolatiers.  As would become a habit in the coming days, I stopped in, bought two or three (or four…) truffles to sample, and took them to a picturesque location.  In this case, I sat in a little park at St. Michael’s and again enjoyed some people-watching whilst indulging my sweet tooth.

St. Michael’s is a wonderful, Gothic cathedral that has been the center of Brussels religious life for more than 1000 years.  The white stone building is gorgeous and has a wonderful view of the Lower Town.  Inside, I was able to see excavations of the medieval church walls displayed under glass floor panels.  It is so amazing to think of people worshipping, getting baptized and married, and holding funerals here for 10 centuries.  And as an architecture fanatic, I love getting to see all of the historic elements.

Upon leaving the cathedral, I headed uphill and cut through the Parc de Bruxelles.  Even with the trees bare for winter, the expansive park was pleasant to stroll through.  I even happened upon a man warming up on the bagpipes and was treated to some Scottish tunes as I headed for the European Parliament.  In contrast to the very old buildings in the Lower Town, the complex that houses the European Parliament is modern and sleek.  I went on a half-hour audio tour, which ended in the “hemi-cycle” where the members meet and do their world-leadership thing.  Even though the U.S. isn’t part of the E.U. and all the videos about the importance of the Parliament were a bit over-dramatic, it was pretty cool to see the room.  There are boxes around the back, like the booths at a baseball stadium, where the proceedings are translated into 26 or so different languages.  That way, each delegate can hear and participate in his own language.  Pretty cool.

After this, I walked further afield and through another park, Park of the Cinquantenaire, to visit Auto World.  I feel like I have a healthier interest in cars than most girls, so this museum was pretty cool.  The museum has hundreds of automobiles, starting with the first Benz up to more modern cars.  I really enjoyed the older ones from the 20’s to 40’s.  My favorite, though, was the 1965 Triumph: a car that is also a boat.  It is both street- and sea-legal!  Oh, the silly inventions of the 1960’s.

By this time, it was 5pm and I was exhausted from all the walking.  So I hopped the metro back to the hotel and met Jared for dinner.  Possibly the coolest restaurant for ambience we went to all trip, and definitely the craziest bathrooms.  Stay tuned….

Brussels, Sunday March 13th

[Beth]: Okay, now the bulk of the blogging begins.  As I mentioned in the previous post, we were gone for 10 days.  Our current plan is one post per travel day!  We took an overnight flight and arrived in Belgium at 8am their time.  Despite sleeping for only a few hours on the plane (and Jared, really, slept none), we determined to push through the day and stay awake until after dinnertime.

Thankfully, we were able to check into our hotel as soon as we arrived.  It was located right in the heart of the old city, just steps from the Grand Place and the central train station.  Brussels is a major European city thanks to the E.U. headquarters and NATO, but it is a remarkable compact city.  It is also divided by elevation: the Lower Town, built around the river (now paved over) with narrow cobblestone streets and old buildings, and the Upper Town, quite literally up a steep hill with wide boulevards and palaces.

In order to get the lay of the city quickly, we went on two of Rick Steves’ walking tours.  In between we had lunch in a quaint, medieval cellar restaurant right on the Grand Place.

We quickly covered many of the dishes Belgium is famous for: mussels, beer, and fries.  Mussels are cooked a handful of ways and are surprisingly fun and delicious!  We shall talk more of the beer soon (it might even get its own post by Jared).  The fries are spectacular!  Belgian-style fries are deep-fried twice – once to cook them and a second time to brown them.  I think that makes all the difference.  That and the fact that Belgians eat them with mayo.  Yummy!

Not far from the Grand Place is the Mannekin Pis, a quite famous little fellow.  I wasn’t really familiar with the statue before our trip, but I read about him and the folklore stories about his creation.  The guidebook made a point that most people are underwhelmed when they first see him because he is smaller than they think.  I knew this –and still thought he was smaller than I expected!  He is very entertaining, as is watching the tourists gathering around and taking pictures.

After sufficiently honoring the little man (he just keeps going and going and going….), we decided to indulge in another Belgian tradition: waffles.  We discovered that one cannot walk a block in Brussels without passing a waffle shop or chocolate shop (MUCH more on those later!).  The waffles are thick and sweet and served hot, either plain or covered with fruit, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream.  Although Brussels had many great sights, the eating was the best!  We made a conscious effort to not pass up opportunities to eat all these goodies, and we still wish we had eaten more waffles!

By the time 5pm rolled around, the rain and clouds and Sunday evening had made the city very quiet and deserted.  All the museums had closed, so we had to kill a few hours before dinner.  But what a struggle!  We ended up on a couch in our hotel, reading to each other and occasionally swatting one another with a magazine to keep ourselves awake.  It may have only been funny to us in the punch-drunkness of sleep deprivation and long travel.  But, oh, was it hilarious at the time.

We had dinner at a local bistro: salad, sandwich, and of course, more beer!  Then thankfully, it was time for rest.  The next morning, Jared had to be alert for his conference and me for sight-seeing!

Europe 2011

[Beth]: I am always amazed how quiet our apartment feels when one of us is sick.  Sadly, Jared is currently sick.  He was supposed to be on a plane to Montreal for work, but a stomach bug had other plans for him.  In trying to be quiet and let him sleep, I have been catching up on emails and life.

We have been gone from San Diego for much of the month of March.  Thus, the playing catch up – and the return of the blog!  I suppose one day our “second chances” of jump starting the blog after months of silence will grow old.  Perhaps it already has.  I guess we’ll see if we get any comments, or even have any readers still.

The biggest event of March was our trip to Belgium and France.  What an adventure!  To set the stage, Jared found out last November that he would get to return to Paris for a conference for work.  But then unbeknownst to me, he also got approved for a second conference – the previous week in Brussels!  He looked at airfare, took a gamble, and bought me a ticket too.  For Christmas, he completely surprised me with the ticket and trip!  On Christmas morning, I first opened a box of Belgian truffles.  Yummy, I though.  What girl doesn’t like chocolate?  Second, I opened a box of French truffles.  I will never turn down more chocolate.  Third, the plane ticket and my utter amazement!  And last was a trusty Rick Steves guidebook (we never leave the country without one).

So we were off.  5 days in Brussels and 5 in Paris.  Although we have been to Paris before, Brussels would be a completely new experience.  We learned that about half of the Belgians speak French, half speak Flemish, and nearly everyone in Brussels speaks English fluently.  Our French has steadily improved, but we are nowhere near fluent.  As it turns out, Belgium is just about the perfect country for us: beer for Jared, chocolate for me (see below), and lots of history and tasty food!

I plan to take our trip day by day in the coming week or so.  So please stay tuned for lots of pictures, foodie talk, and maybe a misadventure or two!