My Apetite in Belgium

Brussel's main square.

Many things impressed me about Belgium this past weekend. The people were nice, the architecture was imposing and beautiful, and the speed of life was even slower than many of the places around Europe I have so far visited. All of this was second to the food though. Belgium was a culinary delight. I ate and drank like a king and I enjoyed every bite.
I got into Brussels Friday afternoon and met up with my friend from high school. The weather was beautiful and it seemed like the whole town was in the sunlight strolling the cobbled streets, drinking in the many outdoor cafes, or lying in the many city parks (over 15% of the city is dedicated to parkland, the most of any major city in Europe.) Everyone was enjoying life and nobody was in a rush. Usually I like to be full of enthusiasm and get after a city with all the energy I have, but the citizen’s style was infectious and I decided to step back and let the city come to me. We split the day between taking in the baroque architecture and parks and admiring the notoriously strong beer in the cafes. It is a funny feeling to feel a buzz after just two beers. That night we continued sampling beers and both got as many different kinds under our belt without ever trying the same beer twice. Trying every beer in town would have been impossible however because it is said that there are over 400 different Belgium beers in Brussels and we were drinking at a bar called Delirium with 2000 beers available. We ate French fries served in paper cones for dinner, although we topped ours in catsup whereas locals use mayonnaise. French fries were invented in Belgium and are called “French fries” because the potatoes are cut in the “French style,” not because they are French.

My friend Saars and I in Brussels.

The next morning we took a train from French-speaking Brussels an hour north to the quaint Flemish-speaking town of Bruges. Bruges was gorgeous and everything you think of when imagining a small Dutch town. It was another beautiful day and we watched boats and kayakers motor down the canals, saw old windmills on the outskirts of town and tried to stay out of the way of the many horse drawn carriages clopping down the cobbled streets. We sat at outdoor cafes and ate fresh Belgium waffles with ice cream and powdered sugar on top. It really was one of the best things I have tasted. I spread the ice cream into each square of the waffle so that with each bite of the warm fluffy waffle you also tasted the sweet, quickly melting but still cold ice cream. It was way better than the frozen Eggo waffles I am used to at home.

A shot of Bruges.

On Sunday we spent the morning in Bruges and took an early afternoon train back to Brussels so my friend could catch a train back to Italy. I spent the rest of the day walking around and enjoying life. I was scheduled to leave early on Monday morning so I opted to stay up all night instead of getting a bed. Around midnight I walked through a street called Rue des Bouchers, which is a tightly lined street with consecutive, brightly lit seafood restaurants which stretch for a few blocks. During the day each restaurant’s product is displayed on ice in the street and waiters try shuffling you into little tables on the side of the road. Everything is colorful and smells delicious and I envied the people eating each time I passed.

Rue des Bouchers during the day.

By midnight only a few restaurants were still open and I decided to spend money I didn’t have to get an awesome meal. I sat down and ordered what Brussels is known for; a pot of moules, frites, and a strong Belgium beer. That is, a big pot of mussels, a plate of French fries, and obviously, a beer. All around me were large parties drinking, eating mussels, and laughing, and for the first time in a while I missed my family. The food was amazing. When it came I took a moment to sit back and admire the brightly lit meal in front of me and knew I was in for a treat. The mussels were soaked in a wine sauce and as I sucked the juices out of the shell I could still taste the salt from the sea. The meal was large enough for two but I ate the whole thing myself and savored every bite. When I finished paying the bill I walked around the corner to the bar with 2000 beers and had two cold ones to wash the meal down. Around two in the morning I slowly walked through the deserted streets to the station perfectly content with life. Good food is something to cherish.

My awesome late night meal.