Bienvenue à Bruxelles
Ever since watching the Austin Powers mooovies, I have wanted to visit Belgium.
“My father was a relentlessly self-improving bellangerie owner from Belgium with low-grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a 15-year-old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink, he would make outrageous claims—like he invented the question mark. Sometimes, he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy—the sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. My childhood was typical: summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring, we’d make meat helmets. When I was insolent, I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds—pretty standard really. At the age of 12, I received my first scribe [fencing sword]. At the age of 14, a Zoroastrian named Vilma, ritualistically shaved my testicals. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum. It’s breathtaking; I suggest you try it.” —Dr. Evil
“It was our first family holiday together. Just as I was finishing a case, your mother brought the two of you to Belgium. I stopped to have a tinkle, when the car exploded. It was no accident; it was an assassination attempt. I thought only Austin survived. I should have told you the truth earlier, but those Belgiums—they made you so damn evil.” —Nigel Powers
All aboard the 9:01 a.m. Eurostar at St. Pancras International in London. Soon we were under the English Channel for 20 minutes, through France, and on to Brussels, Belgium. We managed to get on the tram from the train station and make our way to our hotel.
Entering the Grand-Place.
The Grand-Place (French for Grand Square) is also known as Grote Markt (Dutch for Big Market). With so many mesmerizingly beautiful buildings on all four sides, it’s difficult to know where to look first.
Belgium is famous for four things: waffles, beer, French fries, and chocolate. We wasted no time checking #1 off the list…
Erica, surprisingly these are also GF! AND…you would have no idea if someone didn’t tell you. Très délicieux!! ✅
The streets are brimming with olde world charm.
Belgium may be famous for four things, but Brussels is also famous for three slightly naughty peeing statues. We saw the two lessor-known ones today. This is Jeanneke Pis, Dutch for Little Pissing Joan.
Joan is rather realistic in her depiction.
And then there’s this little scamp, Het Zinneke (Dutch for the mutt), who is sometimes called Zinneke Pis to match the more well-known two-legged Manneken and Jeanneke. We’ll visit the famous Manneken Pis tomorrow.
This guy is a bit more conservative than his human counterparts.
We stopped in Delirium Taphouse to checkout the second thing Belgium’s is famous for—bière. Amanda had a Campus Premium lager/pilsner from Huyghe Brewery based in Melle, East Flanders, Belgium. I had a Bersalis blonde ale from Oud Beersel, an artisanal lambic brewery based in Beersel, Belgium. ✅ ✅
Finally, it was time for some of the famous Belgium frites.
“French fries” actually come from Belgium, not France. During WWI, American soldiers stationed in Belgium, where French is spoken, encountered the dish and mistakenly attributed it to France, even though frites are a Belgian specialty. The Hoegaarden Wit (white) bier was refreshing and especially tasty.
Frites Atelier uses Zeeland clay potatoes, known for their slightly earthier and richer profile. They first boil them in hot water to fluff them up, then they fry them in vegetable oil, and then fry them a second time to make them extra crispy. Sooo delicious! ✅ ✅ ✅
Frites Atelier is also famous for their variety of homemade sauces.
For the love of all that is holy…WHY?!
