Chocolate!  Waffles!  Mussels!  Beer!  Brussels and Bruges, Belgium were all about eating and drinking.  I was able to get my Mussels From Brussels and Eric made sure we visited every famous chocolate maker in both cities.  Seriously, he had the map out and showed me how we could make it to three different chocolate maker landmarks in Brussels within the space of an hour.  And we did.  I don’t think I can eat Hershey’s or M&Ms again.  The chocolate in Belgium uses pure cocoa butter (versus 70% pure in the US) and the difference is noticeable.  Although, before I got to Brussels, I thought Godiva was French, but found out it’s actually Belgian. Maybe I don’t have to give up chocolate all together when I get back to the States!  I know where the Godiva store is in Cleveland (Beachwood Place) and I’m sure I can find someone to direct me towards one in LA.  ‘But Hershey’s is conveniently located at the CVS checkout!’ you declare.  I know, I know.  It’s my newest dilemma.  (What a dilemma to have.) 

Beyond the food and drink, Belgium was a relaxing, peaceful country.  Brussels’ beautiful central park was filled with families and couples having picnics.  Toddlers wandered into the wind-blown spray from the large fountain and quickly ran out wet and laughing.  Students on a field trip followed a guide who explained the history of the park in Dutch.  I marveled to Eric about the “tree nets” the park had set up everywhere.  Once he had managed to contain his laughter, he explained that they had not manipulated the branches to look like nets, but that there were grapevines stretching in small squares between the trees.  (‘Besides,’ he said, ‘What would they be trying to catch exactly?’  “Um, renegade birds?’ I replied.  Obviously I had not thought that part through yet…)

Bruges was as romantic as promised in every book and online review I had read.  The small streets and canals are quiet and subdued.  The loudest sound is that of horse-drawn carriages making their ways through the streets.  It’s a small city and the best way to see it is by a canal boat ride, which we did.  And of course, Eric found the perfect chocolate shop to buy our final Belgian treats.  We had to walk down three different streets and peer into the windows of multiple shops before picking the perfect destination.  Once inside Eric began to look at the rows and rows of brown and white sweets.  The phone rang and the woman working the counter answered it as Eric continued to look.  I turned away and began to examine the prepackaged items on the shelf. 

“Rachel.  Rachel!”

“What?”

“We have to go. NOW.”

“Ok,” I replied.  Once we were outside of the shop I asked: “What was that?  We just searched for like 35 minutes to find the perfect shop!”

“Yeah, well when she was on the phone there was a fly flying around and she smashed it against the window.  WITH HER HAND.  THE HAND THAT WAS GOING TO GRAB THE CHOCOLATE.”

Ten minutes later, we found a better shop that was up to Eric’s standards and didn’t involve a complimentary fly killing demonstration. 

Having had our fill of all the edible and visual treasures Brussels and Bruges have to offer, it’s time to move on to a city that can be described as anything but small or quiet.  Amsterdam, here we come!

Until tomorrow and the new adventure…

Rachel