Three days in Belgium, and everything went (better than) as planned. For starters, in a city that gets as much rain as Portland, we happened to experience the sunniest days of the year... it was, in fact, it set a record for being the warmest city in all of Europe one of the days we were there (and that never happens in Brussels)! But the weather was only the beginning of the warmth I felt in Belgium.
I have been incredibly fortunate with all of my hosts along my travels this year; I've met some amazing people and been welcomed by super kind locals in each of the cities. Continuing with my great streak... I haven't ever met more generous strangers than my new friends Marie-Françoise and Jean-Jacques in Brussels. My friend Trish put me in touch with her long-time friends and we hit it off right away. In just three days with them, they made me feel so welcome that I felt like I was part of their family.
Marie-Françoise cooked for me every single meal, even when I wasn't around... she just wanted to have food ready for me when I got back 'home.' They treated me to a personal walking tour (concentrating on the rich art-nouveau architecture of the city, much credited to Victor Horta), authentic Belgian-style waffles, chocolate, ales, cheeses, and filled in the gaps with great conversation and quality time at their place in Schuman (right in the mix, near the EU headquarters, etc)...
One afternoon, Jean-Jacques took us to one of his favourite beer halls; tucked in a side alley (off of tourist row): A La Becasse. We did the tasting tour of four fine belgian ales and then... on my fifth... I discovered my new favourite beer in the world: Gueuze Cantillon. Coincidentally, Jean-Jacques has family ties to this organic lambic and I was convinced to give it a try... and it wasn't just because it was my fifth beer of curiously strong Belgian notoriety... because I tried it again the next day and was equally impressed!
On Easter morning, I found myself in the city center at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula... wow... a pretty special place to happen upon, and a great way to start the days' adventures to Brugge. Bruges (English spelling) is a gorgeous medieval town in the Flemish region (northwest Belgium)... and another prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO!
I could go on and on about my stay in Belgium (and, I'm sure I may in conversation), but for now, I'm trying to catch up on journaling... so I must leave my words short... and let the photos tell more of the story...
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