irishface

ttt

annhig

I just found this, and I'm so glad i did. When we lived in Kent [SE england] we went to Northern France and Belgium a few times, but never got to Ghent, mores the pity.

BTW, I was going to post that you get free water [usually] in France et voila - so you did.

brookums71

I am off the grid w scarce wifi.will resume blog in Brussels tomorrow.

brookums71

Trip Report
Belgium 2013
October 29, 2013

A girl, her hubs and a suitcase…………..
Day 5

No wifi!
So, I will continue to write, but you may receive this a little late. Today we awoke at a ridiculously early hr. due to a jacked up nervous system from coffee ingestion, biological geographical confusion and a snoring husband. Well, sweetie-if I am up-then so must you. I took a scolding hot luxurious shower-leaving my beloved and probably the rest of the hotel with cold, anemic droplets. I heard cursing and angry yelps coming from the bathroom, feeling remorse but extremely refreshed. Our breakfast was offered in the room next door, colorfully decorated, with vivid paintings and interesting conversation pieces. The owner is an architect or designer of sorts. His furnishings and details were a fine example of his craft. Breakfast was an array of beautiful French pastries, freshly squeezed orange juice and baguettes of bread- with deep craters of flaky crust, buttery, salty dough and truly one of the finest gifts the French have shared with us. It is a prime example of simplicity at its finest.

We left Lille with grey skies and cold pelting rain. The sun has popped out momentarily during this trip, a meteorological tease of what could be. Again, it is a minor issue-but does complicate matters and creates a need for adaption. Which-if the Edell’s are anything-ADAPTABLE we are. We drove approximately an hr. to Crupet, Belgium. Our journey now takes us to Southern Belgium. The topography started to change as we entered this region. High, jagged mountain rock and winding, elevating narrow streets was our scenery. Massive trees with thick trunks –jetting out their interloping branches like Marines criss- crossing their swords in salutation. We arrived at our hotel Le Moulin Des Ramiers.(http://www.moulindesramiers.be/ ) It is an old mill factory-with an old mill bursting through the interior through a couple floors. It has quaint farmhouse charm with exposed stone walls. Our TOTALLY French hostess greeted us and we were left literally with a game of charades to carry on any kind of conversation. Frank was pulling his ear in a sounds like motion-as our hostess continued to carry on in French, oblivious to our clueless state.

We drove to the next town over called Dinant. It was a harrowing drive-turning and weaving through cow pastures and zipping by farms. We again found the last free parking spot and walked down towards the water. Dinant is a waterside village, picturesque with old world charm. Towering over the water is mountains with castles and turrets dotting the landscape. We dined at a restaurant called Chez Bouboule Le Roi des Moules.( http://www.chezbouboule.be/) A darling restaurant, overlooking the water that specialized in Mussels. The menu was completely in French and the amateur that I am had an extremely difficult time negotiating what may be vegetarian. The sweet family sitting next to us-your typical French nuclear family, with 2 obedient adorable children sensed my difficulty and proceeded to order my vegetarian meal for me. Discussions were had between waiter, chef and my new friends-it was settled-I would have tomato soup and a salad. If it were not for them-I could possibly be eating terrain of duck liver. Thank you sweet French Family. Frank got the mussels, which came in a huge pot-steamy and pungent. It came with a big bowl of French Fries-a standard pairing for this dish. Frank plucked those babies out of their garlicky shells, slurping and glugging with enthusiasm.
After lunch we debated whether to partake in rest time and indulge in a nice nap. Or take advantage of the time and go into town and do our laundry. 10 days is a long time and too much to pack-so we always incorporate this much needed task at our halfway point. We chose the latter and schlepped into town with a suitcase full of dirty clothes. We washed our clothes at the local Laundromat (W@ashin);even washing clothes on vacation is fun!

When we returned to the hotel, we enjoyed an in room picnic of fine French bread, Belgium cheese, olives and grapes. Frank enjoyed the local beer. It was a yummy meal, economical and enjoyable. After dinner, I indulged in a hot bath, followed by crummy French programs and now early to bed.

Tune in for more Belgium Bedtime Stories……………..

Love and Belgium Beer Burps…. (HA!)
~Brooke and Frank~

Trip Report
Belgium 2013
October 30, 2012

A girl, her hubs and a suitcase…………..

Day 6

Still NO WIFI! 
But, don’t you worry I ‘ve got your travel memoirs right here-ready for you when you desire. Today was a smorgasbord of remembrance and history, followed by some city sophistication, with a dollop of art and culture.

We woke up to the first sunny day on our trip. The sun streaming through our windows was our friendly wake up call. We had a tasty breakfast of some fine French pastries and then set out for our day. We drove to Marsdrasson memorial in Bastogne, Belgium. It is a World War II memorial commemorating those who fought and lost their lives in the famous “Battle of the Bulge”. Our destination was approximately 40 minutes from our hotel. Bastogne is perched on a big cliff of earth, suspended precariously. The monument itself is somewhat utilitarian but honors all the individual states within the U.S. There is a spiral staircase that leads to the top with beautiful views of the horizon and village below. We wondered around the grounds, taking advantage of the sunshine and beautiful day. Making an impromptu decision we chose to drive to Luxembourg. We had done a fair amount of research leading up to the vacation and resolved that in particular Luxembourg had to be cut out.

But, curiosity won over and according to our navigation system it was pretty close. We arrived in the city of Luxembourg a half hour later, and it was only midday. We parked our car without incident and made our way through a beautiful park. The park zigzagged across the city and spit us out in the hub of the center. We walked around, visited the helpful tourist office, who suggested an Indian restaurant close by. The Star of Asia (http://www.starofasia.lu/) Upon entering the aromatic restaurant, with an overpowering bouquet of Indian spices our mouths started to water. As the lovely owner, shook his head sadly at us that they had just closed. I made my best sad face, asking for another restaurant suggestion-when the gentleman, waved his hands in a dismissive fashion and escorted to us to a table. We consumed delicious, hot spicy vegetarian dishes. After the meal, the owner shared with us some interesting facts about Luxembourg . This was one of the few conversations we have had on our trip, as the language barrier has been pervasive. Our lunch experience and friendly banter was very enjoyable.

After lunch we walked around the city and happened upon the Museum of National History and Art (http://www.mnha.public.lu/). My entrance was free due to my student status and Frank is a senior here-so our entry fee was peanuts! The museum itself is quite interesting architecturally, an open space 5 floors full of interesting scientific facts about civilization. We used audio tours which contributed to thought provoking details. There was a special exposition featuring a local artist from the impressionist period named Jean Schaack. The paintings were beautiful and colorful. I especially enjoyed this portion of the museum. In total, we spent about 2 hrs. there.

We left the museum and walked through the city, moving towards the water. The most spectacular view awaited us. There is a large wall fortifying the city back from medieval times. The cliff high walls circles the city and below, flickering in the evening light was Roman ruins, a beautiful garden and illuminated bridges from end to end. It was the highlight of my day, and possibly the trip so far. We lingered a while, swearing we would return to this city-someway-somehow. Reluctantly, we left knowing we had to drive 2 hrs. back to the hotel. (by the way, at this point our computer battery died and not one picture was captured for the majority of the day. 
We arrived back at the hotel, calling it a fairly early night.
Tune in for more travel tales….

Love and Luxembourg lullabies…………..
~Brooke and Frank~

Tulips

Lovely report Brooke! Very nice writing.
Good that you have a car, so can make impromptu decisions about where to go.
I must say, having lived in Belgium for more than 15 years, it still amazes me that many people in Wallonie speak only French.

brookums71

Thanks Tulips.

brookums71

Trip Report
Belgium 2013
October 30, 2012

A girl, her hubs and a suitcase…………..

Day 7

Some interesting facts about Belgium………
•There are over 800 different kinds of beer in Belgium
•Belgium claims to have invented the French fry
•Belgium has the least amount of McDonald’s than any other country
•Belgium has legalized euthanasia
•Belgium has mandatory voting and education up to 18 years of age
•The Belgium highway is the only man-made structure visible from the moon due to all the lights

This morning we left Crupet and drove towards our final destination Brussels-where we will spend the rest of our vacation until we leave Monday morning. Except we had one last stop we needed to make in the region. Somehow, I got it in my head I wanted to visit the Bister Mustard Company. (http://www.bister.com/EN/index.asp) In my research I had read something regarding a tour of the Mustard factory, and in my delusional fantasy I pictured an abbey or a monastery deep in the woods of Belgium. Monks crushing mustards seeds with a mortar and pestle, walking barefoot with Gregorian chants harmonizing in the background, soothing waterfalls flowing with gardens of orchids and flamingos walking through the sacred grounds. I pestered Frank to the point of harassment , whining and moaning until he relented. We drove our 7 miles to Namur Belgium-to the industrial park, that housed a red brick building that resembled an old school house. Workers wearing hair nets, resembling Laverne and Shirley took smoke breaks. I knocked on the door, and a bewildered woman questioned what we needed (in French). I told her I was here for a tour. She said this was not possible-that only groups of 15 or more could obtain such a privilege. Groveling and disappointed I inquired about a gift shop, and she escorted about 5 feet where a shelf of mustard sat. Excited with my findings (even though there were no monks slaving over my jar of liquid gold) I was still happy.

After my enticing acquisition, we preceded our journey to Brussels. Entering Brussels around noon, the city was swelling with people, traffic horrendous and a very confused navigational system. The plan was for Frank to drop me off at the hotel with all the bags, Frank would drop off the car, and meet me at the hotel. During the car exchange, somehow the Garmin was lost. The good news is we had it during the much needed driving excursions. The bad news is some worker at Avis Rental Car is now driving around with our Garmin. This cannot be proved, so we will not dwell on it. Plus, Christmas is right around the corner. A casualty of travel , a minor one in the scheme of things. Having had a wallet stolen in Madrid, a jacket lost in Venice, a camera bag in Rome, and most recently a converter 2 days ago-it is the way of travel-it happens.

Our exquisite hotel Le Dixseptieme (http://www.ledixseptieme.be/) is located in the hub of the city. It is finely decorated, very cozy, centrally located, and has very friendly staff. We ventured out to explore the city, walking the cobblestone streets, with the scent of French fry grease wafting through the air. French fries and waffles are the bookend carbohydrate staples of this culture. Although, I have not seen any obese individuals-oddly enough. We attempted to stop for an indulgent waffle-tempting pictures of ice cream melting over the doughy sweet delight. But, the tacky tourist task seemed gluttonous. There was no food group we could place this-so with whatever discipline we had left we exited the overpriced crowded establishment. We stopped for coffee later on to refuel.

For dinner we took our hotel hostess recommendation and went to a lovely place named Restaurant de L’Ogenblik (which translates to “The Moment”). To get there, we had to walk through an intimidating area-where restaurant owners groveled for patrons-like desperate car salesmen. Menus colorful and deceptive displaying all of Belgium’s finest delicacies. Pink tablecloths adorned the outside tables, as hungry tourists eager to throw these vultures their money -sat anticipating their $40 euro appetizer. We scurried past these money traps- to our suggested restaurant. It was a beautiful establishment , Michelin rated and very popular. It had a Belgium charm, sand lay sprinkled on the floor –an old Flemish custom dating back to the days when patrons chewed tobacco and spit on the floor.

Dinner started with crunchy, crispy French bread with an alarming size slab of butter. I ordered the “flower pot” which was a beautiful mosaic of vegetables seasoned to perfection, with potatoes au gratin- cooked to precision-that has caused me raise the bar quite high. Frank had a steamy seafood bouillabaisse that he seemed to enjoy. It was an expensive meal- but very special and delicious. After dinner, we strolled the streets, kids and teenagers following the traditions of their U.S neighbors decked out in their Halloween duds.

Stay tuned for more Belgian adventures……………..

Love and overpriced, greasy ,artery- clogging French fries,
~Brooke and Frank”

amer_can

Brooke, are you a professional writer???If not why not??? You way with words is very polished, interesting and captivating.. Keep 'em coming. Have been to your sites, have seen some of the same sights and wish I were there!! Thanks for sharing your experiences.

brookums71

amer_can
No, I am a pediatric nurse by trade. I love to write, but I am in no way professional. thanks for your kind words. I have been helped along the way so many times by other Fodorites I just like to give back.

brookums71

Trip Report
Belgium 2013
November 1, 2013
16,285 steps 5.65 miles

A girl, her hubs and a suitcase…………..

Day 8

All Souls Day
Well, we are nearing the end of this fabulous trip. 2 days left….Today we awoke fairly early and stopped at a local café for coffee. We went to St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral (http://www.cathedralestmichel.be/) for morning mass. It shadows the block from where it stands. The church bells greeted us as we entered. It is a fairly simple cathedral with the exception of elaborate stained glass windows. There was a significantly large gathering as it is a religious holiday here. If you are unfamiliar with All Saints Day-or All Souls Day, it is a day basically to commemorate the dead. It is considered a day of obligation, where everyone that can should honor the dead in some way. The service was multilingual-French and German-neither which helped us. But, honoring the dead to me is a universal language, so not all was lost. The choir sang angelic hymns , hypnotic and entrancing ; I thought of those whom I have lost and the ones near to me that hold my heart. As the Priest spoke his sermon, I made my own dialogue in my head. The traditions and practices that followed are all new to me, as Catholicism is not my religion (although-it is my husband’s). But, I appreciate all religious differences and found the experience calming on my spirit and soothing to my soul.

After the hour long service, we ventured out getting to further know the lay of the land. We strolled through several beautiful, manicured parks. The city was still quiet and the peaceful walk was a nice transition after the reflective morning. We stopped at a popular lunch hangout called Traiteur Picnic Sandwhicherie (http://www.traiteur-picnic.be/). We enjoyed a pizza-thankful for some rest and food.

After lunch, we found ourselves slightly turned around and lost. We wandered through a lovely area where it was all antique shops. Finally, a friendly gentleman helped redirect us as we headed back to the room. Our plan was to figure out our next adventure-but instead we took a luxurious 2 hr. nap.
Waking up refreshed we wondered out for some more exploring. Eventually leading us to dinner time. At this point it was close to 9pm. The city was hopping, the night just beginning for most. We decided on a Spanish Tapas place called Le Bar Tapas (http://www.baratapas.be/centre/). A cozy restaurant, adorned in hanging hams and comfy window seats we found a table amongst the crowded diners. The place was vibrant with activity, young people out with their friends, rowdy with laughter and giddy with alcohol. We ordered an array of vegetarian tapas for me and a fish assortment for Frank, as well a fruity sangria and a Belgium beer. The food was delicious, hot, human sized portions. Not overly filling-but more than satisfying. It was cramped quarters, noisy and congested-but that all added to the unique experience.

After dinner, we walked in the drizzling rain, stopping in a Belgium dark chocolate establishment. Because as we all know-a little dark chocolate is good for the body……

We returned back to the room to rest up for a museum death march tomorrow.

Tune in for Flemish follies………….
Love and tempting tasty tapas….

~Brooke and Frank~

amer_can

I would love to peek at your charting of your patients. I'll bet you can be a hoot in describing the day's events (of course totally professional!!)

brookums71

Trip Report
Belgium 2013
November 2, 2013

A girl, her hubs and a suitcase…………..

Day 9

Story time. ….Bring your pillow, grab your blankie and come close. Belgium has been rainy, grey and unpredictable as far as weather goes. For the most part, it has not interfered, but it has halted some of our plans. Today we awoke to the damp air, like a moist blanket over the city. We skipped breakfast and walked over to the Royal Fine Arts Museum of Belgium (http://www.fine-arts-museum.be/en). We arrived right as it was opening, with a small line assembling. The museum is a huge open space, easy to manage and loaded with German Renaissance art. We used English audio guides which were quite helpful. The art was abundant, enjoyable and informative. We stopped at the halfway point and enjoyed a light sandwich and a sweet snack in the café. Frank purchased me a lovely pair of earrings as a sweet memento and we continued on the tour. In total we spent 5 hrs. there. It took up the majority of the day and left us mentally tired and ready for rest.

We walked back to the hotel taking in the views from the higher grounds. Brussels is a multi- level city, with elevating tiers like a concrete wedding cake. From one level, you can eye another. It is an easy city to learn and our hotel is conveniently centrally located. We grabbed a light snack and took a much needed nap.

When we awoke, we ventured out to the city with a dinner recommendation from the helpful hotel concierge. We were craving Greek food, and Brussels seems to accommodate every desire and hankering since it is a culturally diverse area. We dined in a charming restaurant – on a picturesque street in the Sablon area.( http://www.santouri.be/) The neighborhood is more residential and lacks the riff raff of the French fry addicts and waffle eaters. The host led us up a rickety set of narrow steps and pointed to a corner table. There was a mild language barrier going on, and some mild confusion but we were able to order with only a couple snafus. I had a vegetarian platter, lacking the major Greek components, but it was tasty and enjoyable. Frank had a fish dishing swimming in a creamy sauce. We restrained from dessert and ventured out.

As we began walking, the rain came heavily down. We were unequipped with an umbrella and proper cover. We huddled under a restaurant covering as patrons gawked at us. We made our way back to the hotel, ending the evening early due to the weather.

I forgot to mention some of the tourist highlights we have seen in Brussels. Grand Place(http://www.brussels.be/) is the center of town- the square where all the action is. It is surrounded on all sides with ornate buildings, pricy shops, chocolate stores from end to end, and the meeting hub for everybody. Another major attraction that baffles me to no end is the Manneken Pis (http://www.brussels.info/peeing-boy/) . The statue of the peeing boy brings out camera snapping tourists in droves. Chocolate shops with carved out statues, cork screws, and every novelty one can imagine with this untasteful little creature. This is purely my opinion and no offense intended- just a confusing curiosity.

Tomorrow is our last day….

Love and incontinent little boys 
~Brooke and Frank~

lavandula

I can explain Manneken Pis - one of the stories goes that a wealthy man lost his little boy and when he was found again, there he was, peeing. (Into the river? The Senne was a river that ran through Brussels but in the 19th century they put the whole thing underground and so you can't see it anymore.). I think that little guy goes back to the 17th century but don't quote me. There are other stories but that is the one I remember. He is a little underwhelming IMO. There is also a girl peeing, right around the corner (Jeanneke Pis), but this is a modern statue.

Lavandula

irishface

Thank you for an interesting report. Glad you could enjoy the holy day in such a place as the cathedral in Brussels. Just an observation: All Saints Day and All souls Day are two separate days. All Saints is November 1 and All Souls' is November 2. (Halloween is a shortening of All Hallowed--or blessed-Even "the evening before..") Both days. as you noted in your thoughts, are days for reflection and recollection.

brookums71

Lavandula
Very interesting fact about the statue. I really appreciate your insight. I hope I did not impose any disrespect.
Irishface
I thought they were different holidays -I was not sure as it is not observed in the U.S. Thank you for following along and adding your interesting perspective.
This is why I post on Fodor's as it is an international website, and you folks can give me insight like no one can.
If ever in Tampa, Florida, come on by ...........
Thank you both....

msteacher

I am enjoying your report, brookums! Just a further clarification that both All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day are observed by the Catholic Church in the US. All Saints' Day (Nov 1) is a holy day of obligation, while All Souls' Day is not. Of course, that doesn't mean all American Catholics actually go to mass on Nov 1, but they are supposed to, just like on Sunday. Glad you got to experience this day in Belgium!

WeisserTee

Bruges "is also swarming with camera snapping tourists, tour groups hogging the sidewalks, and throngs of people congesting the streets."

That's true in the central core, but if you get away from that, you'll find the same beauty with much fewer tourists. We've been to Bruges dozens of time and one of the first things we do is go to the other side of 'T Zand. It also helps to spend the night in Bruges because it's a very different place after the hordes of day trippers have gone (or early in the morning before they arrive -- a walk around the city just after daybreak is magical).

brookums71

msteacher
thanks for that clarification. I knew my info was not 100% correct-thanks for setting me straight
Weissertee
several years ago- we spent 3 days in Bruges and I agree about everything you wrote. We enjoyed our one day there for the museum-but thanks for expanding on it-because I would not want someone who has not been there to lose out on a magical place. Thank you for your input.

brookums71

Trip Report
Belgium 2013
November 3, 2013
A girl, her hubs and a suitcase…………..

Day 10

LAST DAY
Well, it’s about that time folks when all the Euros are gone, full and bloated and ready to go home. It has been a lovely experience and a great country. Today we awoke crawled out into the damp morning darkness. We picked up a quick croissant and made our way back to the Belgium Fine Arts Museum. There are several parts to the museum, Ancient (which we did yesterday) Modern, the Margitte and a special show featuring Roger van der Weyden-an early Flemish painter from the 15th century. We paid for the special show and also the modern museum. Frank had studied these pictures for several months as he is an art buff and was enthusiastic to see the paintings first hand.

The van der Weyden show was exceptional. We used audio guides and wondered through the exhibit. It took about 2 hrs. We broke for lunch stopping in the museum café again. We had some nice hot split pea soup and quiche for Frank, a Panini for me. We rested our feet and our minds, then took off for the remainder. We were disappointed to find out that almost ½ the museum’s paintings, and ALL the 19th century –impressionist paintings were in the basement locked up. They are opening another museum next month to incorporate these. So, we went back to the paintings we saw yesterday-seeing them with fresh eyes. We became quite good friends with a helpful volunteer at the information desk who shared our same disappointment.

We ventured back to the hotel with the dreary rain coming down. Made a quick souvenir stop and back to the hotel to pack for tomorrow’s early AM flight back home. Tonight we will be going to the opera hall (http://www.lamonnaie.be/en/) for a symphony- War Requiem.

Some CHEERS & JEERS for the trip:
CHEERS
• Gent at night
• Our fondue extravaganza
• Our awesome room in Lille,France
• The French pastries!!!
• the fresh squeezed orange juice in Lille, France
• Palais-des Beaux Arts in Lille
• The Trench Museum Sanctuary Woods
• Crupet,Crupet,Crupet!
• Luxembourg at night
• Museum in Luxembourg
• All Saints Day Mass
• Spending time with my cutie pie Husband
JEERS
• Gas prices!
• Weather! Rain!
• Worthless U.S . dollars exchange

Anyways, it was a lovely trip and I feel I thoroughly absorbed Belgium.

Love from your traveling twosome
~Brooke and Frank~

amer_can

What a nice way to wake up and find on my computer..Thanks for the delightful reports. Glad the cheers list outshone the jeers list..Let's do this again sometime!!!