The Beer Bib

Ahh Belgium! I’ve been here two weeks to the day and it has been fantastic times! I’ve had a lot of experiences and some nice down time as well. I’ve been getting to cook, which makes me really happy and have spent a lot of time exploring the region. Hikes and runs have brought me past homes with rivers running through their backyards, exceptional tree houses and my favorite, an incredible array of mailboxes. People in Belgium really take their mailboxes quiet seriously and I’ve attached a few photos to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.

On May 15th my adventures took me on an 8 mile loop up to a local monument, The Drie Landen Punt which is the point where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands come together. It is also the top of the Vaalser Berg (321 meters/1053 feet); the highest point in the Netherlands. Needless to say, it's not that high but when you're looking out onto some of the flattest terrain in all of Europe, you feel pretty gosh darn elevated! When I first arrived, driving around I kept seeing these dead branches everywhere covered in streamers. I couldn't figure out why there were huge branches, sometimes full blown trees, dead and winded, scattered all over the local towns. Well I finally asked someone and apparently the Belgians have a holiday in the beginning of May where they chop down a yound tree, douse it in streamers and then literally attach it to their girlfriend's house. And I mean really attach it! Either to the side of the building itself or to the light poll out front. The tree proceeds to die and the streamers become saggy and discoolored, yet the testament of adoration remains for all to see.
As I'm in Belgium, I'm taking full advantage of what this country has to offer...incredibly large ice cream cones (2 scoops for E1,40), Frites (French fries) and of course Belgian Beer! I've become a big fan of a little sleeve of paper I like to call the beer bib. As I'm sure you've heard the Belgy's take their beer incredibly seriously! In fact, they think it's the best in the world and have all sorts of rituals and stories surrounding even the easiest of tasks...pouring the beer into the glass. So I should not have been suprised when I discovered the beer bib in all it's glory. You see, when you go to a restaurant or a pub and order a beer, it comes in a beautiful goblet and around the small stem at the bottom is a sort of doily or coaster. Not under the glass, but around it. At first, I didn't know what to think, then it hit me...this is a little bib for the dribbles that may float over the rim of the glass. How posh!

I've spent a lovely few days with my friends over in the Flemish region of Belgium, I'll make them lasagna tonight and tomorrow I'm off to my favorite city in the world...Paris! I'll stay with my uncle and on Friday we'll go visit a castle :)

A bientot

X

Nathalie

Adventure starts...

Well finally after 15 months of normal work I’ve found myself wondering around Europe again (yeah!) I left my gorgeous sunny home and hoped on a KLM flight bound for Amsterdam. I was pleasantly surprised when I boarded to find that I was in a rather new aircraft, equipped with personal televisions and consoles for the 10 hour trans-atlantic flight over to the OG (original gangster) civilization. I sat next to a lovely couple Terri and Ted…easy to remember as they both start with T’s, something she was very quick to point out. How I do love KLM, the food was actually good and for those of you who know I cook, good is not a term I use lightly. I proceeded to spend the next 10 hours watching numerous television episodes and two movies; Have you heard about the Morgans? And Twilight: New Moon. Don’t ask…that’s what appealed to me at the time.

Once arriving at Schiphol airport there was a quick turnaround to go through more security…what I could have picked up near the rolling carpets, I just don’t know and through customs (the part where they stamp your passport and tell you to get out before your 3 months are up or else…whoops). Schiphol is one of my favorite airports, not because I spent 28 12-hour layovers there throughout my 25 years but because it’s just plain fun. There’s a permanent annex of the city’s top art museum, it’s one of the busiest and best in the world and you can get married there…just for funsies!

Next was a quick flight, 35mins, down to Brussels on the smallest KLM plane in the fleet, the Fokker 70. No I did not make that up…seats 80 passengers and you’ve got enough time to sip water and eat your complimentary peanuts before you’re landing again. The Belgian airport leaves a lot to be desired. It’s clean…at least while you’re still in the terminal and expansive, the problem is it’s a bloody maze. I kid you not, I went through more escalators, rolling carpets, corridors , hallways and stairs than any other airport I’ve ever been too. At one point I got a little worried I had taken a wrong turn and was never going to see the light of day again! Finally I made it out the exit to the cold, crisp, smoke-filled air of Europe. Super!