Saturday, May 9, 2009

The Real Deal- Belgium Waffles



This morning I took a train ride to Brussels and went to the city of Belgium. I thought that it was a lovely city and immediately noticed how neat and clean it appears despite the fact the the buildings are obviously historic and have been around for a long time(since the 10th Century). It was lovely weather today with sun and a slight breeze. We did some shopping and I bought the cutest silk tank top. It's green with other colors mixed into the pattern and will be a lovely addition to my Spring wardrobe. I did lots of walking (miles and miles) which at the end of the day, made me feel much better and less guilty about all of the chocolate and waffles that I consumed. When I think of waffles I think of a sit down experience with plenty of syrup and butter on a plate. However, in Belgium they are served to you wrapped in waxed paper hot off the waffle iron to hold in your hand. You can get them drizzled in jam, caramel, chocolate, white chocolate, with powdered sugar, or strawberries and cream. My personal favorite was sprinkled with cinnamon. They are just right amount of soft, yet chewey, warm and oh so delicious !!!. I think I found my new foodcrack obsession ! The other interesting sights is a tourist draw called the Man.neken Pis which in Dutch means " little man urinating". I actually remember seeing this statute in some past history class I am sure. I was surprised about how small the statue actually is. It is a small bronze fountain sculpture depicting a little naked boy urinating into the fountain. There are several different legends as to the origins of the sculpture which is I guess why it draws so many spectators. There was actually a small 10 person parade including a band that walked the block when we were there. It was a nice day trip to Brussels and we returned at the end of the day again by train. We arrived at the central station in The Hague (Den Haag) and then had to walk approximately a mile to get to the house. I continued to marvel at how quiet, peaceful, laid back and relaxed this place seems to be. As we were approximately 3 blocks away, I noticed a little girl coming in our direction. She looked 3 yrs old, no more than 4 for sure. We approached on the path and she smiled and made eye contact. I was looking for a parent or somebody accompanying her and saw no one. I looked to the corner where she came from and then as she passed, I looked back to where she was headed and again saw no one waiting for her or watching for her. She was all by herself ! I was remarking to my cousin how unbelievable it was to me that children can just walk around on the street freely and safely with no concern of their parents. It was truly an odd sight as I am just not used to seeing small children just aimlessly walking about the neighborhood. The just explained how low crime is here, especially assaults and personal attacks and say the only thing that seems to ever happen here is an occasional bike theft. Wow what a peaceful existence ! I could get used to this.

Have you ever fallen in love with something you ate on a trip?

What are some of the most peaceful and safe travel destinations ?

2 comments:

Babs said...

I have fallen in love with food of every city I have ever been in!

I've been to Belgium too. Love those waffles! I ate them plain. Yum.

Glad you are having fun!

Anonymous said...

I really liked Conch when I went to the Bahamas. I didn't think I would like it all but I did.