Belgian Indulgences

I had no idea what to expect when I booked my flight to Belgium, but what I did know was that I was going to have to navigate multiple trains and buses and somehow comprehend signs in Italian, French, German and Dutch in order to arrive in Leuven, the small town where my best friend was studying abroad. My knowledge of the country was minimal, yet I imagined a land of premium beers, rich chocolates, and fluffy waffles. 

As I walked out of the airport I immediately smelled something frying. I assumed that it was the batter from a waffle pressing between two iron plates, but I soon realized that it was actually one of Belgium’s specialities: french fries. They were being served piping hot in a paper cone with a dollop of mayonnaise. I was unaware that Belgium had such a fixation with french fries. Even when I was at a fancy restaurant called Troubadour, a waiter wearing white gloves served fries with shiny silver tongs as a side dish to my pot of mussels. Though this custom seemed very strange to me, they actually went well with my mussels, which were unbelievably fresh and plump. Another interesting meal that I had was a turkey fricassee with a raspberry glaze. It paired perfectly with a raspberry beer. 

If I am going to give an accurate description of Belgium, I have to mention the beer. I tasted at least 30 different varieties during my stay. I visited the famous Delirium Cafe, which previously received a Guinness World Record for the largest beer selection. I paged through the beer list, pointed to a name, and hoped for the best. All of the beers that I haphazardly chose were pleasant and highly drinkable and came in all different shapes and sizes. 

Some of the best belgian treats came from Maison Dandoy in Brussels. The golden waffles lived up to my expectations and the frothy hot cocoa warmed me right up.

I also discovered a new biscuit called Speculoos, which is a brown sugar spiced cookie. Later I found out that they had it in a spread, which was similar to the consistency of peanut butter. I brought a jar home for my family and friends (though I probably wound up eating the whole thing by myself) and wished that I had brought back 100 more.

I promised myself that I would one day return to the charming town, Bruges.

I truly felt like I was living in a fairytale as I strolled the cobblestone streets. A fresh waffle with bananas, whipped cream and hot chocolate sauce from the cozy Cafe Au Lait was a splendid end to the rainy day. 

I was completely shocked by the beauty of Belgium. For once in my life my favorite aspect of my trip was not necessarily the food. I was fully enthralled by the elaborate, baroque facades and the funky, pointed roofs. I am guessing that my obsession with the architecture was because I had never seen buildings that looked like that before.