Christmas Beer Festival

The festival took place in a small Belgian town that borders the Netherlands. We went Saturday by ourselves and came back for more on Sunday with some friends. There were over 100 beers to try--most of them only brewed during the holiday season. No wild drunkeness, glasses breaking, or vomiting at this festival. These people are serious about their beer. Mostly, people were just sitting around chatting, eating, playing cards and enjoying beer. It resembled a wine tasting more than a beer festival. They even give you a brochure that lists all of the beers and describes them like fine wines. The brochere also lists the alcohol content. The first beer we tried on Saturday was 13%. We were feeling it before we even finished the glass and the glasses were small.

http://www.kerstbierfestival.be/ENG/index.htm

A Little Taste Of Home

I have not really missed much in the way of food from home and I was not all that excited when a couple of the women from Deloitte suggested eating at Subway in Cologne. Nevertheless, the minute I walked through the door, that signature Subway scent of fresh, baked bread quickly changed my mind. It's amazing what a little taste of home can do for you. The only difference between this subway and one in the U.S. is that there were at least three couples making out in the restaurant. I didn't know Subway was such a romantic place!

Cologne, Cont.

Here are some more pictures. One of them is of the cathedral (Dom), which towers over the city. It is located on the main square and is considered to be the primary tourist attraction. Building of the cathedral first began in 1248 and was not completed until 1880. Bulding was stopped from 1560-1842. It miraculously survived WWII and is one of the tallest cathedrals in Europe. History buffs can visit the attached link for more info. about the cathedral. Some of the other pictures are of a floating market on the Rhine. There is also a picture of a stall selling large heart-shaped cookies with icing on them. There were several stalls selling these and, apparently, they are not edible. They are for decoration only.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_Cathedral

More Holiday Cheer

We spent a day in Cologne, Germany with some of the folks from Deloitte. Yes, another Christmas Market. There were seven markets in all--we went to four and that was a full day. One cannot get enough potato pancakes, crepes, frites, champignons, and hot wine. We have purchased plenty of ornaments for one season so now we just go for the food, the festive atmosphere, and the quirky street performances and decorations. We have also been to the market in Brussels, but we didn't have our camera so we are going back!

Grandma Cart

Okay, I finally broke down and bought a grandma cart--basically, a backpack on wheels. The only people you really see rolling these around are over the age of 60! Mine is a little more fashionable than the usual boxy, plaid ones that are popular with the grandmas and grandpas. It's neither boxy nor plaid.

Fashionable or not, this new purchase has made my life much easier. I make two trips to the grocery store per week and I'm usually walking, taking a bus, or a combination (walk there, take bus back) depending on my mood and the weather. I, still, sometimes have to carry some items in a bag or backpack, but it sure beats lugging a full backpack and several heavy bags down the street!

Perhaps I can be a trendsetter for the youngerns.

I Must Look Like I know What I'm Doing...

Just today, I got stopped by 2 people who were asking for help. One was asking for directions (I think) and the other about a tram. I got to use my favorite French phrase: Je ne comprends pas (I do not understand), followed by Parlez-vous anglais? The answer to this question in both cases was no, so I was of little help to these people. This was unfortunate because I acutally know my way around quite well.

I've been practicing my French using CD's at home and whenever Rick and I take a road trip and it has definitely improved. I know a decent amount of words and can recognize items in the grocery store, on menus, etc. However, when I actually have to use the language to communicate with another person, I kind of fall apart. I'm still awaiting approval from Deloitte to start my French classes, which I am really looking forward to.

Ciao!

Things Not So Lovable About Brussels

1. A lot of PDA from people of all ages
2. Bad driving, with most things being ignored by police
3. Rude pedestrians, who bump into you without an apology and often will not move out of the way to let another person pass
4. Expensive prices in restaurants
5. Dining out being a major event
6. Paying for water in a restaurant
7. Having to dodge dog crap on streets and sidewalks
8. A lack of environmental awareness-cigarette butts, etc. just thrown on the ground
9. Belgian Radio-stations play what we call the "Belgian Mix"-there are no stations dedicated to a specific type of music-you can be listening to the Rolling Stones one-minute and some techno-jazzy French song the next-it’s weird and extremely annoying.
10. Music in general-mostly jazz, techno, and 80’s disco/top 40 from the U.S.
11. A strange fondness for Michael Jackson’s music
12. Television
13. The Weather
14. Nudity-let’s just say the ladies locker room at the gym can be very interesting (these women are not shy)

Things to Love About Brussels

1. Beer-delicious and each type is served in its own special glass
2. Frites-yummy, especially with mayo
3. Cheese-there are some so stinky the smell lingers for awhile and you must wash your hands immediately after handling
4. Bread-even the grocery stores have several choices of fresh bread that you can put in a slicer if you wish
5. Dairy Products-creamy and delicious
6. Chocolate-we eat for dessert daily
7. Waffles-sold everywhere from shops to street carts (even outside of stores like Ikea)-several topping options, but we like the plain ones that have sugar baked into them
8. Wine-you can get a very good bottle of wine for what amounts to less than $10
9. Warm mulled wine during the holiday season
10. Very fashion conscious people
11. Nudity-not a huge issue-sometimes can be seen on daytime TV and in advertisements
12. Alcohol served at an ice-cream/snack stand in the park and other places you would never find it sold in the U.S.
13. Neighborhood markets-several neighborhoods have there own on different days of the week-there’s one down the street from us every Saturday and Sunday
14. Marché De Noel or Christmas markets-throughout he Benelux region
15. Fresh flowers-very popular and each neighborhood has several flower shops-they are also sold at the markets
16. Generally nice people who are willing to help even if your French sucks!
17. A lot of walking
18. Respect for the elderly and for family in general
19. A very diverse population
20. Outdoor cafes