Brussels and Brugge, Mussels and Brews

Last year we had the ultimate NYE in Vienna - a huge Cinderella Ball, black ties and ball gowns - that's really hard to compete with.  This year we're much more subdued.  First of all, we had no plans - we're totally winging it!  Second, we knew we were never gonna make it until midnight...we've been drinking way to much and sleeping way too little on this trip.  Our only plan was to get some Belgium chocolate and a good Belgium beer - Check!  We headed to the BrewDogs bar and had a lovely line up of beers and some good eats. We had a good year!  We loved the ball in Vienna and toasted our friends from all over the world.  We took a day trip to Salzburg and met new friends from Melbourne - always a possibility when you're drinking beer. We finished the renovations on our house.  We went to Kauai and saw the Jurassic Park waterfall and sooo many rainbows.  We took a river cruise from Budapest to Bucharest - saw amazing artwor...

As I mentioned, Joe and I are both a little on the snorty/sinus-y side.  And last night we had quite a symphony gong on. Have you seen the GEICO commercial where grandpa's nose plays Flight of the Bumblebee?  You can see it here .  Well, I'm fairly certain I'm a snoring virtuoso and performed 'Flight" flawlessly last night. But Joe? Joe is a fucking maestro and kept me awake with his playlist of Messiaen - Vingt Regards, Mvt 6 , Liszt's Totentanz , and possibly Beethoven's 5th. Anyhoo - we had a fun day today.  We explored some more of our neighborhood and took in a couple of beer halls that were on the to-do list.  Some really good beers and a nice lunch at Moeder Lambic And then on to where everyone on earth seemed to be: Delirium Village - nine or so bars in a group with more than 2,000 beers.   We finally escaped most of the crowds and had a nice dinner at Drug Opera - across from the opera hall.  Tick off another item fro...

Brussels is a compact city; the center is completely walkable.  Yesterday when we left the train station and went to the taxi stand for a lift to the Marriott, the driver was disinclined to take us on such a short drive, so we lugged our luggage (likely why it's called that) through the center to the hotel.  During this trek, we passed through a sizeable plaza that I thought was the Grand Place (Grohn Plahce)...silly me. This is the Grand Place : It is huge!  It's been a UNESCO site since 1998,  It's ornate!  And Gothic!  And Neo-Gothic!  And glittering!  And loud!  And, well, grand!  The town hall, the King's house, and several guild houses populate the square.  We made the loop around the square and then headed down a side street towards Brussels' most famous statue, the Manneken Pis.  Designed and put in place in 1618/1619, this little pisser is said to reflect Brussels' sense of humor and indepe...

Our VRBO in Brugge was lovely, and I'll miss the linen sheets our owner provided us.  This morning we got up early - wait, who am I kidding...I got up early and did three loads of laundry, stripped the bed and gathered the used towels.  Our owner didn't have a checkout request list, but we've stayed in enough VBROs to know what's generally expected. We loved Brugge, and after nearly exhausting our beer choices there - hahahahaha, draws breath, hahahahaha - not even close, we took the train back to Brussels today.  An easy hour-ish ride.  (Joe and I are both sinus-y and didn't sleep well, so having a quiet hour on a gently rocking train was nice.) The weather's gone a bit rainy, and, without the sun, it feels a colder - all the more reason to get to Brussels where the city is alive and kickin'; warm and welcoming.  It's so Parisian here, that I would not be surprised to round a corner and see the Eiffel Tower.  Of course, it's lit up for the holid...

It's because they have such a varied past - so many rulers, so many languages, so many spellings.  Whatever the reason, Brugge (how the train station spells it) is a fabulous fairy tale place.  One legend - and my favorite - tells of how some of the richest families made their money on gruit , a mixture of herbs and spices used as bittering agents in beer making.  These families cornered the gruit market and were making money hand over fist.  That is until someone discovered hops were cheaper, sustainable, came in a variety of strains, and could be standardized.  Soon the Richie Riches were out of money, Brugge lost its standing as gruit central, and no one had much money to renovate or update much of the town.  Lucky for us, it got stuck in time, and is now the charming, picturesque, and fabulous beer-making locale we've totally enjoyed for the past few days. We've enjoyed mussels, frites, a canal tour, several wonderful beer ...

You can't swing a dead cat here without hitting a chocolate shop, a waffle stand, a beer bar, or an after Christmas sale.  Brugge seemed to come alive this afternoon - scores of people fresh off of a package unwrapping frenzy, ready to get outdoors and spend some Christmas cash.  It seemed the crowds were denser, more kid-populated, and more rude.  (Ya gotta love the Europeans - they're used to crowds and how to maneuver through them without a second thought of those around them.  It's not that they're rude, really, they're just on a mission and all those stupid tourists are in their way.  I really do totally get it...they're in my way, too!) Anyway, today was mostly about recovery from yesterday's beer binge.  We got a bit of a late start and went out of our way to get away from the tourist spots.  We managed quite well.  And, by the way, the back streets in the city are just as lovely as the bustling squares. After a delicio...

Our luggage arrived about 9:45 last night, and I have never been more happy to see a 28" piece of poly-carbon in my life! A hot shower and 8-10 hours later, it was time to get up and find the closest bar! Let me just say that today was a glorious day.  And while we have shorter hours in the US once winter settles in, nothing says lack of daylight like northern Europe - sunrise is about 830 am and sunset is around 4:45. This morning was beautiful - Joe took pictures of it while I was still asleep: We finally got up and headed out.  Our first stop was at the canal at Poorter's Loge - an ancient building on the canal, and one of the most photographed in the city. Since it's Christmas, we didn't expect much to be open, but it's Europe, not Alabama, and we found several bars happily serving, so we indulged.  So much good beer to drink, and so many friendly people willing to serve it to us.   Two spots, in particular, topped the list: the C...

After a pretty good rest on our overnight flight, we arrived in Munich.  Our connection to Brussels was tight, but all the internet forums crowed about how streamlined and easy Munich airport is.  And it is!  SOOOOOOO easy.  Our connection gate was a quick walk away - no one was in line at passport control, and our gate was one floor down...as long as you weren't distracted by the duty free siren song  - this was a cinch.  Then the wheels came off. Our connecting flight was on a commuter airplane that was parked out in the pasture.  We had to take a shuttle, walk up the kind of stairs that are connected to the plane (not a jet way or Home Depot ladder-type of affair), and then duck to walk down the aisle to our seats.  A Barbie and Ken plane.  Still not terrible, but Barbie and Ken didn't manage to get our bags out to the pasture and in the hold.  Heavy sigh.  We talked to the baggage service people who were very apologetic....

At long last, it's time for us to go to Belgium.  On the bucket list for most beer snobs, Belgium's plethora - dare I say myriad? multitude? host? slew? infinitude? - of beer is quite enticing.  Trappists, lambics, krieks, gueuzes, dubbels, tripels, quads, strong, wit, red, Flemish...all swimming in delicious Belgian yeast - Oh! the mind boggles.  But let's not forget about the chocolate.  Famous for its chocolate, Belgium has more than 320 chocolate shops in residence.  Top brands include Godiva, Belvas, Bruyerre, Corné Port Royal, Côte d'Or, Leonidas, Neuhaus, and Zaabär to name just a few!  There's even a chocolate museum in Brussels - I'm certain I'll spend some time there.  My sweet tooth is aching, and I'm going to have to lie down on the bed to button my jeans. While there are a couple of art museums (and notable churches/fountains/statues) in Belgium, they are not particularly known for their collections.  There is a small statue of a ...

While it would be virtually impossible to top our last year's New Year's Eve extravaganza in Vienna (Cinderella Ball at City Hall and fireworks from the balcony at midnight), we will always keep trying. This year we're heading to Belgium - land of beer, chocolate, waffles, frites, mussels, and...did I mention beer? Christmas Eve (Joe's birthday) will find us strolling the Markt Square in Bruges.  We'll stay there for four days before heading into Brussels where we'll enjoy a few days, including New Year's Eve on the Grand Place. It's no fairy-tale ball, but we've never been to Belgium, we love beer and chocolate, and we have some points that are burning holes in our pocket.  Works for me!! Check in for a taste of our adventures!