Bratwurst und Bier (Bratwurst & Beer)

I know the post is REALLY late, but better late than never right? :) We'll try better to post in a more timely manner.

Fresh from our tri-service summit/ski trip to Switzerland, we were ready for our next adventure. We had decided that in order to make our experience worthwhile and to see all of the places in Europe that we wanted to see, we should plan to have one trip per month. Since Germany is cold and rainy for half of the year, we thought it would be wise to travel to warmer climate in the winter months. We searched in warmer climate locations: Spain, Greece, Turkey, etc. but none of these locations were within our means. Luckily for us, this had been a mild winter throughout Europe, so we also expanded our search around Germany. We decided to spend St. Paddy’s day weekend in Bruges, Belgium. For me, Belgium invokes thoughts of waffles, chocolates and kriek (a spontaneously brewed and often fruitty-flavored beer). Even after living in Germany for the last nine months, I still have not developed the taste for beer, even though I’m told is some of the best in the world. However, kriek has a different taste altogether, sweet and fizzy, just my kind of drink.… :)

We arrived Friday afternoon and after checking into our hotel, a clean room within walking distance of the action, we were out in search for some waffles to feed our tummies. Within five minutes of walking, we found what we were looking for.. waffles to go. It was great and we continued on our exploration of the city on foot. Quick impressions after a few hours of wondering the city were that Bruges had very similar feel as Amsterdam because both cities have water canals and the architecture was also very similar. However, that is where the similarity ended. While Amsterdam was more like a spring break hotspot for kids who are into “mind-expanding experiences” Bruges had an air of sophistication. That evening, after a few hours of exploring the city, we settled on a fondue place for dinner. In this tiny restaurant, there were only six tables inside. We chose the all beef plate and gorged ourselves silly until all the food was gone. I had thought that Switzerland was more well known for its fondues, but it turns out that the fondue at Bruges was better quality and slightly cheaper.

Saturday morning, we stumbled upon the market, which was in the main square about a block from our hotel. We picked up several boxes of Belgium chocolates and sampled more waffles. This market was quite impressive, it had plenty of food items; chocolates, cheeses, meats, as well as household items; pots, pans, drapes, and clothing. Not since Naples market had we found equally impressive markets. We had loaded up so much stuff, that we had to head back to the hotel before continue on our excursion. As I said before, Belgium is well known for its chocolates, so we decided to do a ‘chocolate walk’. Basically, you buy a booket and it has recommended shops to stop by and get a sample of chocolate with participating chocolatiers. We meandered through the streets of Bruges and sampled chocolate along the way. My favorite chocolatier was a place called ‘Dumon’ (www.chocolatierdumon.be). It was featured on the Rick Steve’s travel guides of Belgium and the owner were very proud of that fact. When they found out we were from the States, they asked “Do you know Rick Steves?” Oh yes, Rick and I are real tight, who doesn’t know Rick Steves by first name basis? :) We found that it was the most reasonably priced with excellent quality chocolates in town. We liked it so much that we bought another box the following day. So the rest of the day was spent by chocolate eating, photo snapping, wind mill visiting and canal cruising. It was pleasant and relaxing day. That night we had dinner at a great seafood at what first appeared to be a cooking school/restaurant.

Sunday, our last day in Bruges was cold and rainy. We saved the chocolate museum for last because it was the only attraction that was open on Sunday. In the museum we learned all about all the chocolates were harvested (mostly from south America) and shipped to Belgium. In the facilities in Belgium, that’s when the magic happens. The beans are roasted and processed and finally made into the chocolates that we know. It’s amazing how much work it takes to make chocolate. It's no wonder this delicacy was only reserved for the royalty and the very rich once upon a time. Before we left the museum, we bought a couple of kilos of chocolate and a small fondue set. With the car loaded with chocolates and Belgium beers, we happily start our trip back to Germany.