BELGIUM |
I had a three week work assignment in Leuven, Belgium, which may not sound like the most glamorous location, until you look at the label of a Stella Artois bottle and see Leuven is where the main brewery is located. While the aroma of hops filling the air may not be the most pleasant smell to wake up to, the 100 or so bars offering ten glasses of Stella Artois for $20 later in the evening helped to dull the effect. That the Plaza Leuven bar accommodated me and my co-workers and put on the Phillies' World Series game helped to make the nights out an even more enjoyable experience.
The obvious dish at every meal is mussels - even though the mussels originated in the Netherlands, the Dutch do not possess the cooking mastery of the Belgians.
The obvious dish at every meal is mussels - even though the mussels originated in the Netherlands, the Dutch do not possess the cooking mastery of the Belgians.
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Belgium is pretty easy to get around as all the major towns are connected by train - Brussels, Antwerp, Brugges, etc. All the towns kind of look the same, even Brugges with it's canals and "Venice of the North" claim.
I think as a self defense mechanism the country developed hundreds of beers and great tasting chocolate to offer to and appease invaders - I mean that as a half joke, I do think somewhere in the country's defense budget is a line item for chocolate. |