Belgian Surprise

In 36 hours, with the help of a wonderful friend and local tour guide, Brussels taught me that my expectations are sometimes wildly off-base. Here's how:

I thought the waffles would be like a Belgian Waffle at Breadwinners
We should have known our American waffles were inferior when we spotted the uncooked Belgian waffle - a huge heap of dough. How can we think the watery batter is acceptable? Though my skinny jeans glared at me when I took the first bite after seeing the lumps of sugar added to the dough, I chowed down on the hot waffle that literally melted in my mouth. Do not continue to live thinking that you have tasted a Belgian waffle at your favorite brunch spot. You must try the real deal for yourself.


I thought the beer would be as strong as German beer
Serious warning to future tourists in Belgium: with 10% alcohol content, those fancy-looking beers in interestingly-shaped glasses are stronger than two Bud Lights. Don't be fooled by the containers - though some are actually bottled like champagne (corks and all!), they are instead deliciously strong beers! Thanks to warnings from Mike and a lost voice on my part, we sipped carefully over the St. Patty's weekend, even after a three hour stop at Delirium...




I thought the Grand Palace would be small
I feel like I have seen quite a few of palaces and city squares throughout our journeys in Europe, but the Grand Palace was pretty remarkable. Maybe it's because I love gold, or because the whole square was so harmonious, but the square was beautiful and I can't even imagine what it looks like when the 'flower carpet' covers all 19,000 sq ft every two years. I'm penciling it in for August 2014!








I thought the Manneken Pis would be big
But I think the "Little Man Pee" is actually cuter this way! We were a little sad to see him in the nude - apparently he is dressed up several times a week in outfits ranging from Santa and Dracula to Elvis and soccer players (not an inclusive list - there are over 800 costumes!). Our friend Mike has also enjoyed a cup of Delirium beer from the fountain, which is hooked up to a keg during certain fests. Something else that is currently penciled in!



I thought we had seen a large variety of street food

But I never would've dreamed I would eat street escargot (for just €4!). Believe it or not, I tried it, and enjoyed it! I guess that's evidence of the French influence on the city, but it was still unexpected!








Honorable mention: I thought we had seen enough Kebab stands

Truth: I do not like Kebabs, but I love Patrick and he loves Kebabs so we stopped by Mike's favorite stand. They kept us thoroughly entertained, and I'm pretty sure we entertained them right back when Thomas, Patrick, and Mike were all inspired to dance after downing the kebabs - here is your evidence!

Polish Pottery

Regardless of my marginal snow driving abilities, I headed up the autobahn to Bolesławiecki, Poland with some girl friends to check out the hype surrounding Polish pottery!

 

Thanks to my fabulous boss and tour guide, we stayed in the perfect hotel for pottery shopping. The Blue Beetroot has it down: at check-in, they provide you with a coded map of the area to help you plan your route, including which stores offer bathrooms, take credit cards, speak English, or accept foreign currency. The hotel also offers discounts at two of the largest stores: 15% off at Andy Ceramics and 10% off at Borowski's Art Glass Blowing Studio. Though the snow put us in past the 10:00 kitchen closing time, the limited menu was amazing. I had the cheese and spinach Piergois - delish.

After the breakfast buffet, we were off to an early start. Though the map was helpful, I was so thankful to have an expert in our group to navigate through the foot of snow to each little shop. The prices are amazing for the intricately hand painted pieces - I snagged a couple Christmas platters and a chip and dip - each under $20 a piece!

Even in the snow, it was only a 5-6 hour drive over the border. Expert tip from Shannon: the last Esso station before you hit the border is at Dresdener Strasse 72, 02625 Bautzen. 

So, if are looking to jazz up your kitchen while maintaining your savings account, make a reservation at the Blue Beetroot, grab your passport, turn on your headlights (required 24-7 in Poland), and shop away!

When in Rome...

Drink from the water fountains: They were everywhere, and Patrick was thirsty. I report no lingering illnesses a week later, so apparently it is safe! Also, this one was in the Vatican so although it's not Holy Water, it's pretty darn close.






Say "Hi" to the Pope: OK, we regretfully missed one of his last appearances, but we did check out his country, and the nun who sold me a beautiful St. Peter charm told me they were friends. Close enough for me!




Catch some rays through the Pantheon sunroof: We were in awe of the Pantheon 2,000+ year old precisely round domed roof. Apparently we are not alone, since over 1,000 years later, architects were still so stumped by such a large dome with no interior supporting columns and they allowed Brunelleschi to cut into the dome to figure it out. Armed with the Rick Steves free podcast, we walked around and easily spotted the "wound" above the door. We loved how the Pantheon was always a place for the masses; everyone was always welcome regardless of social status.




Sit on the Spanish Steps: Just kidding - look how many people were on the steps in February! We skipped this for the shopping nearby.







Have a beer at McDonald's: Yep. You read that correctly. But in our defense, it is the largest McD's in the world, 3rd coolest, and we didn't seek it out, we just happened to pass by. Leather chairs and artsy decorations sure made it feel like a step up from the dirty, french-fry coated jungle gyms we are used to...





Throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain (at night!): So maybe the locals don't do this, but they don't have to wish to return to Rome! The Trevi, powered by a natural aqueduct, is unbelievably beautiful at night. I can understand why tourists throw over €3,000 in coins per day. Apparently, a local charity collects the coins each week to make sure they are put to good use.








Pay our respects to Caesar: It's pretty amazing that over 2,000 years later, people still adorn the spot where Caesar's body was burned with bouquets of flowers. This spot is easy to miss in the Roman Forum, so it was a treat to find it!



Sample the local fare: Patrick literally picked this orange from one of the beautiful orange trees that lined the street. Though they were beautiful, the orange might have suffered from city smog. No need to try for yourself.

 Decide a gladiator's fate: Thank goodness we had the Roma Pass and could skip the surprisingly long line (again - why so many tourists in February!?) to check out the Colosseum  It was pretty cool to imagine hippos, lions, rhinos, and leopards in the now exposed tunnel system underneath the floor. I find it amazing that they were able to even capture and transport the animals, but of course tragic that their lives were used so frivolously.