Beers.Brussels.Belgian Waffles

So you want to go to Brussels, huh? Well, like most of my adventures, you have a little rocky of a time getting there.  Your train from Rotterdam was cancelled, but luckily, you overhear a conversation to learn  how to get there via Antwerpen - albeit an hour later.  And despite not knowing which track line to take out of Antwerp, you make a train that does end up in Brussels!

Finally to your destination, with 30 min to spare, you found your hotel (right off the Grand Place).  It was definitely worth the visit.  Such a beautiful old square, even amidst all the tourists.  Luckily, you don't often stand out as a tourist, as you're good at being respectful when you stop to take pictures, and don't talk like a loud American (though you get a few strange looks while you talk to yourself).  You find yourself lucky to be part of the Aryan race that does not stand out in this part of Europe.

After a slight detour of the mind, you ironically find your tour starting point in front of the Tourist Information office! Your guide, Caesar, appears and you learn he hates people.  But not to fear, there were just a few bad TripAdvisor reviews, and he is actually a great guide.  Who is both entertaining and very knowledgeable about beer, politics, and the politics of beer.

You enjoy the small group of 8-9, and for once are not the only single girl on the tour!  There was another girl from Cali, who was living in Germany, and a girl from Jo-Burg.  It was nice to not get the "you're here all alone?" questions.

The "Brussels Beer Tour" started at an estaminet (a beer bar) from the 1695, where you picked your poison - light, amber, or dark.  You, of course, wanted to see what qualified as "dark".  There you sat for the next hour sipping the beers, learning about the beers and each other (sweet huh?).  You are warned of the DANGERS of Palm, and other pretend Trappist beers, and how to tell which ones were made by monks or not.

Since Belgian beer has a rather high alcohol content - I mean 4% in most Dutch beers will do... nothing to you, you left the bar with a nice little "beer head".  And on the walk to the distillery, learned from someone who read the TripAdvisor review that you should have eaten before the tour.  Yikes!  But the long walk to Cantillon (a 113 yr old brewery which "makes the most unusual, and arguably, best beer in the world - the Lambic) makes you feel more sober.

There you learned how beer was made in a more natural way, and how they let nature take it's coarse in the beer making process.  The building was old, with an innumerable amount of cobwebs (the spiders eat the cherry flies), and apparently a few cats to catch the mice.  The yeast process took place in a large, flat, open container, where the natural yeast in the air is allowed to mix with the beer.  Definitely not your 21st century sterile environment, and it seemed like it was the better way to go...

You get to sample 2 beers at Cantillon - the Lambaic (cask beer) and one of your choice (a hoppy, a cherry, or a classic champagne style), you wisely chose the champagne style - both were great, you're not sure you would want a whole glass of either, very unique things happen in the back of your mouth...

With more beer in your belly, and having pleasantly avoided the rain, you head back towards the center to a much newer establishment with 38 beers on tap (wow, that's a "lot" of beer :)).  The guide picked the first beer, and then you could pick your next one (you are happy to have so many choices to make on this adventure).  And you are rewarded with a chance to pad your stomach a little, definitely a bar worth going to!

Well after the 3.5-4 hrs as promised, you leave to meet up with an ex-Deloitte colleague.  So you bowed out of the conversation, and went off to enjoy some Belgian frites (with the classic GOBS of sauce on top and the little fork to eat with).  Megan took you to some fun places you would have never found, but you ended up being out until 3.. oops!

Luckily, there was nothing you had to do on Sunday and you slept in, and wandered... basically all over.

 Wasn't in the mood for any museums, so you just walked around the parks, the city, found Manneken Pis (which was not nearly as cool as Jeanneken Pis).


Then you found the mecca of beer buying, here you find the world's best beer, and the most expensive beer  (well at least in the states) - at Canon they have it for $99.  But in Belgium - it was only 12 euros for a bottle (technically, your beer guide told you they aren't supposed to re-sell it outside of the brewery - tsk tsk) - you shouldn't have bought it either...

If you chose this story for your adventure, you chose wrong, you made a bad decision to get off the train in Antwerp and get sucked into a stupid conversation with 5 boys all trying to talk to you at once, including one asking for a needle.  At least you died with your liver (almost) in tact.

A Walking Tour of R-Dam

This weekend, I had no plans.  On Saturday, I had a lazy morning, I attempted to go running (despite the sun in the sky, the weather was a brisk 46' and windy...), got a nice shower, did some laundry...and finished my book (LOVED The Rules of Civility, the author has such a knack for words).  I then ran a few errands, made dinner at home, went for some wine at a bar, and  got stuck talking to an annoying guy and his friend, so Saturday, I called it in early.

But Sunday, I woke up and after a lazy breakfast, I headed out to go to church (and purchased a pair of boots along the way - hey! the low boot is really in here - and I was so out with my high boots).  And church fail.  As it so happened, the service was cancelled...so instead I went and had a late lunch, and started my own walking tour of Rotterdam.  All in all, I walked over 5 miles.  Needless to say, after the run yesterday and the walking today, my thighs are a little sore, but none worse for the wear.

Enjoy the sunny shots of my new city (in walking order)!

Witte de Wittestraat - "White with the Street"

Bike Trees!

They love architecture

Put a bird on it!

The Euromast - the highest point in Holland.

De Maas

The Erasmusburg Bridge

Love, Holland.

At the harbor

Some houses that survived the war.

Big "D" is always watching...

Some new construction.

Crossing the bridge.

Having a glass of wine at the Hotel New York.

From here to Ellis Island...

Took a water taxi back across the river.

The Inntel Hotel

"Design is a tradition not a trend."

Random Dutch sculpture

Looking down Delftsevaart to the Grote de Sint-Laurenskerk.

And home again at last - the window above "KITA".

R'Dam - Week 1+

Home Cold Home - don't let it fool you, the tile is icey, and many spots are sticky...it's a crap shoot of what to touch and what not to touch :)

It has officially been over a week since I moved (well there was that one week that I was here for like 4 days, but I'm not counting that).  I currently have a temporary residence permit emblazoned in my passport (taking up a precious page...mental note - order more), I am on the way to getting a bankcard (and thus will stop mooching off of coworkers for lunch), I have full heat and power in my apartment (there was a moment when I thought I would have neither), and a European phone and phone number.

All-in-all, one could say I'm fairly settled (except for internet at home, and the lack of a comfy bed - yes, I get to sleep on either side of this "double" bed).  I know how to get home (and not just by looking for the big "COMPUTERLAND" sign on the corner), I've successfully ridden the metro and train - though success is a loose term for the train...if we call it "getting home", then yes, I have made it to my destination and back, but not without hiccups (apparently, one must wait at a certain part of the platform, as one cannot walk the length of it when a smaller train arrives...).  I know bartenders at 2 separate bars, both of whom wave as I pass, I've experienced a music festival (and met some lovely girls), and had 2 dates (no love connections, but nice to have dinner and drinks with another person - and I have a few lessons to learn as the European men waste no time in expressing or pursuing).

I had a great first weekend, I happened to find a folk band I like was playing in Rotterdam at a music festival, so I bought a ticket - it was a great event - saw a few shows, a 1-woman performance, and met a couple nice Dutch girls.  Plus, even though it was cold - it didn't rain :).

Bands (clockwise from left): Jacco Gardner, The Mister and Mississippi, Broken Brass Ensemble,
Teen, Retro Stefson, Wild Belle, Mr and MS again, The Milk Carton Kids (who I went to see).

I also saw Marble Sounds, and the performance was 7 Day Drunk, where the live performance was a re-cap of the project she did to see if she was more creative being drunk... so the experiment was to keep her drunk for 7 days...7 vodka shots in the morning?!? Yuck - the result was yes, she was more creative.

I've planned to stay in Holland all month, just to feel more settled, and not so worn out from travel, but I can definitely feel my feet wanting to take me more places.  Realizing weekends go quickly, and that I need to plan ahead for the cheapest plane tickets.  Lots to do and see, and yet wanting to feel just like I live here and am not gone every second will be my biggest challenge.  Been keeping busy enough to not feel homesick, and I love my friends who are night owls and are awake while I'm at work.  Nice to be able to chat, as I'll be offline more likely than not by the time they are to work.  All in all, I can say I'm really enjoying it to date!  Looking forward for me adventures and meeting more new people!!  Vaarwel!

European Style

Thoughts on life in Europe thus far (I figure I'm the most fresh to notice them having only been here a short time, and I'm still on high alert for differences).

The pizza and wine :) 

I apparently have taken to drinking white wine, attempting to eat Continental style (even with pizza), and have realized I am not sure it's a compliment when someone thinks I'm from the UK (but to give him a break, he's Spanish, English accents probably aren't his forte) - but most continental Europeans consider the British to be really loud (says the pot calling the kettle black - the Dutch inside and outside voices are the same).

Dutch-style sandwich - see the fried kroket?
You smash it and slather with mustard:)

I love the cultural blend I have found in my office so far (note the Spanish guy), and appreciate that everyone is willing to speak English (but often stay in Dutch, translating if they feel important).

I believe I am starting to mix up when to use my verbs and nouns, and adding in unneeded words prepositions... can I get for you another glass of wine (opposed to can I get you), I could get or would do, I have had...sorry, my American-English will probably go downhill.

View from my office

Best quiche!

And being that I really speak no other language, but only know how to say a few words in some, I get confused when saying thank you - I know I'm not supposed to say it in English, so sometimes it comes out German, sometimes French, every once in a while Russian, but still not very comfortably in Dutch.

I've also lost any gay-dar I may have possessed in the states... not to mention my ability to distinguish ages...

The Dutch are reserved, but not unfriendly, they admit they are cheap and that they walk fast.  They are competitive and direct.  They can be a bit racist, and have less PC terms than we do (well them and most of Europe, is what I'm learning...), and mostly they really are not religious-at all (some churches have apparently been turned into restaurants or bars).

Things (note NOT people related) I miss the most from home/ wish I'd brought:
1) All bathroom taps only have cold water - and it gets icey rather quick - I really miss warm water!
2) My slippers! Who knew my apartment floors would be so cold!

They love kipsate! (Chicken with peanut sauce)

3) My teddy bear... :)
4) My little slim, black travel purse - I thought, oh I'm bringing enough, I don't need that... I so could have thrown it in!
5) I wish I'd bought an iPad...taking my computer home every night or away for weekends will not be happening...and since I've discovered Cougartown in bed at night, I may have to convince a friend to visit with said iPad
6) Full use of my iPhone - the Blackberry dies before day end due to whatsapp and viber, it has a horrible map/navigation system, it freezes constantly, and the web browser is so slow to load anything!
7) Pedestrians always having the right of way!