Belgium

Things to do in Belgium

My Belgian Loves:

The Midi Market in Brussels was loud, huge and incredibly diverse, selling everything from fruit and veggies to shoes and nail polish!  It’s as if WalMart exploded onto the streets.

The Liege train station was modern, sleek, and bright thanks to architect Santiago Calatrava.  So different from the feeling that many other European train stations evoke.

My quest to learn about and taste artisanal recipes and local delicacies led me around little river towns and valleys stopping at farms along the way to get a complete taste of Wallonia’s food scene.

Belgian Food:

One of my favorite things to do in Belgium is to find local experiences – like eating with locals in their home via Bookalokal .  I attended  a Beer and Food dinner in Brussels which not only was filling, but it was also a fun way to bring a thriving expat community together with locals and travelers.

Many people say the best chocolate in the world comes from Belgium. I felt I needed to conduct my own research; after all, as a travel writer I must really dig into a story, check the facts, ensure my readers are getting the full truth!

The first thing I  learned is beer in Belgium is like wine in France; it’s complicated, educational, and serious…oh….and fun.

I was excited to do my share of tastings of Belgian waffles, but I quickly learned when it came to Belgian waffles – it’s complicated.

Love Brussels Food?

food guide to brusselsOne of my good friends & former Brussels expat, Alison, spent years researching the Brussels food scene – including waffles! She wrote a guide to the best food in Brussels – a must have item if you are traveling to the region!

The Foodie Guide to Brussels: Local Tips for Restaurants, Shops, Hotels, and Activities

 

 Belgium Pictures:

Do you love going off the beaten path when you travel?  Me too!  Head on over to my gallery and check out my untouristed Belgium Pictures.

Belgium pictures

Read More About Belgium Travel

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Week In-stagram Review Northern Ireland and Beyond

November 6, 2014 3 Comments »

Trinity College Autumn Leaves

This week I covered a decent amount of ground with by car, bus, foot, and plane.  I started the week in Northern Ireland on a fabulous day for photography.  I took a Viator Tour that took me to Northern Ireland where I got to experience the stunning coastal sunsets, a harrowing walk on a rope […]

Eat with Locals in Brussels

July 25, 2013 20 Comments »

beer and food pairing brussels

“Don’t bring anything and don’t show up early unless you want to cook.” These were the only real rules I received after I booked my bookalokal Beer and Food group dinner in Brussels. Evelyn, our hostess, welcomed us at the door. My stomach woke up as I smelled the aroma of a big dinner cooking […]

Cast of Cooking Characters

July 23, 2013 5 Comments »

Artisinal Chefs

I read the itinerary as if it were a theater program – the show was all about how 3 women and two tour guides were on a quest to learn about and taste artisanal recipes and local delicacies of Wallonia. They would wind around the little river towns and valleys stopping at farms along the […]

A New Look in Liege

May 30, 2013 10 Comments »

The first time I passed through the Liege train station, I was stunned. I looked out my train window and saw curved iron beams, symmetry, and bright sunlight – unlike any train station in Europe I had ever been to. But this was not a planned stop for me, so we pulled away as I […]

First Stop – Brussels

July 29, 2011 5 Comments »

brussels grand place

We sped off from the Festival of Slow and drove a long day through 3 countries  – the UK, France, and Belgium.  We were invited to stay with my friends Alison and Andrew from the Expat blog Cheeseweb in Brussels that night.  Boy oh boy did they put on a big welcome for us! First […]

A Month in Belgium

October 14, 2010 10 Comments »

A month in Belgium

Why did I go to Brussels this summer? Was it the beer, chocolate, frites or waffles? No. Was it the history? No. The architecture? No. It was for those 3 furballs above… Briefcase to Backpack just covered how to travel with pets…but I was actually traveling to take care of pets. As you would expect, […]

Finding the Best Waffles in Brussels Means a lot of Testing

October 7, 2010 31 Comments »

Back when I had a kitchen, I owned a waffle maker. Waffles have made it into American kitchen culture, but do you know where they originated? The tiny country of Belgium; hence the beloved Belgian waffle. When I traveled to Belgium this summer I was excited to do my share of tastings of Belgian waffles, […]

Beer Heaven – Belgium

September 21, 2010 9 Comments »

beer heaven

The night before I left for Europe, I went out with my friend Miles to have a beer. We went to a little dive bar on the Upper West Side in NYC, sat at the bar, and each had a pint of Stella Artois. The bill was $7 each plus a $1 tip – $8 […]

Finding the Real Brugge

September 16, 2010 15 Comments »

Brugge Day Trip

“You must go to Brugge.” “Have you been to Brugge?” “You can’t miss seeing Brugge!” These were the reactions I received after telling people I was spending August in Belgium house-sitting. It seemed that in Belgium, all roads led to Brugge, the little Unesco World Heritage town known for it’s medieval, historic architecture and maze […]

Chocolate for Breakfast – Brussels

September 9, 2010 8 Comments »

I looked through the freshly cleaned glass devoid of fingerprints and surveyed my choices. Dark, milk, nuts, liquor, and fruit; this was my lineup of choices at the Godiva chocolate shop in the Grand Place of Brussels. I looked at my watch and hesitantly pointed to a dark one. The sophisticated looking man carefully picked […]