Though it began with a violent stomach virus, the weekend turned out to take a turn and ended up being a great weekend once the probiotic and Imodium kicked in. Because of this unfortunate turn of circumstances, we missed any chances of exploring Luxembourg on Friday, as bathrooms here are not as accessible as they are in the States, and the ones that are around require a fee to use them. We arrived late Thursday night in Luxembourg City to meet an old friendly face. Philippe has been a friend since he first came to ULL from Belgium when I was in high school. He and my brother quickly became friends, and we soon had Philippe celebrating every other Christmas or Easter with us as he could not always make it home. After spending so many years in schooling in Louisiana, we sadly waved him goodbye as he flew back home to go to work in Belgium. After years of parties at my brother's or going out in Lafayette, it was a welcome experience to go out again with Philippe, Belgian-style! After recuperating all of Friday at Phillipe's apartment while he was at work (all the while with a very caring husband who took care of me every second, giving up a day of his vacation as well), we were soon ready to see some new sights. As soon as Philippe got off of work, we packed up the apartment he stays in during the week, and crossed the tiny country of Luxembourg and headed to his parents' house in Liege, Belgium. The small country of Luxembourg is unique because of all the countries in the world, this Rhode-Island sized country has the highest wages against the extremely low taxes they pay on domestic goods. Good luck trying to spot anything but an Audi or BMW on the streets of Luxembourg.
Arriving at Philippe's parents' house was a welcome experience because for the first time on our stay here, we were a part of a family. Though his parents spoke only French and we spoke only English, there was still a warm feeling between us, especially as they worried over my war-torn digestive system. We were also welcomed with a chorus of barking from their four North African long-haired greyhounds, one of which is the French National Champion. We spent that afternoon sitting in their backyard with drinks (Hoegarden for Roy, water for me) and taking in the delectable smell of the barbecue Philippe's dad had on the grill. We had a full dinner of bbq beef, potatoes with garlic butter, green beans, and asparagus. Though the food was of course familiar, seasonings used in some of the dishes were deliciously unique and like nothing I had tasted before. It must have been comfort food because that evening my stomach virus had passed.
The next morning we woke up early to catch a train to Bruges (not before having a quick breakfast of French bread and home-made strawberry jelly). The train to Bruges was about an hour and a half long, as Bruges in on the western side of Belgium and Liege is on the eastern side. Bruges is not a huge city, but a frequently visited one. This is probably because of its beauty and quaint atmosphere. It is similar to Amsterdam in the way that it is built within a series of canals running through it. Bruges is a city all its own though because of the distinct architecture of the houses and buildings lining these canals. The buildings do not go out, but up, and the tops of these buildings are designed with two sides stepping up and gradually meeting at the top. Since Bruges is located in the Flanders side of Belgium, the natives speak Flemish which is pretty close to Dutch. We spent most of the day in Bruges, taking a boat tour, walking around the downtown, visiting a cathedral, and stopping in as many Belgian chocolate stores as possible. It was a place so beautiful and different that you could walk around all day and never get tired of it.
Tired, we climbed back on the train and began planning our evening. After being told by Philippe of a restaurant in Liege that serves French food in five (small) courses, Roy had decided what we were doing with our night. After some more Belgian beer and olives in the backyard, we went out to start our long evening. The restaurant started us off with a sparkling glass of champagne, followed by our first course that came with a new glass of white wine. The first course was some sort of beef tar tare (cured, raw ground meat) topped with Parmesan cheese. Though I'm not a fan of raw meat, I've accidentally ordered it about four times now and this is the best one I've had. The next course was a little more adventurous- foie gras. I knew very well what this was, saw it on many French menus, and decided I had to be open enough to try it. Foie gras literally translates to "fat liver". I did not like this dish. Our next course was hands-down the best. It was a genius combination of scallops with lemon butter sauce and white asparagus. For the first time, I experienced the sensation of having a wine that paired so well with the food that it tasted though it was an integral part of it. (Each course comes out with a new glass of wine. Five courses= a very happy patron at the end of the meal). Our next meal was the main course, served with a glass of red wine. I had grilled chicken with veggies and mashed potatoes with gravy. As simple as this all sounds, this was no ordinary gravy- it was made from the famous truffle mushroom. For some reason, we don't really have a sense of the phenomena this fungi is known for in Europe. Truffle mushrooms are extremely rare and very hard to find. If one does find one, they can sell for as much as $1000 per kilogram! Needless to say, I sopped up every bit of that gravy. I know that there were five courses, and I know I got dessert, but for some reason...I honestly can't remember what that last course was.
Next, though probably a bad idea, Philippe wanted us to try Belgium's national liquor- Pecket. He likened it to Vodka, though it tasted a bit stronger than that. We went to an establishment that specialized in Pecket drinks, and continued to over-indulge ourselves. The night ended in Philippe's kitchen where I got my first taste of absinthe.
The next morning we slept a little later, awaking to the smell of fresh Belgian waffles, one of the best smells to ever reach my nose. As we did all our meals, we ate our waffles outside in the back surrounded by flowers, a lilly pad tank, and four champion grey hounds making their presence known in hopes of getting their own taste of the Belgian treat. After this we went with Philippe and his father to the huge market in downtown Liege. This market stretched on for more than a mile and was made up of more than just food. You really could get anything there. Toys, clothes, accessories, candy, and live animals such as rabbits, ducks, hens and chickens, and any other live animal one could buy and make into food the old fashion way. After a walk though the market, Philippe's dad wanted to bring us to the traditional Sunday morning drink scene. The best part about this was seeing Roy's face when they ordered him a tall dark English beer.
After a full morning, we unwillingly boarded the train at midday, hugging Philippe bye. The train ride back was a long one, but gave us a chance to sleep away the adventures of the stomach and soul that we experienced that weekend.
Next weekend: long weekend trip to Barcelona, returning on Bastille Day!
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