Belgium
Best Frites in Brussels
September 3, 2010 by Sherry Ott
Best Frites in Brussels?
I was on a mission. A mission for potatoes. Not just any potatoes, but the specially fried potato known as frites. You might think that they are the same as simple french fries, but don’t be fooled into thinking that. They are more than french fries, they are special. And in Belgium, they are king. Belgians consume on average 75 kg (165 lbs) of fried potatoes per person each year, a third more than Americans.
Belgium is known for a few things; the EU, waffles, beer, mussels, chocolate, and frites. When I arrived in Brussels and saw people carrying around paper cones full of steaming frites I knew I wanted to find the best the city had to offer. I had read in a recent Reuter’s article:
“there are more than 5,000 frites vendors in the country of 10 million people, which means there are 11 times as many stands per capita as there McDonald’s per American.”
Chocolate Frites…the best of both worlds?
So how do you find the ‘best’ out of those…
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Brussels Sprouts a Flower Carpet
August 13, 2010 by Sherry Ott
Art in Progress – Brussels Flower Carpet
This weekend something very special is happening in Belgium. It only comes around every other year: The Flower Carpet. This Belgian tradition started in 1971 with the first Flower Carpet being laid in the famous Grand Place of Brussels. Begonias are the star flower. They are packed together one by one, 300 to every square meter of ground, (+/- 750,000 flowers). They are packed tightly (no soil is used at all) so that they won’t be blown away by the first puff of wind. They even create their own microclimate.
I’m in Brussels for the month of August so I decided to go check out the making of the carpet. It is planned months in advance, while the execution and placement of the flowers takes around seven hours. It was a stormy day in Brussels, but the volunteers were still out placing each begonia in its specified place!
To see more travel photos, check out Briefcase to Backpack’s Photo Friday!
Bruges Beer Festival
August 12, 2010 by Susan McKee
The fourth Bruges Beer Festival will be held September 11 and 12, 2010, in the historic Belgian town. It’s organized by the Bruges Autonomous Beertasters, in cooperation with the municipality of Bruges.
Some 67 breweries will present about 278 beers on the festival! There’ll be six Trappist breweries and some artisanal Gueuze blenders and brewers among the Belgian beers on tap.
At the entrance, you buy the 2010-tasting glass (15cl) at €3 plus tokens at €1.25 each (one beer = one token). Then head in to select from among the beers on offer! In most cases, the brewer will be present at his stand, ready to answer questions.
But, as they say on television Road Trips Foodies, that isn’t all! There’ll be a “Cuisine Culinair” four chefs each day preparing food especially to go with beer. Other events include carillon concerts, “beer recitations” (a sort of interactive debate) and activities for kids.
And, if you were there last year, please note that 2009 tokens can be used in 2010!
Worcester City Flower Show
August 8, 2010 by Ellen Park
So, Road Trips Gardeners, you thought there was only Worcestershire Sauce in Worcester, England! Not true. The fifth annual Worcester City Flower Show will be held in conjunction with the grand opening of Gheluvelt Park from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. August 14, 2010.
Actually, it’s more than flowers, since the organizers are calling for displays of fruits and vegetables as well as flowers, but what the heck. If you’re driving nearby, stop in. There’s lots going on all day, and admission is free. Both the mayor of Worcester and the mayor of Gheluvelt, Belgium, will be on hand.
The grand opening event commemorates the action of the Worcestershire Regiment at the Battle of Gheluvelt near Ypres, Belgium in 1914 where a few hundred men halted a major German advance and altered the course of World War I.
Belgium: History, Culture & Economy
July 31, 2010 by A'Keiba Burrell
Belgium (pronounced /ˈbɛldʒəm/, BEL-jəm), officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a state in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU’s headquarters, as well as those of several other major international organizations such as NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi), and it has a population of about 10.8 million people. Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups, the Dutch-speakers, mostly Flemish, and the French-speakers, mostly Walloons, plus a small group of German-speakers. Belgium’s two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region. A small German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium’s linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government.
The name ‘Belgium’ is derived from Gallia Belgica, a Roman province in the northernmost part of Gaul that was inhabited by the Belgae, a mix of Celtic and Germanic peoples. Historically, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were known as the Low Countries, which used to cover a somewhat larger area than the current Benelux group of states. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, it was a prosperous centre of commerce and culture. From…
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My Winter in California
February 3, 2010 by Jackie Grandchamps
I love my job because it offers a great variety of tasks: my favorite one being leading the tours, of course, because I enjoy interacting with my guests, sharing their joy and showing them wonderful new places.
However, most of my tours happening between May and October, many people often wonder what I do then. No, I do not sit and relax for 6 months ! It is in fact when I have to do the toughest part of my job: marketing, selling and organizing.
However, having started my company 6 years ago, it becomes easier and easier: I have solid contacts and partners, and “word-of-mouth” makes wonders ! Right now, my cooking tour is really successful and Belgium is getting more interest than the past years . Belgium 2010 is a cultural tour with an optional writing workshop. My new tour in Tuscany is getting filled. As for Provence and the painting workshops, they remain the greatest hits !
For more information and availabilities about all our tours in 2010, check www.frenchescapade.com
What is the Secret of Belgian Chocolate?
May 25, 2009 by Jackie Grandchamps
Visit Belgium and you will understand why chocolate is essential in the life of this tiny country: you will find a chocolatier in every village, in every main street, and in big cities such as Liege, Brussels or Bruges, there will be an infinite choice of chocolate makers displaying their beautiful pralines all around you!
So why is it so delicious? Well, the best ingredients are used and the traditional techniques still prevail. Most belgian chocolates are made by hand in small workshops, by people who love their job and are very proud of their specialties. They receive their chocolate paste still warm and liquid in heated tanker truck and not in solid cold paste like in other countries. This way, it keeps its original flavor longer.
Why is it different? Well, Belgian chocolate became internationally known thanks to the invention of “pralines” (not the same as the sweet treats found in the States). This technique was invented in 1912 by Jean Neuhaus, a swiss man who had moved to Brussels. Praline-making consists in moulding a cold chocolate shell that can then be filled with any flavored chocolate or other ingredients (nougat,…
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Belgium’s Military to Provide Protection Near Somalia
May 4, 2009 by Renee Blodgett
Belgium’s military will provide onboard protection to commercial ships in pirate-infested waters off Somalia, MSNBC reported on Thursday.
My 5 Top Info About Spring 2009 in Brussels, Belgium
April 17, 2009 by Jackie Grandchamps
Jackie, your travel guide and specialist about Belgium, France and California
(see bottom of article for latest trip discounts)
- The new Magritte museum is opening soon! On June 2, its doors will open on the magic world of the most famous Belgian surrealist painter. Located next to the Art Museum on Place Royale in Brussels, and not to be confused with the former Magritte museum, located in the painter’s home. While the old one focuses on the artist’s life, the new one will exhibit some 170 paintings by Magritte. Not to be missed! Tickets are for sale online.
- The royal greenhouse of Laeken are only open to the public in spring. This year, you will be able to admire the huge collection of rare plants in the superb 19th century greenhouses designed by Balat from Friday, April 17 to May 10 (closed on Mondays). It is a short window and therefore a privilege to enter this magical space located in the King’ s palace gardens.
- The Foundation for Architecture is presenting its 2009 exhibition ” the Time of the Boutiques” , from booths to ebay, ongoing until October 18, 2009.
Giants walking up Belgian streets?
February 9, 2009 by Jackie Grandchamps
February is the month of parades and carnivals in France and Belgium. France can brag about Nice that hosts the most elaborated parade of floats on the French Riviera. But Belgium offers the most animated festivities for the lucky visitors who will attend the craziest carnival parades.
In Binche, Province of Hainaut, from Feb. 22 to 24, the most famous Belgian Carnivalwill attract thousands of people. The Gilles giants will parade in the streets, throwing oranges, with drums resounding all around them. Fireworks will end the days, on Monday and Tuesday.
But who are the Gilles? They are the local Carnival characters, and have been around since the 14th century. They are impressive by their height and typical costume stuffed with hay and decorated with jingle bells around their waist. Their feathered headdress is 4 feet tall and can weigh 7 pounds. The costumes matching the colors of the Belgian flag (black, red and yellow) are new every year.
Eight hundred Gilles are walking every year in the Binche parade, and this event has been listed on the Unesco Heritage list, since 2003, as an ” oral and intangible patrimony of humanity”.
The Binche carnival is serious merrymaking and…
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