Kerry here writing from Brussels, Belgium. Megan and I both have been extremely grateful for the hospitality shown to us by Ana and Xavi and the Dillen family. We've spent the last few days catching up with Ana and Xavi, hanging with their 6mo old baby boy Diego, and meeting some of Xavi's family.
Ana picked us up from the train station Friday night, yep it was my 31st b-day, thanks for the birthday wishes on the comment board!! Ana then took us to a little slice of heaven we haven't experience in over two months, a Thai restaurant. Afterward we walked around Brussels town center and grand place (square). Even though its been like this in many European cities we are still amazed at the number of people who congregate in and around town centers in major European cities.
Saturday Xavi got home from a business trip he'd been on to India (don't know how he stayed awake all weekend with us but what a great host). We drove out to the town of Brugge, aptly nicknamed the Venice of the north. As we walked around town we sampled some of the local Belgian favorites like the chocolate, waffles, french fries in a paper cone, cheese and baguette (half the Belgian people are french afterall), and of course the beer. That night we had dinner at Xavi's parents house and got to meet little Diego, their 6mo old son. Diego had been at grandma and grandpa's friday night and all day Saturday. Megan for sure enjoyed a little baby time, the both of us are getting closer by the day to wanting one of our own.
If you're ever going to one of Xavi's relatives houses go with a very very empty stomach. Little appetizers were out from the moment we arrived and somehow I got suckered into trying the blood sausage which actually wasn't bad. We had veal cold cuts covered in a tuna fish and pesto like sauce for an appetizer. For the main course we ate duck served with potatoes and vegtables from their garden. Even Megan had a bite or two of the duck. Bread, cheese, and wine were always on hand as well. For dessert we had ice cream served between two peices of ginger bread toast and an espresso and pears soaked in a honey sugar glaze on the side.
Needless to say Sunday morning I woke up a little bit more rotund. Little did I know but we were about to do it all over again for lunch at his Uncles house. Before lunch though we met Xavi's aunt and uncle in the town of Ath to watch their annual Gaol-e-at festival, which after some work we understood it to be a Goliath as in David and Goliath festival. As you can imagine the parade included floats of different giants. Each weighing in at 150-200lbs and each being carried by a single person who had to not just carry it but dance around in cirlces with it (there was also one horse and it weighed 1300lbs so they used 6 people for that one). During the festival we hung out in the town's elementary school for much of the time since it had been converted for a day into a pub. Megan and I obviously thought this was unbelieveable you'd never see beer served out of an elementary school classroom in the US.
After the parade we headed over to Xavi's uncle's house and sat down for what I think (although my memory on this one is still a bit foggy) was a 5 hour lunch. I tried some new things there as well including quail eggs, bacon wrapped figs, some kind of liver pattee, and yellow tomatoes (i think they called them lemon tomatoes). The main course was lamb in a kind of curry type sauce. At any rate the food was excellent, the wine and champagne were too. I'm told the more we ate and drank the better and better my French became. I was surprised a bit by how much French came back to me but on the other hand still amazed at how far from fluent that is, especially since Ana is fluent in four languages and Xavi in three.
Sunday early evening Ana and Diego turned it in early and Xavi took Megan and I on a walking tour of downtown Brussels. A relaxing way to end a food filled weekend. Off to Amsterdam today and then we'll finish in London over the coming weekend. Scotland was on the original itinerary but we'll have to save that for another trip.
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2 meals with the Dillen family! You guys scored big. You forgot to mention how the ice cream is homemade and from the garden. My favorite was a pre-dinner appetizer of salmon lox and vodka in chilled shot glasses, or when Xavi's dad would bike early in the morning to pick up warm croissants served with jam made from their roses. Imagine my stress when they were visiting Seattle and came over for dinner.
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