LIFE IN BRUSSELS TASTES GOOD

Today I could tell you about our life in the minute room, with a coat rack for wardrobe and a bunk bed which inexplicably keeps throwing itself against my head, making me consider walking around the house in a helmet (I'd buy a girly one, with flowers, of course, although I don't think it'd make me look any less ridiculous). But no, I'll leave all the juicy furniture details for later. Instead, I'll tell you a much more interesting story, one entitled: All the Belgian food you can eat in two weeks. Story sponsored by Marché du Midi and Waffle Van. Here goes.

Belgium is a very small country. It's mostly grey, often rainy, and - don't be fooled by teenagers wearing sandals! - rather cold. So please don't blame me when I say, and I'm sure many misinformed people will agree, that I didn't expect much from Belgian gastronomy either. Big mistake. Let me explain why.

B is for Beer and BB is for Belgian Beer
I had never been fond of beer. Here, however, I have discovered a whole new social phenomenon called Belgian Beer Drinking. There are bars with over two hundred beer sorts, all brewed in the small grey rainy country of Belgium. Impressive? Yes. There are all kinds of beers, some of them don't even taste like beers, and the process is very similar to wine tasting. The smell is important, and the cheese, and the taste, and the glass. Because each beer has its own glass, yes sir. Consequently, let me inform you that the Spanish wine era is over. Bring on the beer!

W is for Waffle and S is for Speculoos
There are two types of Belgian waffles: the Brussels waffle, which is similar to a Polish one, and the Liege waffle, which is the tastiest little thing on earth. And the great thing about waffles is that you can put anything you want on them, even Speculoos, which is a special cinnamon cookie, or any product made from such. We have settled for the Speculoos paste, which is better than - hold on to your chair - Nutella. I am officially on a waffle + Speculoos diet, so if you have any tips on where to buy nice size 56 clothes, let me know.

MdM is for Marché du Midi
It takes place on Sundays, at the Midi station in Brussels. And it's the closest thing to an African market I have seen so far. Italian, Greek, Spanish and, above all, Moroccan vendors greet you in their own languages. You can buy everything here, and it's cheap, and tasty. This morning we've gone a bit crazy while shopping for food. But can you blame us? Dried tomatoes, olives of all kinds, cheese, fresh vegetables, Moroccan pastries... Yum! And then, in the middle of the market, a stand with Moroccan pancakes, made on the spot, with cheese and honey, or veggies, plus hot sweet green tea with fresh mint, all consumed out in the open, a picnic bonus if you will.

M is also for Moroccan tea
Yes, the tea. We've been having Moroccan tea for ever, for Jandro is a big fan of this special drink. I came to love it as much as he does, and I had an amazing time trying it in a real Moroccan tea room in Brussels (a place frequented by Morrocan men exclusively, by the way; one of a kind culural experience). Oh, have I mentioned Morrocan pastries?

F is for Fries
And everything you can deep fry, too. There are bars dedicated exlusively to the noble task of deep frying. Fries, meat, onions, spring rolls, your sauce of choice, and off you go, with your take-away neatly wrapped in paper, off you go towards your home, and, in the case of some, cholesterol trouble and a protruding belly. But still, yum. I can't help myself.

And last but not least, the letter P
The letter P is very close to my heart, as it stands for Polish shops. I am amazed at the amount of these in Brussels, actually. I have bought cottage cheese, bread, ham and lots of other typically Polish products, just like in Poland, with the additional bonus of service in Polish and in the presence of other Polish customers. Now I have no excuse, all ingredients for Polish dishes are available within a five-minute walk from chez moi. Time to start cooking.

Final note: Don't worry. Apart from shopping for food and the inevitable consumption, we are really spending a lot of time looking for jobs. In the end... we need to make money to pay for all the amazing Belgian goodies!