Postcards to Savor
By Elena.
Welcome to what I hope will be a mouth-watering article. This is the third, and I think last, in a series of photo hubs that I conceived to visually narrate my European exploits.
By no means I'm going to be comprehensive with the delicacies that we sampled and ogled and ohhhed and ahhhed about, but I'm confident that I captured some very representative morsels from the cities and countries I visited.
Likely, you'll find the Paris section terribly lacking if you're looking for a real food, food article. But this isn't a real food article. This is what we had while strolling on the street, or for dinner at night, or what we stopped to take photos of because it looked as delicious as it looks, well, on the photos.
At the same time, I guarantee that I'm representing the cities and countries perfectly with the samples I'm displaying, as confident as I would be if I were displaying Iberian ham, potato omelet, paella and Sangria for Spain. The Spaniard in me mentally screams at the reduction of the Spanish offerings to these silly four things, but honestly, they capture what people see the most when they visit.
And that's what I tried to do, capture the most frequent food occurrences in the places I visited. I think I just omitted the beer in Germany, but that's because I featured it in Belgium, a country that adores beer like a goddess. All right, you're thinking some of us also adore beer like a goddess and aren't featured in this hub. Right, suck it up, the beer honors go to Belgium.
Well, here we go, I hope you are ready to salivate!
Chocolate a Gogo in Belgium
I was torn between posting the many chocolate display photos I have or showing the temples of chocolate themselves. Finally the temples won, as you can see.
I didn't count, but I'd say every second store in Brussels and Bruges was a chocolaterie. I swear I suffered, for a couple of days I didn't even want to use the sidewalk because the windows from these shops gave me cravings I didn't know I had in me. Oh boy. It's not only how tasty the bits look, it's how they display them to maximum effect, and there are so many that one gets fat just from looking. Let me tell you, it was very, very tough.
Beer, another smashing hit in Belgium
Beer in Belgium is as much a religion as chocolate. There are beer establishments that pride themselves in serving over 1,000 varieties of beer, all in their own glass type with the brand on it. There aren't as many stores specialized in beer as chocolateries, but there are plenty and they are so pretty.
The famous Delirium Tremens Café made it to the Guiness Book of Records in 2004 for serving over 2,000 beers in a menu that's as big as the yellow pages.
Another place to visit for beers is A La Mort Subite, they also brew their own brand. The name means literally "sudden death", and it comes from a dice game called "421" originating in the early XX century and where the last round was played at sudden death (they call it tie break at tennis, not nearly as romantic!).
Mussels, a typical dish in Belgium
Before preparing this trip and looking up Brussels and Bruges, I never knew, hadn't the slightest really, that mussels were a typical dish in Belgium. What the heck, I kept thinking. Mussels? In Belgium? Turns out they are also typical in Netherlands, always learning something new.
Well, I had my mussels a la beer, and then au vin blanc, I'm back, and I still don't have a clue regarding the tradition. I read here and there that it could be the French influence, but nothing clear and definite. I mentioned before that I'm a poor researcher, but my assistant (ahem) here is a great one, and she can't find anything definite either to explain why mussels are typical in Belgium, so if any of you can report back, we'll be most grateful.
I've got to say, and this is a Spanish connoisseur speaking, that they know their mussels in Belgium.
Waffles and more. Somebody please save me from temptation
Close your mouth and stop drooling. I took pity on you here. I assure you, these photos are intended to make your mouth water while keeping your heart rate at a manageable level. What isn't at a very manageable level are the pounds I put on during this trip, many of which can be blamed on the waffles I consumed. Chocolate and whipped cream. Double chocolate. Chocolate, and strawberries and banana on top. Banana dipped in chocolate. Oh. Oh. OH!
Paris and Baguettes and Paninis and...
...Croq Monsieurs
This section goes without explaining, except for the Croqs and the question that has been plaguing me since I first laid my eyes on this "sandwich": Why had I never before noticed the Croqs in Paris? Blindness to melted cheese color, maybe? Fear of putting weight on just by looking at them? Idiocy?
Whatever the reason --blindness, fear of calories or idiocy, it abandoned me on this trip and I had an overdose of Croqs to make up for my past negligence.
Of course, Paris isn't short on sweets either...
I dare you to click on Fauchon and browse around. If you aren't tempted, check your pulse.
Cheese & Fondue
For cheese and fondue we went to very normal and earthy restaurants, full of locals, not a tourist in sight (except us, who were in sight of all locals, whoops), which made us think we were in the right places for genuine samplings. Prices at both establishments were unbelievably reasonable for Paris standards, dining with wine didn't rip us off at all. For fondue, we went to Heureux Comme Alexandre and for cheese we picked Pan Vin Fromage.
Currywurst, that's THE thing in Berlin
I don't know what I was thinking, but I completely forgot to snap a shot at this wonderful snack, and we had a few of them, too, so I must have been suffering from endorphin overdose. Or something.
The currywurst is served with or without chips, the sausage is tender on the inside and very crispy on the outside, sprinkled with a generous dose of ketchup mixed with curry. Though the currywurst can be found in restaurants, this is your typical street food stand delicacy. You can order it with bread, as a sandwich, but don't be silly and order the regular one on a paper plate –why spoil a perfectly savory sausage with bread?
And this is the end of the food tour. Now, if you'll excuse me while I go find something to wear that still fits me.
Another beautiful set of photographs, Elena. Well done.
Okay. This is not something someone should be reading in the middle of the night. Hunger strikes hard! Were there any possible way to eat web content, every last bite of this hub would be gone and all you'd have left would be storefronts and kitchenware. Wil you PLEASE take me with you next time?
Elena: You take outstanding photos, not fair, now I am hungry, and my mouth is watering, LOL! Those chocolates and the Croq Monsieurs which I had not heard of, look so delicious. Good idea of warming the cheese on top before serving. Will try it a variation here at home.
I love your virtual tours and descriptions, it entertains me after a full day's work with our business. :)
Abrazos!
A beautiful collection
I'm with FB on this on, I just finished some beer and now I'm starving after looking at these pics.
Right, I've two requests to join me in my next trip, some drools on the screen that I need to clean up, three people salivating and craving food ... TADA! I think I achieved my goal with this hub! Laugh!
Iphi, you have most of this close at hand, so go and get some ;-) And sorry about the currywurst. Laugh!
Anthony, gracias!
Frieda -- You brought this upon yourself, what with the Babbley's and all! You also brought it upon yourself by checking this out in the middle of the night :P (Regards to my socks, BTW!)
Violet, the Croq is very easy to prepare at home, the second shot is the one we prepared after coming back --we thought why bother starting a diet just yet. Laugh! But oh mama mia, I feel a diet coming sometime .... soon .... as soon as we finish the boxes of chocolates we have in store from the trip. Yoooowl!
Kushal, thank you :)
Golden, I added the beer in case you checked out this one, thought the beer would get ya, but I had no idea you'd also salivate big time! BESOS dulces!
Nearly lunchtime, ham and cheese sanny for me! Ok its only 10.30
Hawkesdream, I was about to pity you, but thought better of it, since I'm starting to get real hungry too... you know what they say, what goes around comes around! :-)
Elena, you did it again! Sigh...you can keep the beer, bring on the chocolate and the cheese and the chocolate...
OK, well then, I'll keep the beer -- you can help yourself to... everything else :-)
A feast for the eyes! Now I envy your life and hate mine! LOL :D
Cris .. did you turn into a little naughty angel overnight? Or is that even an angel? :-)
If that'll make you happier, now I have to worry about losing all the pounds I put on to go back to my usual sexy self ... ahem. Laugh!
Elena More happy memories and pictures reminding me of my previous european trip (by train). Belgian Mussels and chips , yummy and as for a real belgian waffle - to die for!
Great hub, wonderful memories, thank you.
you are an evil, cruel woman to put this online -- you can be sure we are all salivating - the cat was upset when I started whimpering. . .
I've had curry an chips before, but curried bratwurst? hmmm
Seriously, though, Belgian beer is superb. and the chocolates. and the waffles. It;s cause it rains a lot and they have nothing else to do?
My pleasure, sixtyorso! You've got good taste, I have to say :-) Careful with the waffles, though, this belly I'm sporting is all their fault! Well, that and the beer, and chocolates and..... :P
OI, Teresa, lo siento! No, not really, I am a bit cruel after all, but I didn't really want to scare the cat, poor thing!
You may be right about the goodies in Belgium, the weather is nothing to speak of over there -- but we were lucky, not a single rainy day in Belgium! Even that went well on the trip :-)
Oh gods, mouthwatering hub! I remember Belgium fondly for it's chocolate and waffles, yummmm. I must return.
Hi, Jewels! We seem to cross paths .. Dublin, Belgium... what next? :-)
O. M. G. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven at the bookshop hub, but that was only a warm up for the this one! Heart palpitations for sure! FYI, I think it's possible to gain 10 lbs just looking at these pix...
Deee-lish! Did you have mussels in Brussels? I loved Belgium and fell in love with Bruges, but being a beer fan, my goodness, Belgium was heaven. As you say, what I found so remarkable was every establishment - no matter how small - had at least 50 beers on tap and served in the brands own glass. I was also amused and the way they poured them with the overflowing foam and then scraped it with a knife. I am not much of a sweets eater, but the ladies in the group were orgasmic! Thanks for the great pics and the memories!
Hello, Jama! If you think you gained 10 pounds just by looking, imagine what I gained by eating all of this stuff!! I don't know whether to laugh or cry! Ay ay ay!
Chris, hi there! I did have mussels in Brussels, and every time I say it I have to laugh at the silly rhyme! :-) And orgasmic is exactly right, if you like sweets -- even though after a while "orgasmic" becomes "overdosed" and if you stay a bit longer you have the risk of becoming "catatonic" ! Laugh! The way they serve the beer, scrapping the foam with a knife, is how they serve it around here, too, but I haven't see that anywhere else --funny, never thought of it before you mentioned it!
Another of these wonderful photo hubs, but I really hope it's not the last!
Hello, LondonGirl! Well, I think it is the last from this vacation -- I have more stories to tell from the 2 week trip around Europe, but I don't know that I can do it with photos :-) I'm sure I'll manage more "Babbleys" in future, though!
Glad to hear it!
I am so hungry right now. Seriously. I remember braut in Germany--amazing. I remember beer and waffles in Belgium--incredible. Time for a midnight snack.
Bon apetit to you, Chris :-)
@ CR Yes I love Bruges too. My favourite town in all of Belgium and most of Europe too. We spent two, all too short, days there in that lovely town square as well as visiting the University. i would dearly like to go back!
Elena, what a lovely tour! And what could possibly be better than melted cheese, chocolate, beer, and probably lots of butter. I am almost sorry that I took a vow against the eating of waffles. They are very dangerous.
Hi Dolores, glad you enjoyed! I think you're right about waffles, they ARE very dangerous. I decided to ban them from my "diet" too... until the next time I visit Belgium :-)
Iphigenia 3 years ago
"Chocolpolis" ---------------- ohhhhho ohhhhhhhhhhhh ... AND a nice simple cheese fondue ............... lordy lord.....
Ok I've calmed down , in fact I was quite disturbed by the pic of the currywurst - so had to scroll back to the chocolate and cheesy photos.
Books and food - I'm coming on holiday with you next time you set off. This hub got all the right juices flowing.