Brussels Day 1: Final Report

What is the strange non-descript brown beer in the grimy glass on the table?

Hmm....

What could it be?

I've only been here one day and this was supposed to be a major accomplishment.

I don't get it.

We'll have to take a closer look

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IT'S WESTVLETEREN 12!!!! The supposedly impossible to get best beer on earth. This beer is supposedly only available directly from the obscure monastery that brews it. When the rare illicit bottle appears in the U.S., it often fetches upwards of $50! And here I found it in the Brussels Bier Tempel!!! The woman behind the counter spoke English but was quite evasive when asked how her store is able to carry this "holy" brew. As for the hype, it is dead on. This beer is among the richest most complex liquids I've ever consumed but still retains a 100% beer feel.

So on my final jaunt around town, I wandered aimlessly scouting for grocery stores and laudromats. Success on both counts but the dismal closing time of 8 pm is a bit annoying. I'll never get Europe apparently. Lori should be happy to know that I finally got my paper cone of frites and also discovered a hidden gem....Until tomorrow!

First Day Scoping Out Brussels

Ok, so I arrived in Brussels without a hitch. All I had to do was kill 4 hours waiting for Elvira to show up to let me in. I took this wondefully cinematic shot during my downtime before finding a wi-fi cafe. While sitting in said cafe, I began to notice the overwhelming preponderance of Turkish people all around. I'd say 2/3+ of the people in my neighborhood are Turks. Doner kebabs are everywhere.

After getting my stuff settled, I hit the town. I wanted to scope out the State Archives before I bumble in there tomorrow but my #1 goal was scoping out the food and beer scene. Low and behold, I found two wonderful stores with hundreds of different beers each. You'll be getting more updates, I promise.

After all this beer hunting, I had to get myself some beer and sustenance. I ducked into a small cafe for a pate sandwich and a beer. I accidentally tried to speak Spanish but the server laughed and replied in English.

I decided to put of frites (fries) for awhile because the only place I could find was the one with the mascot pictured below and it was thronged by tourists.

I finished off with a little touristy site-seeing. Enjoy!