How Many Countries Can You Visit in Two Weeks?! - DLRP and more! TR LINK!!!! Pg. 20!!

[DVCWDWMEMBER]

Oops, un faux pas...

No need to apologize at all. I am thrilled that you said the best frites are from Belgium. I have always said that also. I make great homemade frites myself. just ask Danielle. She grew up eating them.... with mayonnaise....

 

[DVCWDWMEMBER]

Haha. That's okay. She's very stealth and very rarely announces her presence.

Most of the time I read the post and don't comment... sometimes I do put in my 2 cents

 

[IheartDDuck]

No need to apologize at all. I am thrilled that you said the best frites are from Belgium. I have always said that also. I make great homemade frites myself. just ask Danielle. She grew up eating them.... with mayonnaise....

Makes me want some of your fries right now. But then that definitely wouldn't fit into my calories for the day.

Most of the time I read the post and don't comment... sometimes I do put in my 2 cents

You can increase that to 4 cents anytime....

 

[IheartDDuck]

I'm not going to do a day by day itinerary. We're not going to be doing things day by day. However, we do have some places that we're going to visit and a list of things that I would like to do.

One place that's on the list for me is Amsterdam.

I bought a guide of things to do. I'm very excited to visit for sure. What's the Netherlands famous for?

Wooden Shoes

Cheese

Delftware

Obviously, the Netherlands is famous for much much more. Art, food, architecture. There is a list of things. Here's our list of places to visit.

Rijksmuseum

Crazy fact? This museum is home to 7 million pieces of art! Now, clearly they don't display all of it, but it's there nonetheless. There are paintings by Vermeer (The Girl with the Pearl Earring is a famous piece) and Rembrandt, in addition to old Delftware and many other things. Very exciting.

Anne Frank Huis

I haven't read the Diary of Anne Frank for years, and it slips your mind that she was from the Netherlands. This is the house that she hid in during the war, until they were finally captured. This is going to be an experience that I think grounds you to reality.....

Dam Square

This is the heart of Amsterdam and just looks beautiful.

De Bakkerswinkel

Okay, here's your first Dutch lesson. Ready? A winkel is a store. So, in Dutch, winkel follows the word referring to a store. In this case, it's a bakery. So, The Baker's Store. Easy, right? Why wouldn't I want to go there? Hello!?

Lof - I couldn't find a picture of this, but it's a restaurant that is very highly recommended. A restaurant that locals attend, which is what I prefer. Never go to the tourist places....they don't have the best food. Here's the Frommer's review if you're interested.

Lof Restaurant

Oude Zijde

Here's your next Dutch lesson. Oude is Dutch for old. Zijde is side. It's the Old Side.

This area includes the medieval part of the city, which is awesome. In case you're curious, it also includes the Red Light District....just saying....

The Kaaskamer - The Cheese Chamber

Holy cow people, there are over 200 kinds of cheeses here! I love cheese. I'll be in heaven.

And, of course, no trip ANYWHERE is a trip without shopping. Duh....

HEMA is a Dutch bargain store. I mean, who doesn't love a bargain right? I'll definitely be stopping there....and elsewhere.

Alrighty! That's it for now.

Up Next: Luxembourg

 

[marDgreen88]

When my grandparents were still alive they went on a month-long tour of Europe, and one of the things they brought back for my mom was a pair of wooden shoes from Amsterdam. I used to wear them and think I was awesome.

It's really cool hearing about all this. And hot dang, that's a lot of cheese.

 

[DVCWDWMEMBER]

Drooling, drooling, drooling. I can't wait to get some cheese and bread. That's the perfect lunch

 

[Queenofallthings]

Gosh I love Europe and your pictures take me right back there! I love Amsterdam....cheese...I would be in heaven too! Good lord, you would have to roll me outta that store!

 

[IheartDDuck]

When my grandparents were still alive they went on a month-long tour of Europe, and one of the things they brought back for my mom was a pair of wooden shoes from Amsterdam. I used to wear them and think I was awesome.

It's really cool hearing about all this. And hot dang, that's a lot of cheese.

I'm sure that you were awesome in your wooden shoes.

That is a lot of cheese. I don't know how I am going to control myself.

On a side note, I may have to buy myself a pair of wooden shoes....

Drooling, drooling, drooling. I can't wait to get some cheese and bread. That's the perfect lunch

That IS the perfect lunch.

Gosh I love Europe and your pictures take me right back there! I love Amsterdam....cheese...I would be in heaven too! Good lord, you would have to roll me outta that store!

They are going to have to roll me out of that store! I don't know how I'm going to be able to resist all of that beautiful cheese....

 

[Leshaface]

I drooled at the picture of the cheese shop! Oh. My. I'm obsessed with cheese. Especially more now since i'm pregnant. There's a gourmet cheese shop that we had randomly found while on a mini-vacay, and I ended up buying a pound of different cheeses...and eating that pound in a few days..i'm so embarrassed and definitely not proud, but ugh, was it good. So I beg you...PLEASE do your best to visit this shop and get pics and tasting reviews!

 

[IheartDDuck]

I drooled at the picture of the cheese shop! Oh. My. I'm obsessed with cheese. Especially more now since i'm pregnant. There's a gourmet cheese shop that we had randomly found while on a mini-vacay, and I ended up buying a pound of different cheeses...and eating that pound in a few days..i'm so embarrassed and definitely not proud, but ugh, was it good. So I beg you...PLEASE do your best to visit this shop and get pics and tasting reviews!

Oh, it is no question. That cheese shop will be located and visited. It's not an option.

 

[ZehnJahren]

Um, holy cheese-store heaven.

While living in Germany, I used to FILL UP on Quarkbaellchen. I didn't know what they were at the time, really, but they were delicious. I was very surprised when I found out they were like a cheesy, dairy, sour creamy thing. I ate three every morning; I walked through the backerei on my way to the bus stop and grabbed a little bag of them.

No clue what they were at the time. I'm super picky at home, but when I go abroad I'll eat anything!

 

[MEK]

That picture of Amsterdam is gorgeous and that is ONE HECK OF A LOT OF CHEESE!

 

[IheartDDuck]

Um, holy cheese-store heaven.

While living in Germany, I used to FILL UP on Quarkbaellchen. I didn't know what they were at the time, really, but they were delicious. I was very surprised when I found out they were like a cheesy, dairy, sour creamy thing. I ate three every morning; I walked through the backerei on my way to the bus stop and grabbed a little bag of them.

No clue what they were at the time. I'm super picky at home, but when I go abroad I'll eat anything!

I know, right?! I am so excited to go to that cheese store. I'll be in absolute heaven.

Hmm, the quarkbaellchen sounds interesting and likely something right up my alley.

That picture of Amsterdam is gorgeous and that is ONE HECK OF A LOT OF CHEESE!

I know! It's sad, because when I saw that picture, I wondered how many different things in that store I could try.

 

[DVCWDWMEMBER]

I worry that we will walk out of that store with no money left over for other things.... Cheese and chocolate are my downfall..

 

[IheartDDuck]

I worry that we will walk out of that store with no money left over for other things.... Cheese and chocolate are my downfall..

I'm worried that I won't be able to monitor my cash flow too well when we're down there. Clothes, beer, cheese, chocolate, makeup......

 

[Nermel9]

Amsterdam looks beautiful, I'd really love to visit there someday! Are you by any chance, going to be partaking in the uh, "legal" goodies they have over there that are not so legal here? Noooo, I can't see a DISer doing that!

Yum, a bakery and a cheese shop, that sounds like a great day right there, I wouldn't even want to do anything else if those 2 things are on the itinerary!

 

[IheartDDuck]

Amsterdam looks beautiful, I'd really love to visit there someday! Are you by any chance, going to be partaking in the uh, "legal" goodies they have over there that are not so legal here? Noooo, I can't see a DISer doing that!

Yum, a bakery and a cheese shop, that sounds like a great day right there, I wouldn't even want to do anything else if those 2 things are on the itinerary!

I'm super excited to be visiting there for sure. It does look beautiful.

*ahem* I will plead the fifth on that one. No seriously, that won't be happening.

When I saw those two things, I was like "nope, that's it!"

Seriously though, Europe in general is FILLED with bakeries. They're everywhere. At our families house in Belgium, all of their items come from the local bakery. Seriously, we just don't have stuff like that anymore.

 

[IheartDDuck]

All right everyone! Today, I figured we could explore the places that we are planning on visiting in Belgium and the things on my list. There are other cities that we will likely be visiting, but we’ll probably be flying by the seat of our pants there.

Brussels –

Brussels is the capital city of Belgium and probably the most famous. It is home to NATO. Another interesting thing about Brussels is that it’s a bilingual city. Where each other city of Belgium lies in either the Flemish portion or French portion, Brussels does not take either language, but uses both. However, Brussels does lie in the Flanders (Flemish) portion of the country.

The Grand Place –

This is the focal point of Brussels. An interesting point about this is that in 1695, Louis XIV ordered the center of the city to be destroyed and a large amount was. However, in defiance, the Belgian citizens reconstructed the Grand Place in five years.

If you visit the Grand Place, you have to go visit Mannken-Pis. We’ve had a drawing of this in our house for years. It’s a little boy….well, just look at the picture and you’ll understand. He’s such a landmark now, that people actually make outfits for him. He has over 800 now.

We will definitely be visiting the Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts. This museum has a huge collection of local artists. It’s divided into three sections, and the Magritte section is the one I’m most interested in.

Here’s a Magritte in case anyone is curious. Magritte is an archetypal surrealist similar to Salvador Dali.

Centre Belge de la Band Dessinee –

Comic characters are huge in Belgium. Tintin is perhaps the most famous, but this museum covers all of them.

Tintin – You may recognize him from the recent movie, the Adventures of Tintin.

The Atomium –

One of the most famous landmarks in Brussels, it was the centerpiece of the 1958 Universal Expo. Kinda Disney looking if you ask me. Haha.

Let’s talk about food. I want to eat at the Café du Vaudeville. This café has been around for a while, and boasts that Marx, Rodin, and Victor Hugo have all eaten there. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Wittamer - Why do I want to talk about Wittamer….this would be why.

Yup. And apparently, if you eat there, you can actually sample (SAMPLE!!!) chocolates. I’m there….I may have to stay there for a whole day…..

Antwerp –

Now, as you know from before, I have been to Antwerp before. However, we did not get to explore the city like we wanted to, so this is our opportunity.

Rubenshuis – Rubens is one of the most famous Belgian painters, and often at most art museums, you will be able to find a piece of his work. Antwerp is the home to his house, which is open to touring.

Antwerp Zoo – The main reason I want to go here is because it’s been there since my mom was a child, and I think it would be totally cool to bring her back.

Ghent –

Ghent is similar to Bruges, in that it’s filled with canals and waterways.

The Belfort – This is a prominent center of the city.

Dulle Griet – Oh my goodness, I saw the description to this, and I had to put it on my list. It’s a beer academy, with over 250 selections. I’m in heaven.

Let’s talk about beer –

Yes, let’s. Belgium is famous for beer. In addition to chocolate, which means that I’m in absolute heaven. There are several different kinds of beers in Belgium, which means all the more for me to sample.

Trappist Beer – This is a beer that is synonymous with Belgium. The Trappists were an order of monks, and they used to brew it all. There are still close ties to the monasteries today. Chimay and Westmalle are examples of Trappist beer.

Abbey Beer – Similar to Trappist, these beers were produced in Abbey’s. Leffe is an example of an Abbey beer, even though it’s owned by InBev today. (Side note….InBev is a Belgian company, and today owns Anhauser Busch….but they haven’t changed any of the recipes. Shame really. LOL).

Witbier – This is beer made from wheat rather than barley, and it’s traditional to add an orange peel to this kind of beer. The name is in reference to the fact that the beer is “white”. Hoegaarden is an example of Witbier.

Lambic – This is also a wheatbeer, but these are left to mature for a year or more. The result is that they taste kind of winey, which is interesting.

Gueuze – This is when Lambic is fermented a second time, producing this version. It’s matured a year or two more than Lambic.

Kriek – This beer is often flavored with cherries, raspberries, or candy sugar. These ingredients are added during fermentation.

Double/Triple – It’s important to note that the alcohol content of beer in Belgium is high. Like some get up to 12%. That’s crazy. Double and triple were in reference to their content, with double at 6% and triple at 9%. Double is usually a dark sweet brew, while triple is golden blond.

Lager style – This is bottom fermented beer, which tends to be less strong than top fermented beer. Stella Artois is an example of this.

Strong Ales – Yup. That’s a category. This is in reference to some of those beers that get up to 12% in content. Duvel is an example.

The ultimate place to visit for a beer drinker? The Kulminator in Antwerp. They serve 500 different kinds of beer!

Well, that’s it for now. Only a few more weeks to go. I’m so excited!!!

 

[Lil'Mermaid75]

Lambic – This is also a wheatbeer, but these are left to mature for a year or more. The result is that they taste kind of winey, which is interesting.

Love this stuff!!! I had it for the first time a few years ago. Its hard to find around here, but worth it!!

 

[IheartDDuck]

Love this stuff!!! I had it for the first time a few years ago. Its hard to find around here, but worth it!!

It's not the easiest for us to find either, but I love it too. My mom has been buying it for years.