I digress.
But without further ado ... here are the top lessons I learned in België (and as you may imagine, quite a few of these are beer-related):
10. Foam is your friend. Yes guys, you heard it hear first (or possibly from somewhere else - but it's true). In America - at least the part I came of age in - we were taught that foam in your beer is bad, taking up valuable space. (You know, where you could put more beer.) When we were there, our Belgians watched in horror as Josh stuck his finger in the glass in an effort to quash the foam.
9. Pouring perfection. That's another thing -- you have to pour a beer "just so." That allows for the proper foam-to-beer ratio to be achieved. Josh was perfecting his pour all week. And he's gotten much better.
In the States, we tilt the beer glass and pour the beer down the side the entire time ... looking for less foam.
Not so in Belgium. Basically, you start with the beer glass (slightly wet on the exterior) and hold it at an the tilted angle. Pour the beer straight down as you slowly and gradually return the glass to an upright position.
8. About those glasses. You have to drink the right beer out of the proper glass. It makes a difference. And when you're drinking the likes of Chimay or Duvel ... you can't drink it out of the bottle. (Not that we ever tried ... lol).
Scholl!
(Or cheers!)
7. More cheese please. Those who know me well know of my lifelong cheese obsession. (When I was a kid, just about the only thing I would eat was a cheese sandwich - no meat - just bread and cheese, maybe with some mustard). So I did well in Belgium.
They have some amazing cheeses and great breads - and that can make for a perfect dinner. So delish. On our first night there, we had a wine and cheese dinner that was fabulous. We also ate a lot of cheese for breakfast. I was in heaven. (My friend, Sarah, probably wouldn't have come home. She takes cheese addiction to the next level!)
Noms.
6. Manners matter. Of course, being raised in the South - manners are a huge deal. But we in America do some slightly scurrilous things that we don't even think about. For instance, Ineke gently scolded me for bringing an outside water bottle into a café. Or at least having it out of my bag where they could see it.
Now here we're not supposed to bring in outside food or drink. I really don't think it's that big of an issue if you do. I mean obviously you can't bring in your own stuff and expect to enjoy your own little picnic in a restaurant.
(Sidebar: I DO have a major problem with people bringing in extra meals for their kids when they go out to eat. Not OK.)
Here, if you buy dinner and drinks at a place ... your water bottle is a non-issue and you can get a glass of tap water for free and not even use it. But if you're like me - a water fiend - you gotta have it with you everywhere. Sad but true. I thought about it since and yes ... I've come to realize that it is in fact pretty rude. I mean you can just tuck it away until you're done. Case closed.
Oh and another thing that highlights their impeccable manners. We were on a tram to dinner when an elderly couple came aboard. Ineke and Tijl jumped up and immediately surrendered their seats. Now I would like to think that Josh and I would do the same (if we ever took public transport). But this just underscores how considerate and polite they are. Episodes like this one that reminded me so much of the South. I guess that's one reason I was so at home there.
5. Light (beer) is lame. OK before you Coors and Bud Light folks start to revolt ... seriously you need to try Belgian beer. And no, not a Belgian-style American imposter. While yes it's "heavy," it also has about 8 to 10 percent alcohol content. So you don't have to drink 10 to "feel it." Plus once you have acquired a taste for it, you really start to enjoy and appreciate it. It's a lot like wine. It takes time and you have to practice - 'cause practice does make perfect - BUT when you have gotten used to it ... it's fabulous. You're actually enjoying the beer, rather than frantically trying to slurp down several at break-neck speed to get a bit of a buzz.
Chimay (Blue) is one of my favs. It's a Trappist beer, brewed by Trappist monks.
So drinking it can be considered a religious experience. Right?
4. The ills of the world can be cured with chocolate. This is a no-brainer and I really did't have to cross the Atlantic to figure this one out. But let me just say ... Belgian chocolate is not your typical Hershey's Kiss. Like the beer, it means business.
And there are just SO many to choose from.
Plus there is quite a variety - hemp or bacon chocolate, anyone?
3. Adaptability ... it's critical. Belgium and its people have long learned the value of adaptation. The Celts were there at the dawn of civilization. It's been part of the Roman Empire. Clovis was there in 496 A.D. and became part of Charlemange's empire 800 A.D. It's been a part Austria and France. (It declared autonomy in 1830.) And, sadly, it occupied by Germany in August of 1914. It was part of the German Reich in May 1940. These folks are survivors and though they've been through a lot of sh*t, they've come out on top. Mad props, Belgians.
Meanwhile, most people in the country have grown-up multilingual, which gives them a great advantage an increasingly global culture.
2. Be proud of your country. Belgium is not a big country ... about the size of Maryland in the U.S. (Piece of trivia: Maryland is number 42 out of 50 when it comes to state size in the USA). So it's not big. But what they lack in square miles they make up for in heart. These people are extremely proud of their country, their heritage and their future. And they should be ... they've come through occupation and attacks ... feasts and famines. It's impressive. Of course, their people have different opinions on governmental policies - that's to be expected. We certainly have it in America. But hanging out with them and soaking up their national pride ... it was contagious. It made me take a greater since of pride in the good ol' US of A. As a country, we may have our flaws (OK many, many flaws) but it's home and I wouldn't trade it.
1. Belgium has the best people on the planet. We all know how crazy I am about Tijl and Ineke. It's obvious. But it's not just them. All of their friends and family are funny and smart (bi-lingual if not tri-lingual too). And SO generous. I mean these people didn't even know me ... and they gave me SO many gifts and really bent over backwards to make our trip special.
But more than getting presents - they were so generous with their time and were genuinely interested in us, our country and our customs.
And, this was the thing that really touched my heart, I can't tell you how many of them thanked me for our help in World War II. For D-Day. For saving them.
Seriously.
How amazing is that? I mean my grandfathers weren't in WWII - my great-grandfather was too old and my grandfather was too young. But we do have satellite relatives who were in it. I was just overcome.
Loved. this. place.
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