Chocolate

Judy. It's hard for a chocoholic like me to admit, but I had completely forgotten that Belgium is famous for its chocolates! I guess I got so used to Mexican chocolate that it slipped my mind--till I got here. In Brussels, there's no escaping it.

Chocolate may have been discovered and cultured in Mexico by the Olmec peoples, but it was for centuries only a drink for the gods. Of course we can all enjoy drinking it now, as well as eating bars of chocolate, and even cooking with it. The Mexican version is typically grainy, especially the candy, as sugar is added to it.

Yes, I do still have Mexican chocolate

But in the 17th century the Abbot of Baudeloo Abbey in Ghent (at least according to legend) bought some chocolate, which had been brought to Flanders from Mesoamerica (the area was under Spanish occupation). It was, at that time, a drink only used as a tonic. Obviously, it caught on.

By the late 19th century, a method of making it smooth and creamy and able to surround tasty fillings was developed. The story goes that the chocolatier Côte d'Or was the first to make the popular confection popular today. In the 20th century, four other great chocolate manufacturers followed: Leonidas, Chocolaterie Mary, Neuhaus, and Godiva. Of course there are more, but these remain the "Big Five."

Named for the Gold Coast, or Ghana, where the chocolate came from

You can even find Leonidas shops in Metro stations

The only Mary shop I found

But they have cute boxes

Lots of Neuhaus shops

Nice Neuhaus selections, too

The factory around the corner

And a shop far too close to our place

So what makes Belgian chocolate so good? The "Visit Flanders" website says it comes down to the quality of the beans, the high cocoa and cocoa butter content, and the fineness of the powder. Unlike Swiss chocolate (also pretty darned delicious) Belgian chocolates are dark chocolate. Swiss, which uses the same fine powder, uses less cocoa and more sugar to make milk chocolate.

Leonidas is arguably the best seller, followed by Godiva. Godiva is now owned by a Turkish conglomerate, and Côte d'Or, by Kraft. While all have to be made in the country to be called "Belgian" chocolates, Leonidas, Mary, and Neuhaus are still actually owned by Belgian companies.

I first met this candy through Felix, a dear friend who immigrated from Belgium to the US in the 60's, and became a major part of our lives in the 70's and 80's. He died in the 90's, but the legacy of the Godiva chocolates he used to give us lives on. It's been a special treat for our family for years. AND there's a Godiva factory and outlet store near our apartment!

Proof I did a taste test

There are dozens of other chocolatiers around town, especially in tourist areas.

Even a Manneken Pis shop

BUT--a few blocks away is a small chocolate factory called Blondeel (see Blondeel). Our VRBO hostess told us about it, so we wandered down there one day a few weeks ago, and now we are hooked! They not only roast and blend their own chocolates, but also make pralines (candy with fillings like ginger, tarragon, or raspberry with basalmic), truffles, and spreadable chocolate. They also make a killer hot chocolate and very tasty ice creams.

Paradise 6 blocks away

Buy a coffee or chocolate chaud, and you're treated to a couple of the candies. Ice cream cones are dipped in chocolate and topped with a chocolate spear. The shop is family-friendly, and there's even a yard where children can play. It is my new favorite place.

Godiva will always hold a place in my heart, and I do frequent the shop across the street. I've not tried Neuhaus or Mary, and Côte d'Or is mostly found in grocery stores. Leonidas is delicious, too. 

But Blondeel. Oh, my heart. Blondeel. 

Ghent

Ted. We had never visited the beautifully preserved Flemish city of Ghent so one day Judy and I took the 30 minute train trip to see what all the fuss was about. Our first stop was at St Bevo’s Cathedral which was known for several magnificent works of art.

Now that is some pulpit!

The Conversion of St Bevo by Peter Paul Rubens

We were especially looking forward to a famous Medieval piece known to many as the Ghent Altarpiece and officially entitled the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. I was blown away and can see why everyone plundered it including Napoleon and the Germans in both World Wars. The last heist was featured in the film Monument Men. 

Completed in 1432 by Hubert & Jan van Eyck

Main panel

Ghent, like Bruges has a network of canals and we joined lots of other tourists for the popular boat tour. 

For lunch, we had to try the popular local stew called Waterzooi. It can be made with seafood or chicken but always features a cream and broth base richened with egg yolks. 

It’s hard to believe that one can travel less than 30 miles in Europe and discover another world, but we seem to do just that, time and again.

Journeys with Jos and Mia

Ted. Let me begin by explaining about Servas one more time since some folks who read this may not understand my reference. In 1982, Judy and I joined Servas (see servas.org) which is an international home stay organization. Their slogan is “World peace, one conversation at a time.” The concept is that Servas travelers can enjoy a visit of up to two nights in the home of Servas hosts at no cost. Safety is assured because all members are vetted by Servas interviewers. Why do people join? Simply to meet others and exchange ideas about the world. It is incredible the number of misconceptions we all have about each other and simple chats can be very enlightening. 

Originally, we were both hosts and travelers but for the past eight years we have been only travelers. Occasionally we enjoy meeting members for a second or third time as is the case with our Swedish friend, Mikaela. 

Jos and Mia are a wonderful Belgian couple who visited Judy and me in Georgia more than 25 years ago. Having kept in touch all of this time, we always hoped to have a reunion in Belgium. Well, that day finally arrived and they were excited to show us a bit of Flanders, the Dutch speaking part of Belgium that they know so well. 

For our first day trip, we met up at the old university town of Leuven, a 30 minute train ride from Brussels. After picking us up in their car, we headed out to the small town of Heverlee. For lunch, we visited one of their favorite restaurants. I enjoyed witloof (Belgian endive) which had been wrapped in ham and baked in a cheese sauce. We then visited the Heverlee’s Sacred Heart Institute, a Catholic school serving 7,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Built in 1930 it is famous for The Message Chapel. I took a couple of snapshots but you can follow this link if you are curious: https://www.flemishmastersinsitu.com/en/locaties/boodschapkapel-heverlee. 

Presence candle

A week later, we took another train to rendezvous with Jos and Mia at the famous seaside resort of Ostend. We hopped in their car again and were driven to a wonderful seafood restaurant on the beach. 

More mussels - a typical serving is one kilogram!

From there, we drove inland to the small town of Vladslo to learn about a bit of Flemish history. As you may know, a great deal of fighting took place in Belgium during WWII and especially WWI. Vladslo is home to a German military cemetery containing the remains of over 25,000 WWI soldiers, including the son of a famous German artist named Käthe Kollwitz. 

Each marker has 20 names

In remembrance, Kollwitz created two statues representing the parents of all the sons lying there. 

This was not the end of our remembrance journey. We then visited Ypres, a city that was absolutely flattened during WWI but has been fully restored. 

We stopped for a refreshment in town and I had a beer thought by Jos, and many others to be one of the best in the world. It was rather tasty. 

St Bernardus Abt 12

Two major engagements were fought in and around Ypres and some historians include three more nearby battles. Between the five, the total casualties from both sides exceeds one million men and many cemeteries are scattered around the countryside. 

As the sun started to set, we gathered, with many others, at the Menin Gate. This large archway lists the 95,000 British Commonwealth soldiers who died but for whom no remains were ever found. Since 1927 (except during German occupation), the local folks have held a ceremony during which buglers play “Last Post,” a British end of day call. 

This was a fitting end to our exploration of Flanders and the four of us were very quiet during the ride back to Brussels and an end to our journeys with our friends. 

In 1915, John McCrae, a Canadian physician and soldier wrote a poem that could describe battlefields the world over. To this day, many citizens of the Commonwealth nations wear poppies on Armistice Day, lest they forget. 

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies grow 

Between the crosses, row on row, 

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields. 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch: be yours to hold it high. 

If ye break faith with us who die 

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 

In Flanders fields.

The Comic Book Trail

 Judy.  Brussels is evidently well known for its comics. Of course we all know the Smurfs and Tintin, which started here, but I had no idea the vast number of comics born in Belgium, many of which I don't know. There's even a Comics Museum! 

Many of them were started during the German occupation, to lighten the minds of the occupied Belgians, and maybe to mock their conquerors, and many are still around. 

Some years ago, Brussels commissioned a route of murals celebrating some 80 comics. To walk the entire trail takes upward of three hours, so Ted and I chose just a few, mostly in the Marolles area. Even so, we had to stop for lunch, and still didn't see all we'd planned. Still, we got a few:

Quick & Flupke, created by Hergé, who also did Tintin

Leonard by Turk & De Groot

Blondin & Cirage by Jijé has been around since the 30's

"Odilon Verjus" by Pennetier & Verron, also from the 30's, help Josephine Baker

"Boule & Bill (his dog)" by Jean Roba

"Le Chat" by Phillipe Geluck was popular foe 30 years

"Jojo" always caused problems for his Mamie

"La Patrouille des Castors" by MiTacq and Jean-Michel Charlier follows a troupe of scouts

"Benoit Brisefer" was created by Peyo, who also created the Smurfs

"

"XIII" a graphic novel by Vance and Van Hamme

"Yoko Tsuno" by Leloup was one of the first women to get her own comic. She's awesome.

And, of course, Hergé's "Tintin", here seen with his dog Milou (Snowy in the US) & Captain Haddock

Back to Belgium

Ted. It only took us 40 years, but we have returned to a country that we enjoyed with our kids once before.

Bruges, 1984

Belgium is a small, densely populated country. In contrast with Sweden, from which we have just come, it has a million more people but is 1/14 the size. The country is known for its incredible art and complicated history. Its cuisine is impressive too. In my humble opinion, they have the best chocolate, frites (not "french fries" please) and mussels in the world. They also make some right tasty beer!

Belgian stew for me and mussels with frites for Judy

About 60% of the population, the Flemish, speak Dutch while the rest, the Walloons, speak French. We find that most folks are willing, if reluctant, to speak the others’ language but they all seem comfortable with English. 

Multilingual park rules

For the next month, we have based ourselves in Brussels which is a great city with lots to do. Plus, it is a wonderful transportation hub allowing us to take day trips in the area. 

We have quickly established ourselves in our apartment in the working class neighborhood of Koekelberg and figured out how to use the public transportation system. Since then it has been a case of exploring the city, finding a church and a place to volunteer. Our wanderings are now guided by a book we found at our apartment called The 500 Hidden Secrets of Brussels. Here are a few snapshots.

Rabbit in beer sauce

Peter Pan statue and Lost Boys