Europe Adventure: Bonjour (Part 3 of 3)

OK, I'm back! Summer = blogging hyatus. Well lets be honest; my blogging is always close to a hyatus. ;) Anyways, on to PARIS!

DAY 7: Westvleteren

En route to Paris, we had one more stop to make. Westvleteren, Belgium. Here we would try what has been called the "best beer in the world". We took trusty Hubert deep into the countryside to visit the Westvletern Abbey, where the beer is made, and the abbey next door, where the beer is served. :) I must say we were not disappointed. We ordered all three beers on tap -- blonde, brown (double), and the Westvleteren 12 -- all were satisfying and left us wanting. So far, these truly were the best beers I have had, but who knows what life will bring. We left the restaurant with a full belly (thanks to heavy beers and meat/cheese), mini-souvenir beer glasses, and a six-pack of the Westvleteren 12, the best beer in the world.

Proost aka Cheers!

DAY 7 (still) - DAY 11: Paris

On the road again! We made it to Paris without getting lost (woohoo) and dropped Hubert off at the airport (long story for another time). Hubert was a good little big car in Europe, but it was time to part ways and test out our East Coast metro mentality in France's subways.

My first impression of Paris. BIG. History around every corner. Cleaner than Boston. Stuck up Parisians (more than East Coast eliteists). Mouth watering croissants. Bridges everywhere. Slow lifestyle from day to day. Espresso breaks = necessity. On to more details ...

Once we got settled in our boutique hotel (about 10-min walk from the Eiffel Tower) and looked up the history of the 16th arrondissement, where our hotel was nestled, we headed to dinner! Alright, here's the truth, we definitely went to a so-so restaurant that charged too much for food and wine just so we could enjoy dinner with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Typical tourists. Would I do it again? Yes. :) Am I ashamed. Maybe a little bit.

That "typical tourists, embarassed but would do it again" was the theme of our trip to Paris. It went a little something like this after we had dinner by the Eiffel Tower:

Find the perfect spot to watch the Eiffel Tower twinkle, check. Book a short cruise on the Seine River to see all the sights, check (though I wouldn't recommend it). Take a walk through Paris with 20 other tourists to learn about the history of this iconic city, check. Stroll through Notre-Dame of Paris and admire the gothic architecture adorning the inner walls (and exterior) and fusing colors that create images on the stained glass windows, double check. Eat croissants every morning and stop for espresso, coffee creme, and capaccinos several times a day, heck yes. Select two areas of the Louvre to tour, get lost, see two additional areas and walk away tired with a brain packed with historical information I want to remember but know I will forget, check. Dine at a traditional French restaurant and get laughed at by stuffy Parisians, check. Visit the Rodin Museum to admire the sculptor's greatest works, including The Thinker, check that box. Tour Montmartre and hear how Van Gough and Picasso experienced life in this village of sorts lined with cobblestone streets and traditional vendors (think of Bell walking through the streets in Beauty and the Beast), check. Finish off our last night in Paris on top of the Eiffel Tour, triple check. (oh, and have dinner with Aussies who took a three-month break from work, yeah!)

When we arrived in Paris, we were skeptical of the city, parisians and hype this City of Light has received in the states. When we left Paris, we admired the city, still thought the people were stuffy, and undestood just why it's one of the most well-known and romantic city's in the world.

So that's it. After flying back to Boston, we picked up our lives where we left them. Next up, Ireland and Scotland. :) Thanks for reading. The next post ... well ... might be about our move back to Seattle. Hint hint ...

Hubert!

View from the road in France.

Car faces ...

... aren't we cute?!

First night in the city.

Bechu, our favorite bakery while is Paris. We may have gone here every morning. 

Enjoying an espresso and croissant (even though we can't tell ;) )

St. Michel Fountain. The starting point of our city tour.

Notre-Dame de Paris, Our Lady of Paris. I have a close up photo, but I love the trees in this shot.

The infamous Henry the IV of France. Good King Henry.

Checking out the Louvre - so big, so amazing, so full of history! Three photos below - all inside Louvre.

Arc de Triomphe and my love, Ryan.

More of Arc de Triomphe.

Museum de Orsay. Ryan's fav. The building used to be a train station.

Taking a stroll through the Jardin du Luxembourg. Prettier in person.

Eiffel Tower again.

View from our cruise along the Seine River. I love the sculptures on all the bridges.

A little taste of New York City in Paris.

Cafe Creme break.

The Thinker at Rodin Museum.

Hanging out in Montmartre - Moulin Rouge.

Picasso's hangout; a meeting place for artists back in the day ... no big deal.

Bascilica of the Sacred Heart in Montmartre.

Saying goodbye to Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Europe Adventure: Goeiendag (Part 2 of 3)

Hallo/Goeiendag and welcome to Belgium!

By the time we left The Netherlands, we knew how to say hello in Dutch, "Hallo" (obviously a 2 year old could figure that out), but now we had to add Flemish to our vocabulary so we could attempt to say Hi in Flemish, "Goeiendag" when the need arose in parts of Belgium.

Day 4: Westmalle

Outside of Westmalle Abbey

Our first stop in Belgium was Westmalle -- the land of cute houses, farms and the Westmalle abbey; a brewery of sorts with trappist-style ale supplied by monks from the local monastery -- tasty drinks! Let's just say Ryan was a happy guy after his first true trappist beer! Plus, we found the abbey without getting lost (one point for the Burlesons)! After our mini-break in Westmalle, we continued to Brussels.

Westmalle Abbey

Day 4 (still) - Day 6: Brussels

Town Hall

Minus one point for the Burlesons. We got lost in Brussels for a good uuumm 90 minutes before we found our B&B in the city. We have never been so happy to find our temporary home for the weekend. So what is there to say about Brussels? Lots!

First off, Brussels is much bigger and more diverse than I imagined. My lack of studying the city led to this pleasant surprise (my bad). With that said, I was not disappointed. Our first stop was the amazing and literally breathtaking Grand Place, the central square in Brussels. Trying to explain the emotions you feel as you walk into this medieval square is simply impossible. You're surrounded by guidhalls, the city's Town Hall, a museum, and the bread house -- all built around 1400 or later. Incredible. Of course, we found a cute restaurant where we could linger, enjoy drinks and take in the detailed architecture surrounding us. I should also add that at night the buildings in Grand Place light up different colors every 20 seconds. :)

As for the rest of our Brussels experience ... we hung out at a local bar, listened to local bands, and tried Gueuze beer, Belgium beer that tastes like fruit syrup mixed with hoppy beer (an acquired taste) -- one with the locals. We became friends with another couple at our B&B who happened to speak English and loved TripAdvisor -- must have missed Americans. We went on the "European Walk" of Brussels, which took us on a four-mile trek around several different areas of the city, including the Cinquantenaire Park and shopping district, with special attention given to the Eurocrat (rich) area -- eye opening. We indulged in pomme frites with mayonnaise and stopped along our travels for more Belgium beer -- our theme in Belgium. We also found a small, local restaurant for a romantic dinner, finishing the night with creme brulee and homemade ice cream -- delicious.

When our time in Brussels and with the ladies of the street (did I mention the blocks in Brussels change quickly from nice to sketch to rich to ghetto?) came to an end, we jumped in Hubert and headed to Ghent. With only 40 minutes of drive time to our next destination, we had faith -- Hubert would not lead us astray. Alas, I would. I never said I was good with maps. :)

Town Hall shining bright!

Grand Place - central square in Brussels

Another shot of the Grand Place

St. Catherine's Church

Inside St. Catherine's Church

Outside St. Catherine's Church

Cool monument - can't remember the name ;)

Cinquantenaire Park

Pomme frites with mayo

We may have had a dance party one night ;)

Day 6 - Day 7: Ghent

Ghent. is. adorable. quaint. walkable. picturesque. perfect. After we found our B&B -- we only got lost for 20 minutes this time -- Tom, the B&B owner, gave us the lay of the Ghent land, offered us several touring tips, and then sent us on our way. I have to add that Tom reminded me of characters from the movie Notting Hill so I was Tom's biggest fan.

Ghent was just what we needed after leaving the big bustling city of Brussels. Its quiet streets and friendly residents made us feel at home. 10 points for Ghent! During our 24-hours in Ghent we .... found a Seattle-esque cafe where we reminisced about our home town-- sappy us; we toured the Gravensteen Castle and learned all about torture techniques back in the 12th Century -- so glad we live in the 21st Century; we indulged in a Belgium waffle with whip cream -- satisfied tastebuds; we walked along the canals and admired the medieval architecture -- meticulous and fascinating; we toured a few churches -- moving; we survived a crazy rain storm -- yay us; and we had a traditional Belgium meal during a candle lit dinner along the canal -- evening of love. All in all, we couldn't have asked for a more laid back yet captivating experience in Ghent!

The next morning we enjoyed a typical Belgium breakfast with Tom -- meat, cheese, pastries -- and then we took Hubert south to France - destination PARIS! We had one more stop on our way to Paris that involved driving deep into the countryside for the "best beer in the world" or so we were told. Read more about it and our time in Paris in my next post! Coming your way soon. :)

My love taking a break by the canal

Churches ..

Inside one of the churches

Us

The Gravensteen Castle! Small but mighty

Whoa

View of Ghent from the castle

Dinner along the canal