OK, so I procrastinated a little, though not that much. There were unexpected delays. I had planned to be packed and ready to go 2 days earlier, but my dog sitters had flaked out and the "minor" repairs to make the house more "rentable" had taken longer than expected. Now I was sweating. But I made it. However, I will miss my friends Puddy and Ella.
So, I'm here. Welcome to the first on the road entry of my food, wine and travel blog. First let me give a quick update. We arrived in Belgium Wednesday after an arduous flight across the Atlantic. Fortunately, my discomfort was somewhat eased by the free drinks! Free drinks in the coach section on a 13hr flight. Hmmm whats a boy to do? Not one to take advantage of a situation I started light. Umm yeah right. I went straight for the Congac --a nice Remi Martin strong enough to burn a hole through my plastic cup. The proper glassware will have to wait 'til I hit the ground.
I think we put the "lug" in "luggage". After an exhausting train ride hauling 9 pieces of luggage including tools, electronics, standard travel fare, and even RV parts, we finally made it to the vehicle shipping terminal in Zeebrugge. The relief of making it to the dock was short lived. Upon arrival we were told our vehicle couldn't be located and it had most likely had most likely been shipped to Germany instead of Belgium. Not even the thought of a Belgium bier I would soon consume, could buoy my spirits when I heard this news. But the travel gods smiled on us. After a hunting expedition through each aisle of the massive (multi-acre) dock, Bruce was able to spot our "missing” RV! After identifying it, and 3 hours waiting for a customs lady to finish lunch and check our vehicle identification number, we claimed our new abode and made a bee line for our campsite, Zilvermeuuw.
We've dug in near the seaside town of Zeebrugge (Knokke). Sun seeking Belgians by the thousands flock here enjoying the mild weather, wide beaches, shopping, and restaurants. After learning to navigate through all the bicycling tourists, it was time to try what Belgium is famous for, (not chocolate or waffles). I'm talking about the national beverage: Bier Bier Bier Bier Bier! Bier is not only a "national past time" its a "national all the time". After searching for the perfect spot to people watch, we found a happening pub, just a rock's throw from the North Sea.
It had a nice mix of young and old. Aside from the techno music that the pub's denizens seemed to love (no jazz tonight), it was a magnifique vibe. The first thing I noticed is bier drinking is serious business in Belgium. Much like wine, each bier is served in different shaped glasses that accentuates the subtle properties of the bier. My first bier of the evening was called tripa-tripple. Served in a wide rimmed glass, the flavorful bier tasted of nutmeg and charcoal. It was a delicious, almost chewy bier with an alcohol content of 9.5%. Needless to say after a few pints, my meager command of the languages spoken in Belgium (German, French, Flemish, Dutch, and even English) went out the window. Bruce was particularly amused that I slurred "Danke" into "Donkey".
I woke up early this morning. I guess my body clock is still a bit on California time. I'm finding the lighter breakfasts that I'm having here quite fulfilling. My normal bacon, eggs and toast has been replaced by fresh baguettes, pastries, local fruits, and cheeses. The sheer number of different cheeses available in Belgium is staggering. Gouda, to Brie, the choices seem endless.
This afternoon a day trip was planned to the medieval town of Brugge. Brugge is a very popular tourist destination in Belgium. Although crowded, over priced, and full of tourist traps, it still somehow manages to remain charming. The town of Brugge has an expansive central square called the Market, weekend markets, cobblestone streets, horse drawn carriages, and tranquil tree lined canals draw you in.
While enjoying the beautiful central park I was witness to a very verbal and competitive game of bocce ball. The participants all in their 70's took the game as serious as a game 7 of the NBA playoffs. Scenes like the bocce tournament seem to capture for me the essence of Europe. Friends gathering in the afternoon discussing the local events over coffee or glass of wine, enjoying life's simplicities in a beautiful location. Although the old guys wouldn't let me join the game(as a rookie I haven't paid my dues yet) I felt privileged just to sit back under an old oak tree and watch as the game unfolded.
Brugge is a walking town and after walking all day on the bumpy cobblestone streets, my thoughts turned to food and wine. There are numerous restaurants and cafes with little to distinguish one from the next. We finally chose a nice cafe with a pleasing view of the Cathedral of our Lady, a beautiful old church that took over 200 years to build.
It was time to get my grub on. Wanting to stay on a budget, I decided on a Belgium burger and frites. Frites or as Americans call them French fries. Actually they aren't a French specialty but originally a Belgium one. Frites are the preferred snack and they are served as a side with many of the entreés. Forget about the ketchup though (although curry ketchup was available). It appears that the preferred condiment is mayonnaise! So, I had my frite au naturel.
While at the cafe I was surprised to see many of the patrons drinking rosé wines. I decided to forgo the customary bier and try one for myself. The rosé was rather simple . Our server didn't have the name of the wine producer or what grapes were used in production. I'm guessing by it's very low tannic structure that it may have been a grenache rosé. Although the wine wasn't memorable it still was a nice respite from the total bier mindset that I was sinking into.
The ride from Brugge back to our camping area is quite beautiful. Canals, farmland, and amazing windmills dot the landscape. On the way back we stopped at the local grocery store to check out the wine section.
It was daunting navigating my way through the wine section so many unfamiliar wines with such a wide range of prices. Most of the wines were French, but there was also a small selection of some German and Italian wines. Right about the time I was going to play wine roulette I spied the Spanish section. Good ole' Spain. I figured I would have a much better chance of avoiding a wine disaster by searching in section Espanol. I struck gold! A 7 euro (about 10 American dollars) bottle of 2004 Siglo Rioja crianza. A crianza wine can't be sold until it's third year and depending on the region it must be aged 6-12 months in oak. One interesting point about the wine is that the bottle is wrapped in sack cloth, a kind of burlap. This was done in the past to help keep the wine cool. Now its done more as a marketing scheme but it's still a very nice touch.
A quick note on the wine, made from Tempernillo, Grenacha, and Mazuelo (carignan) grapes. The wine was easy drinking but had enough tannins and peppery spice to help balance the fruitiness. Although the wine was aged 12 months in American oak it wasn't overpowered by the “Oak Monster” it held it's own with the slightest hint of vanilla. Chances are this wine will become my everyday affordable wine. Tonight I will pair it with the local meats and cheeses.
A Powerful rain/wind storm came off the North Sea this evening. The rains first started as a light shower but quickly turned into a torrential downpour. Having the RV situated at he bottom of a down-sloping hill didn't help matters much as the winds began to race down the hill and pummel the RV, at times shaking it severely. Since the RV wasn't tied down I could only hope that storm would soon subside. The wind driven rain sounded as though thousands of tiny nails were being thrust into the metal siding of the RV in a loud continuous chorus. I haven't experienced wind and rain with such force in many years. It reminds me of growing up in during hurricane season in Florida. Only a few inches of metal and insulation stand between me and the storm. Luckily we still have power as many of the residents have lost their's. The intensity and duration of the storm took me by surprise it lasted almost 10 hours. Meteorology has been an interests of mine since experiencing my first hurricane as a child. My memories of gulf coast storms soon faded into what wine should I have a glass of during this storm. I always factor in the current weather before choosing which wine to drink. Severe summer weather tends to make me think of a nice big wine. A big Napa cabernet , a big Australian shiraz or even a congac would have been great accompaniment to my very own "storm of the century". Since my choices are limited and th RV has no cellar, unless you count the area under the couch that holds 4 bottles. I decided on a my everyday Rioja. It balanced out the storm nicely and with John Coltrane on my ipod I didn't care if he storm never ended.
It's afternoon and the storm finally breaks. Itching to get out of the RV and into town for a bit of exploration. I hit he local wine shops to see if I could get some first hand info on the local wine scene. The Belgium wine scene is dwarfed by the BIER culture but, I did find a diamond in the rough. Appropriately named The Wine Bar. My eyes lit up when I saw the 16th century building that housed the bar. Our bartender Hugette was the consummate hostess. Complimentary local cheese was served with every glass of wine. It was a nice touch especially considering how hungry I was.
Now that the sun has finally decided to get back to work, I was ready for some outdoor exercise of olympic proportions. Yes, the 8 ounce bier curl will be in the event line up. The boardwalk reminded me of Santa Monica/Venice Beach minus the surfers and the street performers. The wide expansive beach, restaurants, and the skate and bike rental shops had Cali culture written all over it. I decided to show em' how we roll in Cali. I rented a pair of blades and schlolummed into the sunset and into the pavement. No broken bones or sprains just a few scrapes. No vacation would be complete without a few battle scars. After the roller-blading I found a nice open air cafe that turned out to be a great venue for the bier curl.
Bruce with a kindred spirit.
I double dare you. To my surprise, on a dare Bruce got his hair dyed orange. Lucky for me I have a shaved head so, no dye job dares can come my way. More later on the funny outcome on this experiment in color.
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