Air BNB

On the suggestion of friends, we gave Air BNB a try during our trip to Brussels.  Most European hotel rooms aren't really set up for families of five, and most charge per person past the first guest.  So, it makes sense for us to check out little apartments or homes open to rent.  Robert found an adorable apartment for us to stay in.  It was in a converted stable and in walking distance to a bakery and grocery store.  Perfect for our weekend!

Cocoa and Chocolate in Brussels

After we completed our hike at Waterloo, we went on to spend the rest of the long weekend in Brussels.  Of course, we had to try some chocolate.  Belgium chocolate is an occasional treat in the US.  We might find some in our Christmas stockings or wrapped up for anniversary gifts.  It’s pretty easy to find in our area, but it seemed a little more special to taste it in Belgium.  So, we made our way to the Musée du Cacao et du Chocolat (Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate).

            The museum is located on Rue de la tête d’Or, a side street off Grand Place, which is Brussel’s city center and a must-see tourist destination.  Visitors to Brussels can easily watch chocolatiers in shops across the city craft sweet delicacies, but the museum goes beyond demonstrating how Belgium chocolates are made to explain the history of cocoa cultivation and trade.  Many visitors may already know that European travelers to Central and South America were introduced to cocoa plants by indigenous civilizations such as the Aztecs.  The museum’s displays build upon visitors’ basic understanding of how chocolate was introduced to Europe to reveal just how complicated the cocoa trade was and is. 

Displays inside the museum explain that the cocoa tree can be harvested twice a year.  Farmers collect cocoa beans and dry them for several days until the cocoa solids and butter can be separated from the pod.  There are three sorts of cocoa that then get transformed into the bars, truffles, and other treats that many of us crave.  Criollo, from Central America, is prized for its delicate flavor.  From West Africa, Brasil, and Ecuador, the forestero cocoa is more bitter than the other two cocoa varieties.  Trinitario is rich in cocoa butter and is mainly harvested in Trinidad and Tobago.  To help visitors understand the flavor profiles of the different cocoa types, the museum offers samples so that the chocolates can be compared side-by-side.  I’m not so sure I could taste the hints of raisin and fig that the Peru chocolate was supposed to contain versus the aroma of coffee and olive in the Costa Rica, but I still enjoyed trying both.

In addition to displays about the cultivation and trade of cocoa, the museum explains how chocolate was embraced by Europe.  Once Europeans accepted the cocoa flavors shared by the Central American cultures, they quickly embraced chocolate as a delicacy enjoyed in its solid state and also as an ingredient in drinks.  It was so favored by Europeans that eighteenth century Swedish botanist Charles Linné is credited with coming up with its scientific name of Theobroma Cacao, which is a combination of “Food of Gods” and the Aztec word cacahautl.   Chocolate’s popularity quickly grew as people indulged in a food of the Gods and was mass-marketed by the nineteenth century.  A lovely display of chocolate boxes shows how tin cans originally designed for holding sardines eventually transformed into candy boxes decorated by color lithography developed in England.  The pre-packaged chocolates could be easily purchased by shoppers in local department stores and corner shops rather than through specialty grocers who packaged the chocolates individually.

After touring the upper levels of the museum with their explanations of cocoa’s history, cultivation, introduction to Europe, and thriving market, visitors can return to the ground floor where a chocolatier works in kitchen for all to see.  He explains in French, and some English, how large chocolate bars are melted to a certain temperature so that it can be crafted into individual treats.  He demonstrates filling molds for solid chocolates and how to create chocolate shells that can be filled and sealed.  At the end of the demonstration and question period, visitors are invited to sample some of the chocolates he created.  You can select from the solid pieces or pick one that you have to bite into to discover the flavors hidden inside.  Lena stood at the very front during the demonstration and watched the gentleman work every step of the way.  Her interest paid off when he offered her the first chocolates to try.  Sometimes, it pays to be the cute little girl in the front row.  On the way out, we all dipped a few chocolates in the machine that kept the chocolate at its melting temperature.

Thus, our need for Belgium chocolates during our trip to Brussels was met.

Waterloo

Growing up, the events studied in history class always seemed so far away.  I was distanced from them by years, decades, or centuries and by miles, mountains, or oceans.  It seemed like nothing notable ever happened where my feet fell.  All that changes when you move to Europe, though.  It seems like nearly every town or province hosted famous people or events at one point in history or another.  That holds true for the little town of Waterloo just south of Brussels in Belgium.  We spent a day with Joseph's Cub Scout troop recalling history lessons while walking the battlefield where Napoleon Bonaparte faced the Duke of Wellington.

            Most people can recall from history class that Napoleon Bonaparte was a celebrated military commander who rose to great political heights during the nineteenth century.  He launched military campaigns hoping to expand his empire, but was eventually defeated and sent to live in exile to the Mediterranean island of Elba in May 1814.  After just ten months, though, he escaped, rebuilt his army, and set out to realize his dream of conquering foreign lands.  This goal led him Waterloo, which was to be a gateway to Brussels.  An army comprised of mixed forces scurried to respond, and the Duke of Wellington established a headquarters in a Waterloo tavern to face Napoleon.  On June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo took place.  Napoleon planned his attack from his headquarters in Le Caillou, a farm he commandeered.   Wellington, more knowledgeable of the local landscape, was able to take advantage of a ridge that gave him a tactical advantage, and he ultimately proved victorious.  The French forces were driven back, and Napoleon’s dreams went unfulfilled, but not before 40,000 men were left dead or wounded on the battlefield.

            Today, visitors can travel to the battlefield and walk the paths that each force took.  At the visitors center, you can  see a panorama of the battlefield that is similar to the one found at Gettysburg, Virginia, and gain entrance to the Butte Du Lion (the Lion Mound).  The Butte du Lion was built in 1826 by locals who wanted to commemorate the great battle.  People took loads of dirt one-by-one from the ridge that Wellington utilized to build a mound that take 226 steps to climb.  At the top of the mound, there is a monument with a lion and a viewing area where the whole battlefield can be surveyed.  Plaques illustrate where the different forces stood, and visitors can use them as a guide when journeying across the fields to imagine what the battlefield looked like two hundred years ago. 

            Just down the street from the battlefield is the Dernier Quartier-Général de Napoléon, or the Napoleon Museum.  It is located in Le Caillou, the farm that Napoleon used as his headquarters.  Napoleon spent the night at the farmhouse on June 17^th and worked with his advisers to plan an attack.  The farm was so damaged following the battle, that the owner, thinking he was too old to complete repairs, eventually sold the land and buildings.  The farmhouse was used in many capacities, including as a cabaret or tavern where locals would gather and retell stories of the battle and its aftermath, before it was recognized for its historical significance and preserved.  The museum displays many items used during Napoleon’s stay, such as a folding bed that was light and portable that Napoleon had designed so that he could rest comfortably while on expeditions.  The museum exhibits also explain the timeline of events, offer a scavenger hunt and prize for children, and describe military equipment used in the early nineteenth century.  Entrance fees include the use of an audio device that highlights information displayed in each room and that offers dramatic portrayals of people who took part in the battle.  The audio tour greatly enhanced our understanding and appreciation of the displays.

            After visiting the battlefield and the museum, I can no longer say that my history lessons seem far away.  My time in Europe provides the opportunity to travel to places where important events took place and walk their grounds with my own two feet.

Culinary Wine Hike

         It’s easy to overindulge in Germany.  Beer is cheaper than water, bratwursts are plentiful, and bakeries invite customers in with aromas of freshly baked bread and pastries.  Before too long, the pants that fit me when we arrived in Germany earlier this summer won’t do me much good.  Elastic waistbands are beginning to look appealing.  However, I might have stumbled upon a solution to my problem.  Germany offers something to balance all the indulgences of everyday life:  Kulinarische Wanderung or the culinary hike.

         At the entrance to our village, signs pop up on light posts and corners advertising events in the area. One of those signs advertised a Culinary and Wine Hike in Rodenbach, which is a short fifteen minute drive northeast of Ramstein.  Hikers were invited to walk along a four mile path amongst pastures and farmland.  Along the path, stands and seating areas were set up where we could purchase several varieties of wine from multiple vineyards and culinary delicacies prepared by area restaurants and chefs.  A wine pass could be purchased at the start of the trail for seven Euros that gave you access to specially priced wines that were carefully paired with the dishes offered at each stop.  The pass came in the form of a wine glass etched with the event’s name and a nifty lanyard that held the glass while you strolled through the countryside.  The welcome table provided a guide to all the stops, the wine and food offerings at each stop, and suggested pairings.  In total, there were eight stops.  I followed the suggestions and tried the recommended wine at each stop and shared food ranging from flammkucken to vegetarian raviolis to fire-seared salmon and a fried, cinnamon sugar-coated dough.  The good food and the good wine made for a memorable day that I would love to repeat.

    Since the hike was pretty close to base and advertised heavily, there were a lot of Americans there.  We saw one of Holden's classmates with her family and chatted with them a bit.  We even ran into a guy Robert went to ROTC with back at UK.  He went to Georgetown while we were at Centre.  It was nice to catch up.  He has three kids, too, which seems to be the new magic number for many of our peers. We also got to know a lovely couple about to celebrate their forty-ninth wedding anniversary.  They met fifty years ago when he was stationed in Germany with the military.  They were nice enough to explain what Neuer Wein (new wine) was.  Neuer wein was featured at one of the booths.  It is a young wine that has not fermented long.  It's so fresh that it isn't even bottled.  It is left in large containers that allow air to get to it and is available each fall.   I think it tastes a bit like hard apple cider.  We found a lot of that when we lived in New York, but not much here, which is surprising considering how ample the apple crops are here and the popularity of apple juice. Another couple passed along recommendations for places to visit while living in Europe that we might not have found on our own.

            So, I feel that I can embrace a few indulgences while walking four miles.  All the wine and food consumed simply fueled my hike.  I got to exercise, taste some new foods, sample some wine, and meet new friends all at the same time.  I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next culinary and wine hike and marking my calendar when the signs start popping up around town.