Wow, July

Well, it's certainly been a busy, fun few weeks since my last post. The weather has really pumped itself into high gear, producing lots of sunshine and even several days of 32+℃ (90+℉) temperatures! Our apartment stays fairly comfortable, temperature-wise, but for about a week it was so hot in the evenings we just had to leave. We sought solace on the terraces of the many cafés in our neighborhood, and were also able to watch several World Cup matches in that convivial environment! Brussels is a particularly fun town in which to progress through Le Mondial as there are people from everywhere here, so each match held a personal drama for someone.



This is a shot standing outside De Valera's pub during the Final between Spain and The Netherlands. De Valera's was the de facto Spanish-supporters bar on Place Flagey, while Café Belga across the square was the gathering spot for the Dutch side. It was just too crowded for me (as I told Troy, the only way I like a crowd is when I'm on a stage performing in front of one!), so we headed to a café around the corner where we could actually see the screen. But, we went back down to Flagey afterwards to experience some of the post-match madness.





In the midst of all the soccer-craziness, Brussels was also buzzing the first weekend in July when the Tour de France passed through town! Troy's writing a whole post on that subject so I won't steal his thunder, but instead will just offer one pic as a teaser.



In addition to these big-time sporting events, there always seems to be something going on around town. Some people claim that summer in Brussels is boring, but I think that's because they assume that nothing happens once the vast hordes quit the town for the summer, on holiday or on their annual return to their home countries when the EU institutions take their break. But, au contraire mes amis, this is our third summer in Brussels and we find it to be a lovely time. The big summer sales in July (one of only two legally-allowed sale periods in the year) make for some great shopping, festivals of all sort seem to happen every weekend, and you even see random things like the Belgium Rollers. And just what is that? It's a crazy summertime rollerblade-and-bicycle parade and our street is on the official route, making our terrace a prime viewing location for the 10 minutes they pass by.





The rollerblading cops getting their groove on never fails to crack me up! But, seriously, in a town as devoted to the car as is Brussels, it's pretty impressive to see the streets blocked off to traffic for such as this.

Here's a brief video clip of the rollers and their DJ taken from the terrace. (Not the best quality, but you get the idea):



As if all this wasn't enough fun and excitement for one month, July is also my birthday month! Whereas last year and the year before we went out of town for my birthday, this year we decided to stay in town. We've been meaning to have a party chez nous for quite a while and so what better excuse than a birthday?



Beautiful birthday bouquets courtesy of the charming Troy.



We invited 50 people(!), but luckily only about half could make it (luckily only in the sense that our apartment would have been packed like a sardine can if everybody had showed!). We snapped a few shots before the guests arrived, and I had great intentions of taking lots of pictures of my friends and the evening, but....we were having so much fun I forgot until the very end when only a hardy few remained.








Alice, (me), Ana, and Matt -- serious party-goers!

In addition to being interesting, fun, and international (the 20± people present represented about 10 different nationalities!), my friends were also super generous -- I received several lovely bouquets, many nice bottles of wine, and some really thoughtful gifts, including a tiny vibrant orchid to add to my growing flower collection.


Birthday posies, plus French B&B book


Miniature orchid!

We had such a good time! By the time the last guests grabbed a cab and we finished cleaning up, it was past 4 am! As you can imagine, nous avons fait la grasse matinée the next morning and spent the rest of the day "taking some sun" amidst the flowers on our terrace. Truly a bon anniversaire!

Groot-Bijgaarden & Bluebells

Here 'tis, the end of June already. Summer has finally arrived here in Brussels...admittedly late, but welcome as ever. I have been so busy soaking up every possible ounce of warmth and sunshine, that I have not given much thought to the blog this week. But, as luck would have it, I started a post about a rare sunny, warm springtime weekend we enjoyed in late April, and somehow never got around to posting it. Since it's mostly pretty pictures of flowers, it seems the perfect way to wrap up this pretty month.

Since we're a trifle en retard, I won't write too much about our visit to the Groot-Bijgaarden -- a fortified residence about 7 km from Brussels that dates back to the 12th(!) century -- but instead will just offer a few lovely images of the grounds and the spectacular springtime flowers.


Troy is the lion, guarding the 14th century entrance to the castle


Sitting in a field of flowers


Gorgeous tulips!


Variegated tulips


A river of narcissus...


And a sea of tulips


Springtime happiness

The next day we went out to the Bois de Halle for a hike amidst the forest's fabled bluebell carpet. I visited the Bois de Halle with my friend Cornelle last year and, as she is a talented photographer, she knew the best time of day to capture the light. Under her direction, I captured some amazing shots, so good that we didn't bother trying to one-up ourselves this year. Instead we just strolled and talked and soaked in some forest peace.

Hope that you have had a sunny and peaceful June. Now it's on to high summer and July...

Groot-Bijgaarden Photo Album - Click Here

Houseguests, Birthdays, Friends, and Pie

June has been a crazy month for us. First, we sold our apartment in the US, which involved a 10 day trip to Colorado for Troy while I manned the fort here. We were really glad that we were able to sell it, but even so, what a relief it is to have that finished!

As it happens, Troy flew back from the States the same morning that my best friend Angie arrived here from Germany. Angie directs the international sales department of a high-end audio company, a position that brings her to Europe several times a year. She was able to tack on a few days at the end of her latest trip to come visit us in Brussels -- hooray! Whereas on her last visit she was hobbled with a broken foot and the weather was bitter cold, this time we were both sound of feet and the days were long and warm(ish). So, it was with a very light heart that I ran down to the Gare du Midi to pick them both up at the station. It was a little bit like something out of a movie!


At the Châtelain Market


At the always-packed Mamma Roma, our favorite pizza place here in Brussels


Underneath the Place Royale (on the now subterranean Rue Isabelle) at the Coudenberg Museum

Angie spent three days here, which provided us with perhaps the most uninterrupted stretch of time to just hang out and talk that we've had in years. We visited the Châtelain Market, checked out a show at the Music Village (coincidentally the KMGs again!), went shopping, visited a cool underground museum, ate lots of good food, and talked ourselves silly. Poor Troy said it was like listening to a couple of magpies!


Enjoying some fine Belgian beers at the Music Village


The KMGs squeezed nine players on that tiny stage!


Two of my very favorite people in the world!!!

We had such a nice visit, and I was very sorry to see Angie go. We're already looking forward to the next visit! Thankfully, though, I didn't have much time to get sad as I had to start planning for the next big event: Troy's birthday! The first project was cookie baking, though this year's output was slightly smaller at just 84 biscotti since we didn't have a class to worry about this time around. Since Troy has been traveling a lot recently and had an early train to England the morning after his birthday, we decided to keep his day-of celebration rather chill, and I made one of his favorite meals: fajitas and guacamole!


The birthday boy!


These peppers were SO gorgeous. The pic doesn't do the colors justice.


A colorful meal and a yummy one too!

While recently I have ventured into making cakes for Troy's birthday, this year we went in a different direction. We were shopping at the Flagey Market after we dropped Angie at the airport and spied a beautiful bunch of fresh rhubarb. With delectable strawberries now arriving daily from Wépion, I decided to make a strawberry-rhubarb pie, another of Troy's favs. (As an aside, I fashioned a make-shift pie guard out of aluminum foil and it worked perfectly! Evenly baked crust and edges!)


Strawberry Rhubarb Birthday Pie, hot from the oven

Troy and I don't really do presents anymore, but when I found an antique copy of some of O Henry's short stories at a second-hand bookshop in the neighborhood, I couldn't resist picking it up for him.


Troy with his vintage book



Since we celebrated seulement à deux on Troy's actual birthday, we decided to have our friends Josh and Maisie over for brunch on Saturday morning to celebrate once more. Using a French-language cookbook and an English-language cookbook written by a Parisian (just take a second, it will make sense), plus adding a healthy dose of my own ideas, I made what turned out to be a de-li-cious quiche as the main part of the meal. Troy, always charming, said it was the best quiche he had ever eaten in his life.


Tarte aux lardons et oignons

Troy's extended-birthday-weekend ended up being a super fun one! The evening after the brunch, we went off to a birthday party for one of Troy's colleagues. Then on Sunday, we met up with some friends to watch the Italy - New Zealand match at a local pub, followed by a fun apéro at one of my choir friend's houses. Whew! We're so grateful for all of our friends, and what a fun few weeks we've gotten to spend with everyone.

Culinaria, Trop Bon

My dear mother-in-law (no seriously, she's great) famously described me as "An Eater" at my first family dinner chez Raarup back when Troy and I were first dating. Though perhaps not the way one would love to be introduced to the family, it's a pretty apt description and one that Troy still uses. As I've said before, I grew up in a family where meals were eaten together and broad palates were encouraged from an early age. But, since moving to Europe, my interest in all things food, beer, and wine related has exploded, prompted by both the gift of time to pursue this passion and by immersion in a culture that embraces it. Food is not just utilitarian for me, nor are cooking and eating just tasks to be checked off the daily list (though it is important to note I am cognizant of and profoundly grateful for the luxury of my position in the world that affords me this view).

So you can imagine my excitement this past Friday when some of my girlfriends and I set out for a day at the ultimate fête gastronome - Culinaria. This epicurian event combines food and wine, cooking and product demonstrations, gourmet food vendors, and tasting menus assembled by 16 Michelin-starred Belgian chefs who hold among them 26 (yes 26) Michelin stars. And, as if all this wasn't enough, the event was held on a spectacular summery day and the venue was the super cool Tour & Taxis, an exemplary urban adaptive reuse project, having converted the enormous former Royal customs depot into a modern multi-use (eat, work, shop, play) facility. So what we have here is my perfect storm of bliss: food, wine, chocolate, historic architecture, sunshine, and friends.


Royal Depot, main hall

This is inside the Royal Depot, which is now the main hall at Tour & Taxis. The ground floor is restaurants and retail, while the upper floors contain offices. Windows in the floor show the old railroad tracks left in situe as part of the conversion--such a cool historical and design choice.


Arched entry-way, Royal Depot

Every detail was thoughtfully completed. The dramatic uplighting set off these already beautiful columns and arched ceiling.


My lovely foodie friends: Cat, Leah, Patty, Eléonore, and Ashley.

Our event 'passports' granted us our choice of 1 of 4 tasting menus, comprising two entrées (appetizers), one plat (main plate), and a dessert. Each course was paired with a dégustation de vin (tasting-sized glass of wine), plus water and Nepresso coffee to round it out. Between the six of us we managed to sample all four menus, and every bite I tried was delectable.



This is entrée 1 from my menu: Féra du Lac Léman pochée au beurre salé, quinoa aux algues et radis, et beurre d’érable, courtesy of Dôme. It was served with a glass of Domaines Ott Clos Mireille Blanc de Blanc (Roughly translated: Swiss lake fish poached in salted butter accompanied by quinoa, algae, and radishes, served with a glass of Provençal white.)



Menu 2 featured what might have been the single most hedonistic course of the day: Lard de ferme confit, souflé et laqué aux epices, courtesy of Chez Bru. (Roughly translated: Candied bacon lacquered in spices.)



This was my main plate, and though I am not normally a lamb person (for a variety of reasons), I have to confess that I love it on a special occasion, when it is prepared well. This was: Agneau rôti au cumin, safran, potimarron, et piment, courtesy of Sea Grill. It was served with a glass of Cantos de Valpiedra Rioja. (Roughly translated: Roasted lamb with cumin, saffron, pumpkin, and pimento, served with a Spanish red.)



The fine fellows at De Koopvaardij presented this ode-to-Magritte dessert, charmingly titled 'Ceci n'est pas une orange', which was as delicious as it was beautiful and clever. The cardamom infused ice cream was heavenly against the tart orange flavors.



These are "trees" made of CHOCOLATE. There were also chocolate "flowers", and buckets full of "blossoms". The chocolate fournisseur from whom we sampled was Callebaut, pronounced in the Flemish way "cal-ih-bough-tuh', a small but important distinction that I point out to you so that you don't repeat my error of pronouncing it with a French accent, and just backwards, as cabillaud "cah-bee-yo", which is cod fish.



After a couple of hours on our feet, wandering through the interior maze of vendors, demonstrations, and food, the sun's siren song was too strong to resist so we moved outdoors to "set a spell" (as my southern relatives would say) on the beautiful sunny terrace.



This is my new favorite aperitif: Martini Rosato and champagne spiked with blackberry and cinnamon. We struck up a conversation with our neighbors at the next table, some VIPs (or "veeps" as it sounds in French) from DHL, and rounded out the afternoon with some witty repartee and chilled Pommery while relaxing in the sun. An afternoon très belle to cap a truly lovely day. Chin chin...



Culinaria Photo Album - Click Here

Bon Weekend

This past weekend was chock-full of shenanigans, tom-foolery, and goings-on (to use a few $64 words)! First on the agenda, though, was a serious engagement: Troy's and my 5th Wedding Anniversary. It is truly unbelievable that five years have passed already--I can only attribute this sense of warp-speed to lots of love and happiness, respect and support. God definitely smiled down on me when He picked out Troy for me!




Flashback to 5 years ago!

Technically, we already celebrated our anniversary--last week we took a long weekend up in London, staying with our good friends Marc and Paloma. That will get a post of its own, but suffice it to say London was fabulous! So, this past Friday night, we "celebrated" again by attending by my concert, or as Troy very charitably put it: "I'm looking forward to Simone singing to me (and a few hundred others :-) tonight at l'Église Notre-Dame des Grâces du Chant D'Oiseau for our anniversary!" And isn't that a poetic name for a church? Our Lady of Grace of the Singing Bird.


l'Église du Chant D'Oiseau



The Brussels Choral Society, together with members of the Ensemble Orchestral de Bruxelles, performed an interesting program of Samuel Barber - Adagio for Strings, Franz Biebl - Ave Maria, Aaron Copland - Quiet City, Eric Delson - O Lord Support Us, Morten Lauridsen - Lux Aeterna, and Franz Schubert - Missa in G. Interestingly, much of the program was new to most of my European colleagues (perhaps because four of the composers were American?). The church's acoustics were absolutely perfect for a program of this nature, and vice versa, and the evening was a completely lovely one.





Saturday morning brought it's own adventures: a trip to the airport to drop Troy off for two weeks in the States (boo!) and my first solo driving expedition EVER in Brussels--a drive, which I might add, I successfully completed intact and without needing the GPS! And, boy, is our car sure fun to drive. Hmmmm...

Given that I was up at an unusually early hour (for me) on a Saturday morning, I profited from the extra time by visiting the Flagey Market and fixing a huge breakfast. I even got to eat outside on our terrace during what turned out to be the few hours of sunshine we received that day.



I bought an antique silver caster spoon (a sugaring spoon) in London last week, and when I scored 3 flats of bio (organic) strawberries for 6€(!) at the market, I KNEW what would be the finale to the menu.





Later on Saturday evening, I met up with some friends to take in some of the Brussels Jazz Marathon. We bravely sat out on Place Fernand Coq in the intermittent rain, before giving up and retiring to the Ultime Atome on Place St. Boniface for a couple of beers. Afterwards, we ventured down to the Grand Place to finish out the evening. My friend Beth really wanted to hear a band, the Krazy Mess Groovers, that she first discovered at the Jazz Marathon year-before-last. Unluckily, we only arrived in enough time to hear their last few songs, but luckily they announced that they would be playing again Sunday night at Moeder Lambic. So, we trooped back down to the center last night to catch the show, and, it was awesome! A fantastic way to wrap up a really bon weekend...