In the Kingdom of Chocolate & Lace

Welcome to the written adventures of my life in Belgium. As an American living abroad, I am inspired by my favorite author, travel writer Peter Mayle, whose writings of his life as an Englishman in France I have poured over time and again.

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Good Things are Simply Irresistible in 2014

Have you ever seen the movie Simply Irresistible?

It's one of those hour and a half moments of wonder and goodness. As an expat, I sometimes forget bits of myself: things I identify with from home, experiences that have shaped me, or just the little things that make me happy. I think its normal, really. This movie, its one of those things that makes me happy. Gosh, I'd guess its from the '90s (okay I checked, '99), a Sarah Michelle Gellar classic complete with department stores and birch panelled elevators. 

Anyway, this week I've been doing some thinking about the things that don't just make me happy but bring me joy. Like the mismatched china dish settings in the movie. It's easy to forget when you're far from home, even in the kingdom of divine things like chocolate and lace. Another one of those things is writing. So here's to a 2014 full of far more blog posts chronicling the life of this American in European wonderment.

To 2014! 

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Sometimes all we need when we live abroad is a delicious night in with all of our favorite things!

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Delicious girly party at Le Petit Canon! Super recommend it, find it in Brussels on Rue Lesbroussart.

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In Belgium I've tried a few different online music platforms. So far, 8tracks is my fave!

Check out this mix on @8tracks: "Wake Up Where the Sun is "

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My first Cyclocross! Bike washing station. @Bredene, Belgium

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It's That Cozy Time of Year Again

...when Thanksgiving abroad is all wrapped up and you can wait another year to eat such sweet sweet potatoes, when Christmas markets begin popping up all around you and hot spiced beer becomes a new experiment in holiday cheer, when egg nog cravings require trips to England and the snow begins to fall through the early morning sky. Winter is a magical, cozy time of year and at the moment we're relishing in our little bit of snow. Looking for weekend trips to the woods where the snow is precious and white, a welcome difference from the slushy city streets. We're enjoying late nights in neighborhood bars, sipping on monk-brewed beers and sharing great stories. Although we miss the sunshine while we work, we welcome the night-time sparkle of the city's Christmas lights. It's the start of the cozy season in Belgium :)

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First snow of the year; a little white adornment for the Royal Palace.

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Just home from a glorious Sunday brunch. On the menu? Pain chocolat, slices of dark bread with rhubarb jam, a nicely poised boiled egg, yogurt, cappuccino and fresh orange juice! And now it's laptop and my balcony, sunshine and preparing for Sunday evening service. What a beautiful day in Brussels.

Lana in the Kingdom of Chocolate & Lace

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Be whisked away...

Imagine...

you're in Paris. The Eiffel Tower shining above you and wrought iron balconies blinking their moonlit eyelashes down on you; as you dine in open air, side-by-side, you and your romance in the city of love.

Imagine...

you're in London. Home of Crowned Queen Elizabeth II, your favorite Royal Wedding, ugly hats that you secretly wish you could wear and an accent that actually makes English sound like a foreign language.

Imagine...

you're in Amsterdam. Just pass by the elephant-in-the-room "coffee shops" and look down to where you're walking. The cobblestones beneath your toes switch back and forth in perfect quaintness, lining your path along the houseboat-dotted canals.

All of that can become a reality...

when you start in Brussels. It's own city of mish-mashed cultures, secret parks, architecture-to-write-home-about and chocolate that tastes like a little piece of wonderful, it's the perfect home base. Airplanes can whisk you off to the Mediterranean or the snow of Scandinavia, while trains speed their way across borders to the late-night lights and bustle of Paris, London and Amsterdam.

The North Sea lies at Belgium's own coast and a good beer can accompany any adventure novel in one of the country's many well-stocked cafes. If you're willing to pull yourself away from Belgium's charms for a moment, however, all you need is a couple of hours for the capital of Europe to open its doors and usher you toward your next tour abroad.

Proost to that!

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My favorite cafés

For coffee and a bit of Flemish:

The coffee culture that I have come to take for granted growing up in the Pacific Northwest - home of Starbucks, Tully's, Stumptown, Batdorf & Bronson - is getting a taste test in Belgium. OR Espresso Bar is a local Belgian company that started out as a roaster and has now opened three cafés in Belgium. The newest is in the Dansaert district of Brussels. A lively hipster hangout, Dansaert is thick with boutiques, vintage second hand gems and is the one part of Brussels where you shouldn't be surprised to be greeted in Flemish (Dutch). My first sip of coffee at OR made me a convert from the basic cappuccinos available at nearby non-specialty cafés. Naked brick walls, stacks of magazines to peruse, welcoming staff, free water and some very yummy bagel dishes round out the OR experience. 

Find OR on Auguste Ortsstraat in the heart of downtown, next to the Mariott and across the street from the Bourse.

For the best beers and a local feel:

Moeder Lambic is widely regarded by visitors and locals alike as one of the premier beer bars in Brussels, if not Belgium in general. If you're not a local, however, you might not have visited the original café in the vibrant commune of Sint-Gillis, which borders Avenue Louise. Located just behind the gorgeous city hall you will find a smaller, more local bar than the large, modern downtown option (but the staff is flawlessly multi-lingual downtown!) This small, lively atmosphere welcomes speciality beer lovers, in fact, I once ordered a non-craft beer by accident and got told (in French) that they don't serve sparkling water - I laughed out loud! The hip staff, their funky sweaters and the ever-packed interior make Moeder Lambic the perfect place to become a local!

Find Moeder Lambic and their insane selection of craft beer downtown or in Sint-Gillis. 

For sunny days and fresh mint tea:

On the other side of Avenue Louise follow the tram tracks down the hill to Place Flagey. A large square bursting with activity, Flagey is home to kids on bikes, kicking soccer balls, a very cool tram station and is bordered by funky mid-century architecture on three sides and the Ixelles ponds on the other. On the edge of this square, with a view on the ponds and the large church, sits Café Belga. Here you'll find excellent people watching, incredible fresh mint tea, puzzlingly affordable bites like hummus with flat bread and a nice tan on a warm day. 

Spend your afternoon on the blue outdoor furniture at Café Belga.

cafe belga photo compliments of dimivanroy instagram

Here's to enjoying a drink in Brussels!

Cheers,

Lana

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Burr-ussels!

It's cold! I think this is officially the longest period of time I have lived in below freezing temperatures - and that includes when I lived in Sweden. It is beautiful, however, to see the snow dusting stay so long on the rooftops and to bundle up with ear muffs and enormous scarves.

Brussels in the snow can really be beautiful. Many people may not know that Brussels is home to many parks and even a forest. This Sunday we headed out for a walk through the snow-lined forest, over the ice-covered pond and into Chalet Robinson for perhaps, no, quite certainly, the best hot chocolate my lips have ever touched. 

After Friday and Saturday celebrating a friend's birthday in Holland and watching a man cross country ski to the beach, we just made our train home after a nice run through the below freezing streets of Den Haag. We had traveled to Holland while the snow was falling, watching the blowing flakes, ice skaters and excited sledding children as our train pushed onward. Cozy in our seats and snapping pictures of the snowy surroundings speeding by.

Back home in Brussels we took the opportunity to photograph our cold snap. Snow, ear muffs, ice and cocoa all coming together to remind us that this really is wintertime. I hope you enjoy our walk through Ter Kamerenbos:

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Our Re-Purposed Belgian Christmas

I love decorating for Christmas. My mom and I always blast Christmas music while we pull out the endless supply of decoration boxes from underneath the stairs. We wrap the stair rails in garlands, hang the advent calendar, place the Swedish candelabras in the window and hang ornaments on our tree that bring back good memories of preschool crafts and special gifts. Mom is an expert wreath-maker and our doors are always adorned with beautiful wreaths from the big tree on the lawn. Sometimes the front porch pole is wrapped in a long green swag as well. My Christmas memories are steeped in Scandinavian tradition from the almond-flavored baked goods to the tomtes that adorn the paintings in the hallway. My parents' natural style has long made an impression on me. 

What fun it has been to decorate our apartment in Belgium! While I miss my family, I am loving the holiday challenge of incorporating my style into Belgian life. Below are some pictures of our "Re-Purposed Belgian Christmas." Now I just need to heat up some vin chaud, sit back and enjoy the candle light!

I took apart the dried out Thanksgiving wreath that a friend gave us and used its wire, metal circular frame and clusters of wooden berries (maybe they are nuts??) to make our table center piece.

Next to the table wreath sit two jars with Christmas roses. One from honey...and another from jam. Beer coasters from a cafe sit underneath.

Our beer meter gets yet another makeover this holiday. Brugse Zot and La Trappe bottles find new life as vases for tree sprigs.

Scented holiday hand soap for the kitchen sits in a jam jar soap dish.

This pasta sauce jar holds another flower cutting while it sits on our shipping pallet coffee table. 

Thanks for letting me share some of our holiday cheer with you! 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmastime,

Lana

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Concert of Languages

As I walked along the wide avenue and through winding streets this afternoon, I took in the sounds of Brussels. Today it wasn't about the vroom of automobiles through the tunnels or the beckon of cafe owners promising you mountains of goodness if you just chose their establishment, on the contrary - today was about the concert of languages. 

Brussels is a truly international city. On the metro I expect to hear Arabic or an African language before the native French or Flemish. Sometimes I eavesdrop (if you can call it that when you have no idea what they are saying!) and try to guess where the language might be from. Today, however, I chose to walk. Guided by the new Abercrombie & Fitch employees in French to kindly stay to the left of the dark blue velvet rope hanging in the street, I replied with inquiry in English as my French ear is still developing. Later, while I perused the sweaters in one of Swedish born H&M's many Rue Neuve shops, I overheard a mother and daughter speaking what I thought might just be Swedish. How fitting! Although my semester of Swedish class taught me enough to know it might just as well enough have been Norwegian or Danish...hmmm. 

Summoned by my Pacific Northwest longing for a cup of Joe on a brisk late Autumn afternoon, I made my way into my new usual coffee shop. Greeted in French and Dutch, "Bonjour, Goedendag!" I ordered in my not-so-native French accent and was kindly responded to in English. To my ear's delight an Italian family later sat a few tables away. When they departed the barista wished them a good day in their native tongue. 

What language talent these Belgians have!

And now I sit in my apartment, on it's way slowly into Christmas decor, listening to Danish Christmas music. I'm also looking forward to Dutch (it's the same as Flemish) classes to begin in January as I venture to join the ranks of the language specialists all around me!

Goedenavond, Bonsoir!

Lana

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Just Like Arthur

Sometimes I wonder about my great-grandpa Arthur, and whether or not we have similar spirits. I wonder if he felt like I do sometimes. Although I have many great-grandparents who immigrated to America from Scandinavia, Arthur is the one whom I know the most about.

I wonder if in the early 1900s western US he felt at home, or if it took time for him to meet new people and become a part of the community. Did he have to learn English upon arrival, or did he already know some? Did he meet fellow countrymen in the new world or was it an international mix just like in Brussels?

I often wonder about my Scandinavian roots. When I studied in Sweden I literally felt so at home that it was like a burden had been lifted off of my back. That place helped me understand a lot about myself. I wonder if we're all connected to where our family roots come from, or if in fact the world is always relocating. Does my friend Sylvie say I have a European spirit because I've never lost those family ties? Did Arthur know that his great-grand daughter would move back to Europe, to a city he quite possibly never visited?

I look around me and wonder what brings everyone to Brussels. For me, it's love. For others, I feel it's a place to start anew. Many refugees have found a home here. For some, I wonder how they cope - South America just seems so far away. There are times when I look around at the plethora of people with roots all over the world who walk the streets I live in, and I am reminded that I, too, am in a new country. Just like Arthur. 

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Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

Today is World Food Day and consequently Blog Action Day. 

Today, I shall talk about bread. The joy of fresh baked bread, because I think that only when we truly appreciate food do we fully realize its grand importance.

Breakfast

This morning I awakened late on the coast. Cool, sea breeze air seeped in through the cracks of the house as I breathed in its traffic-free vitality. Down the steep staircase I was greeted with quite the spread; croissants, raisin bread, juice, chocolate paste, jam, kiwis and more laid in wait of my breakfast appetite. Scrumptious. Lined up with the croissants were bags of fresh bread straight from the local baker. In Belgium the art of baking, and the near-Biblical necessity of the daily bread run, is alive and well.

The joy of bread buying.

I now joyfully buy bread daily. Indeed, I have not bought pre-sliced bread since my arrival. As a result, all of my bread now goes stale in a day or two (and I can not help being a little bit worried that grocery store bread back in the US lasted a lot longer.) But the fun is in the pairing. Each day we choose what we will want: Will it be pumpkin bread with seeds for an autumn dinner, or maybe a baguette to double for spaghetti tonight and a sandwich tomorrow? Perhaps some pistoles for chicken curry or to join a ham sandwich in the morning. Cleverly, if in the end our bread does go stale, my boyfriend is quick to make fresh croutons for caesar salad or bruschetta for an appetizer. 

Bread. It is simple, it is scrumptious and in Belgium - it is still a daily art. 

World Food Day

The Biblical phrase of "Our Daily Bread" can mean so much more than just physical food, but today that is my focus. As I appreciate the options available to me at the local baker, I also think about those who do not even have an oven or must make flour from wheat themselves. Bread and other basic food stuffs are still scarce for many people around the world. Enter the hashtag #BAD11 in twitter, tumblr or your favorite social networking site today to read about issues and commentary concerning food in our world. Take a moment to learn about World Food Day.

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A Pacific Northwest Day

Back when I lived in California some of my favorite days were the cloudy ones. I'd wake up to light drizzling rain, grey skies and find a smile on my face. As a Pacific Northwest native, there is always a place in my heart for the coziness of a cool day after the sun has had its fair shine. Today was no different, it was a Pacific Northwest day in Brussels.

While our climates are not much different, our cultures are. It is usually trench coats, not soft shells, on the streets of Louise. Europe has had a couple of weeks of gorgeous and I have enjoyed my sundresses endlessly. I even had the chance to bicycle through Paris during the sun. Today, however, has produced a different kind of happy than the Eiffel Tower can supply.

After waking up and eating breakfast while watching a TV show, I shut off my computer, turned off the internet completely, pulled on my North Face, slipped on my Patagonia loafer/sneaker things and headed out the door. Back in the Pac NW I would have driven to Starbucks, hulled up with a cappuccino and read the New York Times. As the only one in Brussels is in the train station and the prices are much higher than home, I instead opted for my new favorite bakery cafe. With a macchiato and blueberry muffin in hand, I sat down, pulled out Yvon Chouinard's Let My People Go Surfing and settled in by the window for a late morning read. With a chapter's inspiration and my coffee complete, I headed a few blocks down the street to an outdoor store I had yet to explore.

It was as if I had walked into a shop I had merchandised myself. Patagonia, Dale of Norway, Swedish brands I had never heard of, Vibram FiveFingers and so many more. I tried on rain jackets and Norwegian ski sweaters, asked about socks and chatted with the salesman about quality and wear. I felt I had made my adventurous family back home quite proud and I felt my soul smile. Even more, I got asked if I was Swedish - that always goes over well with me!

On my way back to the apartment I stopped for potting soil and two new pots. Our chives have been in desperate need of replanting from their grocery store near soil-less state and two new house plants needed a permanent home. Across the street I stopped into a flower shop for a couple of pumpkins and spent the afternoon replanting my window sill display.

Today, I found adventure and nature in the city. Sometimes the perfect day is the simplest. Coffee, book, Norwegian sweaters and a little refreshed foliage. 

Cheers,

Lana

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I like Ghent.

Ghent is like the Portland, Oregon of Belgium. When you pull into the train station an ocean of bicycles greets you and you wonder how anyone can find their bike. At the same time, however, you smile a bit at the pure form of transportation that proliferates there. A student city which has lost all pretentiousness, Ghent is more closely...charming. 

On Saturday we shopped for a 2011 calendar (yeah...that one didn't work out), eyed Scandinavian sweaters in corner boutiques and indulged ourselves in so much good eating. 

The warm, muggy afternoon affair began with a drink on a terrace. The kind of terrace where so many cafes meet that you have to track your waiter back to the door to figure out which place you just ordered from. Smartly dressed and perfectly wrinkled professors sat at the next table while colorfully dressed friends and questionably costumed students walked past. On our way to my favorite shops we passed over the endless cobblestones and along kayaked canals. Once in our street of choice, we perused simple modern design, the window of my favorite jewelry store and happened upon the most scrumptious ijs.

In the midst of a flower shop stood a woman behind an outdoor ice cream counter. She offered flower-flavored creamy delights. I chose English Rose and my mouth exploded with flowery goodness. 

As afternoon turned into evening we passed artsy parks and went in search of good sushi. Outside of Sushi Palace we sat in red cushioned seats and ordered to our hearts' content. Salmon, tempura, tuna, wasabi, seaweed...it was the second sushi restaurant I had tried in Ghent and my favorite in Europe thus far. Delectable. Plus, a perfect place for people watching as dressed up guests arrived for the champagne-happy birthday party two doors down and a convertible built before power steering stylishly rolled past.

When in Belgium, visit the Flemish city of Ghent...I like it there.