Ruby Tuesday - Koln/Cologne Germany

No, I am not in Koln at this moment, however, when visiting this past March I saw these "Red" trains and had this meme in mind.  Just took me awhile to finally share them!

I will write a story soon about our train ride from Brussels to this amazing city once things settle down around here!  I promise!

Get your "Red" fix by visiting "Ruby Tuesday"

Floralia Brussels

Spring has "sprung" here in Belgium, and what better way to enjoy all the colours that this season has to offer then to make a visit to one of the most spectaular gardens I've ever seen.  No, we didn't go to the Nederlands to see the tulips in bloom at the "Kuekenhof Gardens" like thousands of other people do.  Instead, this past Saturday we took the train just about 5 miles to the outskirts of Brussels to a place called "Kasteel van Groot-Bijgaarden". 

 First built in the XIIth century, it is surrounded by a broad moat, its deep waters reflecting the centuries-old beech trees. A five-arch bridge,  crosses over to the drawbridge leading to the fortified entrance dating back to the XIVth century. The castle itself, built in the XVIIth century, is a wonderful example of the Flemish Renaissance.

There are over one million bulbs of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and others, planted on over 35 acres.  Oh My! 

So a little warning.  I took over 200 pictures and no, I won't post them all.  Just some of my very favorites.  Enjoy!

This was my absolute favorite tulip!

I don't have the names of all the different varities, so just enjoy the show!

The picture below is Stijn standing at the top of the heart that you see in the picture above.

There were also azalea's throughout the gardens

  

And these hyacinths smelled soooo sweet!

I know, I know, how pictures can one take of flowers?

I just love this daffodil!

Thank you for taking the time to "Stop and enjoy the beauty of Spring"

There are many more pictures and you can see them by visiting "Where's Debbie" in the album "Floralia Brussels"

Merry Christmas from Belgium

I thought it would be fun to take pictures of the Christmas trees I've seen since arriving in Europe on December 3.  I hope you enjoy these shots and maybe you can tell me which one is your favorite?

This picture was taken after Stijn's mother and I finished decorating her tree.

The rest are just random pictures I took......

Den Artiest restaurant in Geluwe Belgium



Thon Hotel lobby in Brussels

The streets of Brussels



In Starbucks at the train station in Antwerp



Wood trees on the streets of Antwerp

A.S. Adventure sport store in Antwerp





Grand Place in Antwerp



The Garden of Eden restaurant in Antwerp



Cathedral of Norte Dame Paris



Christmas Market Lille France

I hope you have enjoyed these pictures.....I sure enjoyed taking them.

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year to everyone!!!

Living the Belgian Way of Life

The Christmas Market is over and the first few days of the New Year have past.

I was in Europe for 2 months so I needed to settle in and start getting accustomed to a Belgian way of life!  I've learned that it really isn't that much different then living in the United States.  Well except for maybe a few things. Like when you go to the grocery store to buy eggs, you are assured that what you are getting is unmistakably fresh! I'm pretty sure the chicken feather is not for looks.

Or that you could just walk up to a bike, pay 1.50 euro, ride it all day long, and then not even have to take it back to the place where you picked it up!  Pick another spot, they're all over the city! Alot of people use these to ride back and forth to work but if your a tourist it's a great way to see Brussels.

I know we have recycling in the States, but it is an absolute requirement here.  And you must separate the clear glass from the colored glass.  I love how there are recycle bins placed stratigicly throughout the city.

And in Belgium, everything is recyclable.  Are you remodeling, cleaning out the attic, doing some landscaping?  Pick your container and toss it in.

There is one thing that is universal......SHOPPING! Belgians love a good sale and when the first shopping day starts, which by the way is the first Saturday after New Years and lasts the whole month of January, you better get to the shopping streets early.  Oh yes, I said shopping streets.  This is where the only traffic you will see is pedestrian traffic....no vehicles allowed!

But what I am going to miss the most is the smell of a fresh hot waffle in the air that leads you straight to one of those great waffle vendors selling them right from the street.

 

I could get used to this!

Happy New Year From Brussels!

Okay, I know it's already the end of March 2010. But I just wanted to share with you how once again we spent our New Year's Eve together in Brussels.

The previous New Year's (2008) Stijn introduced me to a way of grilling that I have never experienced before and what I think is the most romantic way to bring in the New Year!

Our New Year's Eve day was not spent deciding where we would go to celebrate the New Year, it was spent making a list and shopping for meats, seafood and vegetables. And how will we prepare our choices? On an electric "Stone Raclette Grill" . This is the coolest thing! A piece of granite that you cover in olive oil and then heat it up. This sits perfectly on your table and you can grill what ever your little heart desires while sipping on a glass of wine. No one is in the kitchen!

There are even little trays below the granite where you can melt some cheese to put on your veggie's.

So once again, we celebrated bringing in the New Year in Brussels with a nice romantic dinner....Just the two of us!

Click here if you would like to read more about how we spent our 2008 New Year's Eve.

Starting The New Year Right, In Belgium

After returning home to Las Vegas after being in Europe for 3 weeks this past Oct/Nov 2009 for my birthday, I had only about 6 weeks to get myself ready to leave again!

And boy did December 28th come fast! This would be my longest trip ever as I was not coming home until February 27, 2010.

The minute I landed in Brussels, I knew my New Year was off to a great start. Even after a two hour delay in Las Vegas, there was Stijn standing there waiting patiently for me. Stijn always knows how to put a smile on my face and this time was no exception. Knowing how much I loved the Christmas Market last year during my visit, we headed straight to the heart of Brussels to get a glimpse before it closed for the night.

The Christmas Market has about 240 wooden chalets scattered throughout The Grand Place, The Bourse, Place Sainte Catherine and Marche aux Poissons. The exhibitors come from all over Europe to sell their crafts, food and drinks.

It's a bit chilly in December in Brussels so the first stop is at one of the MANY chalet's where they sell Gluhwein! That's hot wine people! And oooohhh that shot of Amaretto was perfect!

There are sooooo many chalets selling all types of food, that it makes it nearly impossible to decide what to eat. Since I am a big fan of eating dessert first, Stijn introduced me to these great little dough balls that are served hot in a paper cone and liberally sprinkled with powered sugar. Now these little gems go by three names, "Oliebollen" (Dutch), "Smoutebollen" (Flemmish) "Croustillons" (French).

Okay, now it was time to find something warm! I do love snails, but I was hoping for something a bit more hearty.

Tartiflette Savoyarde is just what I was looking for to keep the chill off. This is a great dish made in a creamy base with potatoes, onion and bacon.

Stijn had a little something different in mind for his meal. So we left the "Bourse" and walked through "Place Sainte Catherine" making our way to "Marche aux Poissons" (Fish Market) to a chalet where they grill up some great "Boudin Blanc".

There is so much to see..... and eat at the Christmas Market in Brussels. Since we had all that our stomachs could handle, we decided to end our evening by watching the light show back at the Grand Place.

And all this within just my first few hours in Belgium. It's going to be a great year!

To see more pictures just click here...."Where's Debbie" and then click on the album Brussels Christmas Market.