That's my only complaint! HOW AMAZING IS THAT THAT NEVER HAPPENS.
We rode a train from the Brussles airport to the hotel (Hotel Ibis; it's really cool but they make you pay for internet so I'm rushing to do this on the borrowed internet from across the street). On the way, we passed a kebab place (I LOVE KEBAB), followed shortly thereafter by a porn shop. This is how that conversation went:
Someone: Oh my gosh, look a kebab place!
Someone else: And look! Exotic videos and toys!
Mike: Just what you need to go with your kebab!
It was really funny.
After we got to the hotel, we were all really sleepy but we wanted to explore, so Eliana (my roommate at the hotel), Megan, Kate, Little Karen (there are 2 Karens, who I will call Little Karen, because she's so tiny, and Karen O.), and I set off in search of lunch. We found this cool little restaurant on one of the side streets at the Gallerie next to the hotel, and we got steaks & frites (Belgian french fries) for 10€! AND THEY CAME WITH DRINKS IT WAS LIKE A HAPPY MEAL ONLY BETTER. At Kate's suggestion, I got a panaché, which is beer and Sprite (beer is BIG in Belgium).
AND IT WAS DELICIOUS. So was the steak, even though it was a little rarer than I'm used to (but it wasn't bleeding, so that's good). I kept having to ask the owner what things on the menu were, and they always ended up being really simple stuff like "penne with tomato sauce" hahahaa.
That's Kate and her moules (mussels, in English). Moules frites (mussels and french fries) is a big dish around here; she got that big bucket and frites and a drink for 10€!
The side street we got lunch on! It's so cute and European!Then we went back to the hotel and passed out, hahahaha. We had a group dinner at 7 at another restaurant on the side street called Le Mariton, and it was delicious! None of us knew any of the food on the menu except for Grace, who just loves food, so it was an adventure. The school budgeted us about 50€ a person for dinner, and they paid for drinks so we all had a 3 course meal at Clemson's expense. I had mozzarella fondue, poulet (chicken) fermier à la Brabaçonne with pommes allumettes (a fancy way of saying french fries), and crème brûlée, which was DELICIOUS OH MY GOSH. We were all trying each other's food, so I had some of Karen O's moules, Grace's rabbit, Grace's foie gras (goose liver, which was SO GOOD OH MY GOSH I'VE ALWAYS BEEN TOO SCARED TO TRY IT.), and Kim's mozzarella from her salad. Altogether, it's reported that the group went through 8 bottles of red and white wine. That's intense.
My crème brûlée! IT WAS SO GOOD. I talked Karen O into getting it too because she had never had it before.After dinner, a few of us wanted to go out. Grace knew about this place called "Delirium", which was really close by, so those of us who didn't go back to the hotel and pass out went there. They played old American rock music the whole time (Whitesnake, Queen; you know, the good stuff!) and we had a giggle over it. Delirium's logo is a pink elephant, and they were all over the ceiling. They sell their beer in America, but it comes in a ceramic bottle and is like $12.
Things I have learned so far:
1. They do not make lines in Belgium. If you want on the elevator, you better make a run for it or old people will beat you there.
2. There is beer everywhere and you WILL try it just because there is more of it than anything else.
3. French fries and white wine tastes good. A fry fell into my wine glass and I ate it, hahahaha.
4. I like mussels
5. Belgian food is yummy (so don't worry, Granny; I won't starve!)
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