A Brussels Babymoon

Grand Place

As Jaap and I wait around for this baby to arrive, my mind is becoming more and more restless. I've only been on maternity leave for three weeks and yet it feels like three months! I told Jaap and I needed something to do this weekend to keep my mind occupied, so we planned a last minute trip to Brussels. I have never had a proper chance to explore the city and what better time to do it than now before our household goes from "just the two of us" to a family of three. 

We arrived in Brussels and started exploring...first stop...Manneken Pis. An interesting choice for a city's mascot. 

Europe's "greatest square", The Grand Place. Saturday was full of a lot of walking and I was happy that my very pregnant self was able to keep up with it. 

Here's a view of Galeries Roayles St. Hubert...Europe's oldest shopping mall. :)

And finally a quick peak at St. Michael's Cathedral before it was time for me to rest my swollen feet at an art nouveau era cafe near The Bourse.

Break time

Afterwards we had a delicious little lunch at Le Perroquet in the Sablon neighborhood, after a recommendation from a friend (thanks Faye). We walked up to Place du Petit Sablon a nice, little, beautifully landscaped oasis. 

Notre Dame du Sablon Church

The large statues throughout the garden are great Belgian thinkers that once called Brussels home.

And now for one of the best parts of our trip, the hotel. I gotta give props to my amazing-deal-finding husband who found this 5-star hotel at a very affordable price. Who knew Brussels would be so much cheaper in the summertime? Apparently when all the diplomats are out of town on summer holiday, you can get a great bargain. Nice find Jaap!

Stanhope Hotel

One bus ride away from a romantic evening

Drinks on the square

Our dinner reservations weren't until 8:30, so we killed some time having drinks on the Grand Place and enjoyed some decent people watching with nice cool weather. Jaap enjoyed his Kwak beer and I sipped a decaf coffee looking on with envy. I was saving myself for my one glass of wine at dinner. :)

Dinner was at a simple seafood restaurant in the Sainte Catherine-Fish Market neighborhood. I highly recommend La Maree on a visit to Brussels. This place rocks. Even though I debated getting some other type of seafood from the menu, I knew I would order "mussels from Brussels". I'm glad I did though...they were delicious!

Mussels "from the House"

What does Jaap order at a seafood restaurant? The filet. :)

Our romantic evening was perfect. Excellent service, simple and delicious food, and a friendly atmosphere. Just when I thought the meal couldn't get any better, the chef comes out, walks around, and asks all the guests how their meal was. I told Jaap to pinch me because you never get great service AND good tasting food like this in Maastricht. And as much as I love little Maastricht, it's still the most expensive place to eat in Europe.

I was definitely "living in the moment" trying to take in all our remaining couple time we have left before our little baby arrives. The best part of the evening wasn't the delicious food, but the great company with my loving husband. :)

Secret family recipe from Chef--we have no idea what it was...but it was delicious!

The Stanhope Hotel did not disappoint with their breakfast. Jaap and I both agree that it has taken over the number spot of best hotel breakfasts ever. Lekker!

Good-bye King Albert

Sunday was a quick sightseeing day for us, shortened by my fatigue from this horribly hot weather sweeping through Northern Europe. We just happened to be in Brussels the same weekend that Belgium inaugrates King Philippe to the throne and staying literally around the corner from the inauguration. We had a quick stroll around Parc de Bruxelles to enjoy the festivities before heading back to Maastricht.

Thanks Jaap for a great babymoon weekend!

NYE in Vienna

A New Year's Eve post in March...here it goes. Our New Year's Eve began with a visit to the Upper Belvedere to admire the Klimt and Schiele works. We had a cold and sunny stroll to the Belvedere from our apartment and a great visit to one of Vienna's most famous museums. Afterwards we headed to another Vienna institution to warm up, Café Pruckel. 

 A few relaxing hours at Pruckel hit the spot. A delicious Wiener melange, some himbeer soda, and some dessert that we can't remember the name of. It was delicious! One of our favorite's of the trip.

We walked to the Stephansdom, another Vienna icon. The city arranges free waltzing lessons on NYE. How fun. Half the square was waltzing while the other half was watching it on big television screens.

Inside the cathedral

Outside the Oper on New Year's Eve

Hofburg

To ring in the new year, we headed outside for some fireworks. Vienna just doesn't have one fireworks display, they have several. We decided to catch out the display at Heldenplatz. 2012 brought us lots of happy times together and we're excited to see where 2013 takes us!

Fireworks above the Rathaus

I miss Croatia

This is how we started each day in Dubrovnik. We'd wake up, prepare breakfast, and lounge on the balcony. We'd sit outside watching early morning swimmers floating in the a clear blue/green Lapad Bay as we sipped our tea. It was so peaceful. Not to mention delicious. I miss that yoghurt and honey.

Lekker!

I think it's impossible not to feel relaxed in this place. We stayed at a great apartment on Lapad Bay and only a 5 minute walk from the coast. Walking around the peninsula you can find tons of quiet, tranquil, shaded swimming coves.

We had some great afternoons in this little spot. It was perfect. Swimming access, no tourists, and lots of shade. We'd read for hours, lounging around, jumping into the water periodically to stay cool, and Jaap would listen to me talk about how much I love this country.

Jaap, my little fish

And a great way to end the day...some grilled squid. I had grilled squid almost every night. It was delicious and usually only 60 kunas. (That's about 8 euros). I wish I could eat like this in the Netherlands.

I'm longing for the Adriatic, another reason why I can't stop writing Croatia posts. So many good times and memories. Maybe I can squeeze one more post out of Croatia?! I'm still clinging to summer!

A night to remember at Chez Paul

Ile flottante- heaven in a bowl

When my friends from Boston came for a visit this summer, we went to Paris for several days. Living three hours from Paris is still my favorite thing about being in Maastricht. We tried to be French for four days. That was a challenge, considering that only two out of five us spoke French.  Nonetheless, we tried to enjoy the yummy aspects of French life. Croissants, wine, and lekker eten. (This is an American's interpretation of French life). You know you're in for a good time when you visit a country where wine is sometimes cheaper than water. 

We were on a mission for typical Parisian cuisine. I read about Chez Paul from my favorite foodie, David Lebovitz. He has a section on his website about some of his favorite places to eat in Paris. We have eaten at several of his restaurant suggestions now and they were all delicious and usually an experience to remember. Our night at Chez Paul tops them all. 

We came to Chez Paul in search of a true Parisian "bistro" experience. Wow. It exceeded our expectations. The food is simple, but delicious. Several quotes of the night, "This is the best cheese I have ever eaten....This is butter is to die for..." My ile flottante dessert was possibly the best thing I have ever eaten. The lightest meringue I have ever had, topped with a vanilla sauce. This is another reason that I am forever trying to lose 10-12 lbs. Oh well. That extra glass of Côtes du Rhône and meringue are totally worth it. 

In the spirit of our Parisian adventures, I have ordered Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. My friend Michele (who was with us in Paris) bought it at Shakespeare & Company while we were there. She said it's a great way to keep Paris with us. Cheers to that! 

Jaap's macaroon & strawberry dessert