48 Hours in Brussels

Ah, Bruxelles. I fell in love with that charming city over a dreary, cold weekend in November and I’m only now able to tell you about it! Happy new year, dear readers. 2016 was really great for me in lots of ways (like that time my second daughter was born) and really bad in other ways (like that time Donald Trump…).

I think 2017 is going to be really great. Especially for my family, because we’re expanding yet again! Ciara will be 18 months when our third child is born this coming Spring so our two latest babies will be just shy of official “Irish Twin” status, but that won’t make our lives any less hectic. I’m just gonna embrace the craziness and be as kind to myself as possible.

With that said, why wouldn’t I jump at the chance of a weekend away in one of Europe’s coolest cities? A few girlfriends and I bought cheap Ryanair tickets (€40 return) and rented an apartment for the weekend (which also worked out to about €40 per person). We were as close to the downtown core as you can possibly get, so our accommodation was a steal (and very clean, and very charming – here’s the link to the Airbnb).

Our group was split between girls who wanted to party and girls who wanted to sleep (aka the pregnant ladies with kids at home). We all wanted to shop and eat. The location suited everyone’s tastes – just steps away from the Grand Place, the pedestrian shopping streets and the bar district. Artisan chocolate shops, French patisseries, waffle kiosks and proper Belgian friteries were absolutely everywhere. A real food heaven.

On Saturday morning we gathered with other poor backpackers for a free walking tour of the city. Our guide (Oriane from Viva Brussels Walking Tours) was absolutely brilliant. I don’t normally like guided tours – it’s difficult to escape if the tour is really boring – but Oriane was funny, knew her history and gave good tips on where and what to eat/drink in the city. It was a cold, clear day but we were dressed warmly and enjoyed the exercise.

I spent a lot of time buying chocolate and eating waffles. I must have averaged three waffles per day. The best thing about a true Liège waffle (the term “Belgian” waffle is incorrect since there are two types of waffle in Belgium – the Brussels waffle and the Liège, which is the one we tend to associate with Belgium) is that you can eat it on the go. Most shops will offer all kinds of sweet toppings, but DON’T – it’s just overkill. A proper Liège waffle is already sweet. Wrap it in a napkin and eat while you take in the sights.

As mentioned, there is no shortage of great quality Belgian chocolate on offer in the pedestrian areas off Grand Place. Your biggest problem will be deciding what to buy and from which shop. I bought several types of chocolate from different places and even bought some generic Belgian chocolate at the supermarket – all delicious.

Other food and drink options worth exploring in Brussels include the famed Speculoos biscuits (my faves came from Maison Dandoy), traditional double-fried frites and, of course, Belgian beer. I know I’m pregnant, but I still bought a small bottle of Gueuze – an old-style Lambic beer which is fermented by particles in the air found only around Brussels. It had a sour, cidery taste. Really nice.

And the frites? Oh my GAWD the frites. Our apartment was just around the corner from one of Brussels’ best friteries – Friterie du Café Georgette. The frites are triple-fried in beef fat, giving them an addictive flavour and perfect texture. They put Irish chips to shame. With a bit of mayo on the side, these frites made a good, cheap meal for us on more than one occasion.

I wasn’t so crazy about our final meal. Our tour guide had mentioned that Chez Lèon – an old-school Belgian restaurant – served great moules frites. Since the restaurant wasn’t far from our apartment we thought it would be a good place to go for dinner. The ambiance was wonderful. We had an older waitor with flawless tableside service. He was also a shameless flirt and a born entertainer. Unfortunately, my mussels weren’t nearly as vibrant; both moules and frites were disappointingly bland.

Dessert was a different affair (probably since most of the cooking was done tableside). I had a Normandy-style pancake. It might be the best dessert I’ve ever had (a hefty claim, but it was just that good – done simply, served hot – delicious).

I’d love to go back to Brussels, or explore some of Belguim’s other cities, with my husband someday – preferably when I can drink beer again. The flight is an easy 1.5 hours from Dublin and the city is breathtaking. Don’t get hung up on terrorist threats; just don’t. Life is too short, and Brussels is too beautiful and fun to miss.

And those frites…

*This is not a sponsored post; no freebies were had. Just good times with friends.

Hook Head Lighthouse, County Wexford

We haven’t been going too far from home these days now that I’m full term and could pop at any moment, but that hasn’t bothered us at all.

One of the nicest things about moving to a new country and city is the ability to become a backyard tourist – every time we go for a drive I feel like I’m on vacation. Since the weather was so unbelievably great over the past week, we were able to take a few days out here and there when Patrick wasn’t working.

Yesterday, after enjoying my new favourite breakfast of freshly-baked Irish brown bread (it’s similar to soda bread, but made with cracked wheat, oats and other whole grains) with poached eggs, we got into the car and drove to County Wexford. Our destination? Hook Head Lighthouse, which is the oldest functioning lighthouse in the world. It sounds kinda boring when described that way, so let me elaborate on what makes this area special.

The lighthouse itself was first constructed in the 1300’s and has been in use ever since, with much of the original structure remaining. The former lighthouse keeper-houses are now used as a small maritime museum, a café, a gift shop and an art space where you can attend workshops or paint some pottery. The front lawn is a bit of a zoo, with a small play area for kids and a picnic area for families (and it gets seriously busy).

It should be mentioned that there are no ATM’s in the area – the nearest one, according to Niamh Colfer from Hook Heritage Ltd. – is 10 km away from the lighthouse in Fethard on Sea. We didn’t realize at the time, but they accept all major credit cards and take debit at the café, so there are still ways to pay for a guided tour of the lighthouse if you’re cash-less. We will be back with my family in September, so we’ll do the guided tour then! It involves climbing 115 steps to the top, so the view is (most likely) spectacular. Thanks to Niamh for clarifying that for me!

My favourite part of our trip to Hook Head, which took about 1.5 hours driving through New Ross from Waterford City and less than 45 minutes driving back taking the Passage East ferry, was not actually the lighthouse but the picturesque surroundings. The lighthouse is surrounded by volcanic-flow-type rocks that lead straight down to the churning sea. You can walk on the rocks, but I would be careful not to get too close to the water – rogue waves and the like!

Scuba Diving from the rocks

We took a walk on the rocks around the lighthouse and had a quick chat a scuba diver who was checking out the surrounding waters. He said he had a great dive and saw lots of fish, crabs and other types of marine life. There were so many people out scuba diving! If you’re interested in that sort of thing, you can do boat dives to some shipwrecks and underwater caves, or you can just dive straight from the rocks on the shore. For more information on scuba diving around Hook Head, check out this website.

After our walk, we thought we’d head back up the road where we saw a busy-looking seafood restaurant. Templars Inn is located in Templetown, Fethard on Sea and is about a 10 minute drive from the lighthouse. We ordered fried scampi & chips and a bowl of steamed mussels. The seafood was wonderful; so fresh and well prepared. The server couldn’t tell me where the chef sourced his seafood, but wagered it was local. The mussels definitely were – plump and juicy with bright orange flesh. The scampi was pretty heavily breaded and as a result tasted like fried bread, but the chips served with it were the best chips I’ve had in Ireland – hands down. We’ll definitely be back with my family.

We took the ferry at Ballyhack-Passage East back to County Waterford and it was a much faster trip (8 Euro for one car trip; 12 Euro for a return trip). I liked going through New Ross, though. It’s a beautiful town with a famous link to John F. Kennedy and deserves a post of it’s own (next time!).

The beautiful village of Passage East, Co. Waterford

Hook Head is yet another beautiful part of Ireland, but I enjoyed the surroundings more than the actual lighthouse. Sometimes driving aimlessly around the countryside is the best way to spend a sunny day.