Day 24 (Antwerp)

ANNOUNCEMENT: I have just now found out how to reply to comments! So I apologize if you have felt neglected before, I have gone back now and responded to any comments that seemed to need a response. And I will be good from now on about replying promptly!

Also, perhaps one day, I will be good about posting these on time. Perhaps.

Today was a beautiful, chillaxin day. Yes, I know I promised you all that I would be going to boulecafest (yes, I butchered that spelling), but... I didn't go. It's pretty much like a food festival with lots of beer. Now I know that you know that I love food, and any festivals for food are like Christmas to me. But what I did instead was equally rewarding, if not more so.

This morning I created a monster. It was an evil Speculoos/Nutella hybrid! 

Fueled by pure evil deliciousness, it sought to consume the world sandwiches.

Though I could appreciate it's extreme tasty power, my heart went out to all the other sandwiches, trying their best to make their way in the competitive world of lunchtime foods.

Out of love and respect for the other sandwiches of the world, I knew something had to be done.

So I ate the sh*t out of that sandwich.

So you all can thank me next time you are snacking on a crispy panino, or dipping a French Dip. And be careful next time you make something TOO delicious. I may not always be around to control such power.

So check out who followed me to Antwerp! No, not creepy elf dude, I shook him off my tail like 2 cities ago.

Eee! If you remember, he was in li'l Berlin with me. He was blue then, but I could recognize his cute ghosty business anywhere. The graffitis, they just cannot resist me.

I saw him as Cherise and I made our way to the train station to meet up with some friends! The train station is quite beautiful

(I would just like to interject for a quick second to let you know I am blogging to "I just can't get enough". The radio here is awesome. Back to pictures of the station...)

I mean, I know America is a baby country in terms of the world, but can't we just fake some old architecture or something? Our buildings are just so dang BORING.

Now at this point (I just can't get enough, I just can't get enough!), what happened the rest of the day was amazing. We pretty much just cafe hopped around. Or terrace hopped, I guess they weren't all necessarily cafes. First, we met up with Charlotte and Sylvia at a cafe outside the train station, where we sipped fresh orange juice and chatted.

Then we meandered our way into the center of town, where we sat in a beautiful shady spot outside, and had... lunch? I don't know what meal it would be, but it was lots of food time.

                 (Diagonal shot for artsy effect)

I had Flemish Beef Stew. I thank this cow for being so incredibly delicious. I did not waste a morsel.

So a huge thing in Belgium is a big pot of mussels. I took a picture to share this with you, but do not be mistaken. Mussels are nothing less than creepy little insects of the ocean, clinging to rocks and tricking you into thinking they are edible. I did not eat these.

We then walked to the port and watched the water

Sometimes you've got to keep an eye on it. Look at it. Just sitting there. Plotting.

And THEN it was off to location number 3: Desire de Lille. Apparently they have locations in all the major cities, including Los Angeles. I will be seeking it out when I return to the states.

Lesson time! Things learned in Belgium. There are actually 2 types of waffles. The waffles we are most used to are the Liege waffles. It is cake-like and a bit dense. But there is the Brussels waffle, which is nothing less than the holy grail of waffles. It is super light, and uber crispy. It is like eating a cloud made of pure waffle flavor. Mine was served to me with a mountain of fruit, whipped cream (or 'slagroom'- look at me learning Flemish!!), and ice cream. BOW DOWN TO IT!!

I devoured the entire thing, through tears of joy. Dear everyone who lives in LA, we are going to make a field trip to the LA location. No excuses! This waffle will change your life.

This trapse about town through the terraces was a huge part of European culture, that we very much lack in the states. You can spend hours just sitting at a table outside, sipping coffee or snacking on heavenly treasures. Dear America. MAKE THIS.