BeNeLux, booze tourism, Brussels, YouTube

Pardon My French: Brussels and Paris 2026 (part three)

Featured photo is from the Toone Bar… which is also a historic puppet theater.

Sunday morning, Bill and I woke up, got dressed, and had breakfast in the hotel lobby. We were under the impression that we’d be having breakfast in the lobby all week, since the receptionist had told us the restaurant was under renovation. But it turned out the lounge breakfast was only to occur on Sunday. I was glad of that, since it wasn’t an ideal location.

Because we got there at 8:00 AM, there wasn’t a lot of seating in the lounge. We ended up sitting at a very low table, right next to the drink station. Bill fought with the Nespresso type coffee machine, which wasn’t properly set up. We got the side eye from a European couple, who happened to be at breakfast on three out of the four mornings we were at the hotel. I did fall in love with the marvelous pastries, though… It’s good that I don’t have access to them every day!

After breakfast, we decided to take a walk around and see what we could find in Brussels. It didn’t take us long before we wound up at the Belgian Beer World. This fantastic and very modern museum is in a huge, beautiful, surprisingly ornate building. We thought maybe the museum would be one tenant in the massive location, but it took up the entire edifice, with a cafe, brasserie, rooftop bar, and interactive exhibits on several floors.

We happened to be there at 10:30 AM, which was when the museum opened for the day. And, we were also the first ones to explore the museum on that Sunday morning. Tickets were 21,50€ for adults, but because Bill is 61 years old, he got a senior discount, and only had to pay 19,50€. He took it with good humor!

Below are a few photos from the walk to the Beer World, which was very close to Le Fleur de Ville, our hotel. One thing I love about Belgium is the quirky, and sometimes a bit off-color humor that is often on display there. They don’t take themselves too seriously!

*These kinds of comical murals are on a number of buildings around Brussels.*

And below are a few outside photos of the massive Belgian Beer World, which is an impressive place to explore Belgium’s national drink. As a beer lover, I can confirm it’s a fun place to visit, even for children. There are lots of interactive and multimedia exhibits there, presented in several languages.

We walked up the steps and into the massive foyer… I got more photos of the very ornate interior of this building, called La Bourse… This was just the first floor! Until 1996, this historic building was home to Belgium’s financial markets. Now, it’s been renovated to house a fun and fascinating museum dedicated to beer! What could be a better use for such a grand address? 🤭 La Bourse was designed by the Belgian architect, Léon-Pierre Suys between 1868 and 1873. It is now thought to be “a true marvel of 19th century neoclassical style.”

According to the Beer World’s Web site: La Bourse was the site of heroic action: during the First World War, the Bourse district of the city was the epicenter of the clandestine press, a symbol of the Belgian resistance against the occupier.

Besides housing Belgian Beer World, it also serves as a place for hosting temporary exhibits and events. Below are a few photos of the interior:

After we got our tickets to the museum, we climbed up some steps, and took a journey into Belgian beer and the history surrounding it. Below is a photo dump of all the pictures I got at this place, which entertained us for a good while. We learned that beer, at least back in the days before sanitation, was quite literally a lifesaver!

At this point, we had the chance to taste a couple of Belgian styles. We had a brown beer and a lambic… and once again, I ran into someone who badly needed a breath mint. Fortunately, that was the last occurrence of shocking halitosis on this trip.

After tasting the beer, we climbed another flight of stairs and encountered a truly funny exhibit… The Yeast Theatre! This exhibit involved sitting in a closed theatre, as if we were in a glass of beer, and an animated yeast told us the story of fermentation. I even got some video of it! The show happens continuously every ten minutes or so. You go in and sit down; the doors close, and then the fun begins.

Learning about Belgian beer production through a fun exhibit.

After the Yeast Theatre, there’s more to see in the museum, until it’s time to choose which beer you want to sample in the rooftop bar…

A short video showing how we were recommended “free” beers to try in the rooftop bar…

There were several of these interactive virtual barkeep people, “helping” us decide which beer to try.

After we got coasters with the names of the beers that were suggested for our tastes (we both got the same suggestions), we went to the rooftop bar. This was a great culmination after spending the morning learning about Belgian beers. I had a Blanche de Brussels Rosee, which is one I’d never tried before. Bill’s choice was a bit more run of the mill, although I can’t remember which beer he chose. He did say it was kind of ordinary, which is too bad.

We could have stayed and purchased more beer, if we’d wanted to. They offer “flights” at the museum. But we decided to move on and find some lunch. I got some more photos of the bar and the rooftop terrace, which offered lovely views of Brussels. It was a nice day, with just slightly chilly temperatures. We also could have visited the Archeo Site under La Bourse, Bruxella 1238, which unfortunately, we completely forgot about after trying the beer. I wish we’d remembered to check it out. Maybe we’ll get there next time, if we manage another Brussels visit. I’d definitely be up for another trip to Belgian Beer World.

I had noticed that a bar that we visited in 2008, at the Theatre Royal de Toone, was not going to be open on Monday or Tuesday. I definitely wanted to go there again, since we had such a memorable experience the last time we visited Brussels. So we left the Belgian Beer World, and had lunch at a place called Bier Central Brussels. Once again, I had croquettes, which I think kind of put me over the edge. I love them in small doses, though. Bill had sausage with mashed potatoes and bacon… a Belgian version of “bangers and mash”, if you like.

*Ahhh… the Duchesse… one of my favorites!*

After lunch, we headed for the Toone Bar…

If you’re thinking we drink a lot of beer, you’re right. Ordinarily, we probably would not have followed our beer soaked lunch with a visit to a bar, but I really wanted to visit the Toone Bar, which I discovered very much by accident in 2008. I remember we had taken a day trip to Bruges, and came back to the city, looking for something to do on our last day in Brussels. We were walking around, dodging the restaurant row barkers, when just at the right time, I looked to my left, and saw this sign…

*One of two entrances to the Toone Bar and marionette theater, circa 2008.*

If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you might know that I love to explore alleys and alcoves. I’ve found some of our most memorable and quirky restaurants, bars, and shops that way. The Toone Theatre is a historic site in Brussels, but in 2008, I found it completely by chance. It seemed like no one else knew about it, either, because it was fairly empty on that Sunday afternoon. I remember enjoying several beers there, while the barkeep played awesome 60s and 70s era rock music. I also remember someone smoking in there during our visit. In 2026, that is no longer allowed!

I wanted to visit the bar again, but didn’t remember exactly where it was. So I used the GPS function on my phone, which was kind of worthless. We did eventually find our way to the bar, although this time, we entered through the other side from where we entered in 2008. I got lots of pictures, and we drank several beers. Unfortunately, the music wasn’t as good this time, and it was definitely not deserted… But the beers were still excellent, and the ambiance was just as quirky and fun!

Here’s a big photo dump… One thing to know about this bar is that the toilets are up some old steps. You get to the men’s room before the ladies’ room, and it reeks a bit of stale urine. One of the ladies’ stalls is extremely small and narrow, though long. The other is not as narrow, but a bit shorter. I hope one day, we can go back to this bar and actually watch one of the marionette shows! It is, after all, a puppet theater, first and foremost!

As you might have suspected, by the time we were finished at the Toone Bar, I was a bit loaded. We decided to go back to the hotel so we could process the Belgian beers. On our way there, we walked through The Grand Place. Unfortunately, this was where I wiped out on loose cobblestone. A shocked waiter witnessed my spill, which resulted in a twisted ankle and sprained finger, both of which are mostly healed now… I wrote about my fall in my main blog. If you are really interested in reading my thoughts right after it happened, you can click here for the story when it was fresh.

*People were lined up at this bakery, which was selling wonderful breads.*

After my fall, I was understandably in kind of a bad mood. We ate dinner in our hotel room, which we picked up from a Syrian restaurant just across the street from Le Fleur de Ville.

*Sometimes it’s handy to book a suite… I drank Coke at dinner time!*

That about does it for our very “beery” Sunday in Brussels. In the next part, I’ll write about our visit to Mannekin Pis, the Friet Museum, and the Chocolate Museum, as well as a restaurant called Drug Opera. You don’t want to miss that, 😏, so stay tuned!

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We went Dutch for MLK weekend 2019! Part five.

On Sunday, we decided to visit Maastricht. I really didn’t know what to expect, since I had never been to the city before. I did know that there aren’t any “coffee shops” open to foreigners in Maastricht. It’s one of the areas in the Netherlands that has chosen to restrict pot sales to people who aren’t locals. If you want marijuana, you have to go west.

It was no big deal, though. Maastricht proved to be entertaining without the benefit of pot. Not only is the city beautiful, it’s also wide open on Sundays. Yes, you can go shopping, have lunch, or simply people watch. There was some kind of race going on there Sunday, so there were several brass bands playing along the route, along with a drum band and a group of violinists. As a music lover, this really appealed to me. Despite the bitter cold, I stood there and listened to a group of musicians play “Canon in D” and Vivaldi. I’m not ashamed to admit that their version of Pachelbel’s masterpiece had me openly weeping.

We parked in a huge lot on the outskirts of town and walked in…

Right off the bat, we heard the thundering sound of drums. An awesome drum band was beating an infectious rhythm and had attracted a crowd. The music would be a theme in Maastricht on Sunday, as we ran into a number of bands playing in the street.

What’s that sound?

You can also load up on cheese! I wish I liked cheese more.

We rounded the corner, just out of earshot of the drummers and promptly encountered a quartet of string musicians.

I often get choked up when I hear really well played live music. I was listening to these people with tears streaming down my cheeks. They played so well out in the cold and their music went straight to my heart.

As you can see, other people were affected by the music, too.

We reluctantly moved on, because it was so cold and Bill needed to get some cash. I managed to get a few more pictures as we searched for an ATM. We were looking for lunch and a place to pee.

Our route took us past the runners and several more excellent brass bands!

We walked through one area near a mall and several very touristy looking restaurants. One alley smelled distinctly of cheeseburgers, which was kind of strange. But then I noticed we were near a McDonalds.

And these guys were playing jazz… I loved that they had a tray of empty beer glasses nearby.

Just as we encountered our fifth musical ensemble of the day, I turned to the left and we found a place to have lunch…

I have a knack for finding good places to eat. There are a few things I look for. Mainly, I like places that aren’t either too crowded or too empty. I prefer them to be off the main drags. And it doesn’t hurt if it smells good outside of the restaurant, too. A lot of people were sitting outside, despite the cold weather. I didn’t want to sit outside, but Bill was about to bust. So we walked inside De Twee Heeren, which turned out to be a pretty awesome bar/restaurant. They were playing good music and had menus in English, as well as places to sit. We ended up spending a couple of hours in there, enjoying lunch, good Dutch and Belgian beers, and fun music.

Obligatory menu shot of Bill. They had a number of appealing choices, everything from steaks to falafel.

Bill had what amounted to a “sauerbraten stew”. It came with a big basket of frites and a salad.

I had fish and chips. I considered a few of the other choices and actually had some trouble deciding, but since the Netherlands is a sea faring nation, I figured the fish and chips would be good. And they were! I even tried the fries with mayonnaise. That’s how they eat them… Not bad at all, though a little bit of mayo goes a long way.

Bill had a double espresso while I enjoyed an excellent Belgian brew suggested by the waiter.

And one more for the road. It’s probably a good thing German beers aren’t this interesting.

It was late afternoon by the time we were finished at De Twee Heeren, so we decided to get some cheese for Bill and head back to the dogs. I might have liked to have tried another restaurant later, but I just can’t eat as much as I once did. You’d never know it to look at me, though.

This place had lots of free samples, which Bill was happy to try.

Here he’s trying the gouda with garlic. I think he brought some home. I found us some beers and waffle cookies, too. If it turns out he loves the cheese, we can order more.

We headed out of the city and I took a few more photos.

The grand looking building houses the visitor’s center, which sadly, does not have a public toilet. Fortunately, I found one at a bustling looking hostel with a huge bar. It was nothing to duck in, which was a huge relief.

So long, Maastricht. We’ll be back!

I missed the lunar eclipse, but did manage to get a picture of the huge full moon.

Yesterday morning, we got up bright and early, had breakfast, let the dogs have one more romp with Yogi, and loaded up the car for the drive back to Germany. Nel was the most awesome hostess and invited us back. I think she said we were her first real American guests, although she has hosted Canadians. I’m hoping a few of my American readers living in Germany might visit Vijlen. I have a feeling we’ll go back, especially if we stay in Germany for much longer.

I love visiting small towns and talking to locals, getting a feel for the real culture. While we always enjoy visiting big cities, I find that it’s harder to get a feel for the culture, mainly because so many other international visitors are also there. So, if there’s anything to be learned by this trip, it’s that small towns are worth a look. They tend to be less expensive, safer, and the locals are more likely to make a connection. I felt like we’d made a friend when we left Nel’s place yesterday. I hope this series will inspire a few others to visit her in lovely Vijlen!

BeNeLux

Our trip to The Netherlands via Luxembourg… part 10

So today is my birthday… We started off with breakfast at the hotel and being stared down by some grumpy looking guy. I declared him an asshole. Then we walked through an antique market and came back to the hotel, where I changed shoes and put on sandals and socks because we decided to go to Amsterdam and I knew my feet would kill me in my warmer clogs.

We walked to the main square in Haarlem and wandered around. I was able to take some nice photos before we went into the cathedral. It was five euros for both of us to go in, but it was well worth the cost because a choir was rehearsing. Their singing was beautiful and the acoustics were amazing. I got all teary as I heard it… I wanted to join in, but I also really just wanted to listen. It was very moving.

Yes, this is an ad for an opera about the Costa Concordia…

And there are sex shops in Haarlem too.

And cool old bikes.

Then we walked to the train station. Haarlem is just two stops from Amsterdam. It takes maybe fifteen minutes to get there. Once you do, wow… Amsterdam is huge, busy, and obnoxious with people! There were literally throngs of people pouring out of the train station.

Bill and I found our way deeper into the city and were soon confronted by lots of sex shops, coffeeshops, and prostitutes. Amsterdam is definitely a city where a person can sin freely. We soon ran into a group of men, one of whom was wearing a pacifier around his neck. He was obviously drunk and waiting for his companion to finish peeing at one of the pissoirs in the city. After we passed them, we ran across a sex shop with a replica of a woman’s butt made out of rubber. Next to it were huge fake boobs and a couple of male versions of fake genitals. There were plenty of didos, harness gags, and leather outfits offered, too. I saw many bored looking hos.

We walked around for awhile and when we got hungry, stopped by a little hole in the wall restaurant. The guy cooking and waiting tables was wearing a chef’s outfit and appeared to know what he was doing. Bill had piri piri chicken and I had another cheeseburger. The Dutch seem to season their meat differently than we do. The burger tasted a little like sausage. It wasn’t bad, but I kind of missed American burgers.

I thought about having some cheesecake, but decided I just wanted to move on… Parts of Amsterdam are truly pretty, but it was just too busy and noisy for my liking. We got back on the train to Haarlem and I discovered that there is free WiFi offered, which is really awesome.

On the way back to the hotel, Bill and I stopped into the coffeeshop and picked up a space cake. I ate it about an hour ago. It’s my first experience with marijuana ever. I’m still waiting for it to kick in… Maybe I will blog once it does.

Yeah… Blogging is essential.

BeNeLux

Our trip to The Netherlands via Luxembourg… part 9

Yesterday, we moved on from Apeldoorn to Haarlem. Originally, I had planned to stay in Amsterdam, but Rick Steves advises that Haarlem is much homier and friendlier and less crowded. Also, I found the hotel prices were much more affordable. Before we went to Haarlem, we decided to visit Apenheul, a special zoo that is home to monkeys and other related creatures. I knew it would be a very kid friendly place, but it was also fun for us to explore. We got there fairly early. As it turned out, getting there somewhat early was a good thing. The park wasn’t too crowded and there was plenty of parking available. It was 17,50 euros for each ticket, which was less than I was expecting.

We saw gorillas, ring tailed lemurs, orangutans, and other adorable primates, many of which were free range and allowed to walk among the masses. Most of them didn’t mingle too much with park visitors, but there were a few that were practically tame. Some people carried monkey bags with them because if you aren’t careful, they can get into your stuff. We had no such trouble. The only trouble we had involved rain, which got a little harder as we were leaving the park. We got out of there at just the right time.

It took about 90 minutes to get to Haarlem. Once we did, we found the hotel and the vast parking garage located right next to it. We checked into the executive suite I booked. I was lucky enough to have a $150 coupon, so it was really a steal. We are staying at the Carlton Square Hotel, which features a full and complimentary minibar. And when I say full, I mean full. There are generous decanters of whisky and cognac as well as vodka, gin, wine and beer. There are also soft drinks, peanuts, and chocolates… We stayed at the Carlton George Hotel in Glasgow and The Dominican hotel in Brussels. Both are sister hotels, but only the Carlton George had a free bar in it. The Carlton George wasn’t as nice as this hotel is. I have decided I like this chain, though. I would have booked their Amsterdam property, but it was too pricey.

Nice bed.

After offloading our stuff, we went to a local restaurant and enjoyed some beer and burgers. Just across the street is a coffeeshop, where one can buy weed. Bill was a little put off by it, but I read up on it and it actually gets pretty good ratings.

Later, we went to the hotel bar, which offers a nice selection of whiskys and great 80s music, which did a lot to make me feel less old. Bill and I downed a few rounds as I said goodbye to my 42nd year on the planet…