Here it is… my usual ten things I learned post. I like to do these lists after I take a trip, to remind me that travel isn’t just about changing scenery; it’s also about making discoveries and becoming smarter. I also find that people tend to like these more concise posts about my travels. So, here goes… ten things I learned in Belgium and The Netherlands!
10. There’s some really good food in Mons, Belgium. Bill and I were pleasantly surprised by the number of good restaurants in Mons, as well as the variety of different cuisines. They had everything from sushi to cous cous!
9. Delhaize– a grocery store in Belgium– owns Food Lion in the United States. When we were in Mons, I noticed a grocery store called Delhaize, which had a logo that looked like the one used for Food Lion grocery stores in the United States. Well, it turns out Food Lion was purchased by Delhaize in 1974!
8. Germany shut down all of its nuclear power plants as of 2023. This tidbit came up as we were passing what appeared to be a functioning nuclear power plant in Germany. I took a picture of it and included it in one of my posts. A German friend explained that nukes are “out” in Germany. I’m not sure what was going on with the place we passed, though. It sure looked like a nuclear power plant that was functioning. And it was located in Germany.
7. There is a concentration camp near the Dutch town of Den Bosch. I found this out as I was writing about our visit to Den Bosch and learned that from 1943-44, the Germans ran a concentration camp there known as Herzogenbusch.
6. Tipping is not much of a thing in The Netherlands. I probably knew this after an earlier visit, but it became clear again when we visited this time. Bill tried to round up a bill at a restaurant and the lady who took his money asked him if he was sure. Same thing when we checked out of The Duke Suites. There seemed to be no expectation of a tip. It was quite nice.
5. Some businesses don’t take foreign based credit cards in The Netherlands. This issue is slowly being resolved now, but we did run into a business that couldn’t take our American credit cards. If you don’t have an EU issued credit card, you may want to carry some cash with you, just in case. Mastercard/Maestro seems to be the preferred card in The Netherlands.
4. Facebook ads can lead a person to beautiful places… I found The Duke Suites through a Facebook ad. I’m so glad I did. We had a fantastic time there, even though we aren’t golfers.
3. Dutch beers are tiny. Okay, so I kind of knew this, already. But when you live in Germany, where you can buy draft beers by the half liter or more, it can be a shock to order one in The Netherlands and have it come in a .33 liter glass!
2. If we ever go back to Mons, we’ll stay in a different hotel. Self-explanatory.
And finally number 1… Sometimes visiting lesser known places can turn into unforgettable experiences… I had never heard of Nistelrode when I discovered The Duke Suites. It’s certainly not a place that is high on most Americans’ radar. But I’m glad we did visit there, because that place made our 22nd wedding anniversary very special and unforgettable. I hope we can spend more time in Holland. It is a very beautiful country with wonderful people!
On Friday morning, Bill told me he would probably be finished early and would come back to the hotel at some point after noon. So, instead of walking around Mons on Friday, I decided to wait for Bill to come back to the hotel. I put the “do not disturb” sign on the door and waited for a private message. I finally got one indicating that he’d be back in the early afternoon.
I got a little bored waiting for him, so I made another talking video for YouTube. It was about our experience at the restaurant the night before, listening to the blowhard talk about his vast experiences as a foodie. I mainly made the video to pass the time, since I find typing on my laptop somewhat difficult. If you know where to look, you can find my video, but I don’t think I’ll post it here. I like to keep the travel blog somewhat PG rated. 😉
When Bill got back to the hotel, I told him about La Fontaine, the charming little brasserie I’d noticed the day before. I looked them up on Google, and saw that they were open for lunch. So we headed over there, and found that yes, indeed, La Fontaine is a local gem in Mons. It was bustling with business! They had room for us, though, so we took a seat and waited a bit for them to get to us. There were a couple of boisterous parties there for lunch that were taking up their attention.
The waitress who helped us didn’t speak perfect English, but she spoke enough to answer when I asked if the lasagna had mushrooms. It didn’t, so I ordered that. Bill had pork loin with mashed potatoes and gravy. Both dishes were excellent, and we washed them down with local beers. I couldn’t help but notice the friendly, convivial air in the restaurant. I could see why it was so busy, and I was very glad I’d found it. Bill and I agreed it was our favorite place of all the restaurants we tried in Mons. And there are many more we didn’t get a chance to try.
I really liked the lasagna because it was such a nice change of pace. Somehow, I managed to eat the whole thing! The waitress told me that usually, they do make it with mushrooms. I’m glad I asked before I ordered it. It was delicious!
A little amuse…He appeared to be a local character. I was struck by his sartorial savvy.They gave us a house digestive of homemade brandy after we paid.
By the time we finished lunch, it was late afternoon. Bill and I had a feeling we might be too full to go out again, so we stopped by the Delhaize on the way back to the hotel to pick up some snacks and wine. It’s so weird to see the lion logo, which looks so much like Food Lion. Now that I know Food Lion is owned by the same company, it makes sense!
That’s pretty much all I have to write about Friday, as we basically hung out in the hotel room, talked, drank wine, and maybe watched a little TV? I don’t even know… I did buy some hamburger flavored Lays Potato Chips because I was curious. They mostly tasted like pickles. We got some Belgian chocolate bars and long chips, which are kind of like Pringles, but in long, rectangular strips.
22 years of bliss…He’s so good to me…
We went to bed early, and on Saturday morning, woke up to our 22nd wedding anniversary. Bill gave me one of his trademark mushy cards, which I really appreciated. He said he’d actually bought the card for another occasion, but misplaced it. This year, there was no time for him to find a new one, so he used the one above when he happened to find it.
I’ve been feeling a bit out of sorts, depressed, and anxious since Election Day. Bill’s card was a real morale booster. We had breakfast, loaded up the car, checked out of the Belgian hotel, and made our way north to The Netherlands. I will write about that in the next post.
Before we got on the road, though, we stopped at the enormous Carrefour store at a huge shopping center, just outside of Mons, and picked up some beer to bring back to Germany. I’ve been enjoying our haul all week. Feast your eyes! Maybe we should take a day trip back into Belgium for another beer run. Why not? I really enjoyed Mons and would happily go back, although next time, I would prefer a different hotel. I also wish we’d remembered to buy some chocolate… but then, maybe it’s better that we didn’t.
The drive up to The Netherlands was pretty boring. It was cloudy and grey outside, and there wasn’t much to see on the drive. I didn’t take any pictures, so now is a good time to stop until the next posting. Stay tuned, because the next post will be a big one.
We woke up to foggy mist on Thursday, and followed our usual routine… wake up, get dressed, and have breakfast. Bill went to work, and I went back to bed. I noticed the crowd in the breakfast room had thinned somewhat as some participants had already left the conference. I met one of Bill’s colleagues from Wiesbaden. He wouldn’t be the first of Bill’s co-workers I would meet in Mons on Thursday.
Once I was up for the day, I decided to take a walk to a different part of the city. I walked off the main drag toward some trees with yellow leaves on them. I correctly assumed it was a park, and I was definitely ready to find it. I craved peace and serenity, given the apprehensive mood of the events in November 2024 and what it all might mean for the future. I took a few photos and walked toward a bench. That’s when I noticed a lone rooster pecking the ground. He was surrounded by pigeons. I wondered what the rooster was doing in Mons. I’m sure there is an explanation. After all, I also saw wild chickens in Key West, Florida.
I sat down on another bench, near the pigeons, which had scattered once I took photos of the rooster. After a moment, the whole flock of them took off, beating the air enough that I could feel it on my face. I was grateful none of them bombed me with shit.
After a short break, I got up to leave the park area and noticed a little brasserie on the corner called La Fontaine. It looked like a neighborhood gem. It was too early for lunch, though, so I made a mental note of it and started walking in a different direction. At one point, a woman in a car stopped me and asked me something in French. I answered in English that I’m an American. She apologized and moved on. I guess I can pass for a local in Belgium, too. 😉
I was soon approaching the collegiate church that I had visited on Wednesday, except on Thursday, there was no sunshine. It gave the church a different look, so I took more photos…
A museum that was once a church…
I started walking down another street and noticed I was near the train station, which in Mons, looks a bit like a spaceship. I was actually thinking it reminded me of the Sports Complex in Yerevan, Armenia, across the street from where I once lived. I kept walking, trying to decide where to stop for a closer look. I headed up another street, and noticed what appeared to be a tower. I headed toward it and finally reached it, but was left kind of disappointed. It was a tower, but it was fenced off, with no information about what it was. I looked it up online. It turned out to be the Tower of the Val des Ecoliers, and it was in a state of disrepair. What a pity. But I did get photos, which you can see below.
I looked at my watch and realized it was almost lunchtime, so I started to make my way back toward the Grand Place. The weather had turned mistier and chillier, but I noticed that the group of tiny schoolchildren I passed were not upset about it. I smiled as I watched children hold hands and cheerfully walk through a quiet neighborhood. There were children of all races in the group, happily co-existing. I wish more of the adults in America were that wise.
I hemmed and hawed as I considered where I wanted to go for lunch. I finally noticed the Leffe Plaza Bar was open. I walked into the place, which was empty, save for a very young bartender who appeared to be getting ready for the lunch crowd. He didn’t speak much English, but his English was better than my French. I conveyed to him that I hoped to have lunch, and he invited me to take a seat at the back of the dining room. I was glad for that, as it made me feel less conspicuous. A few more people showed up a bit later.
The bartender was very nice and brought me a couple of large beers, along with the burger I ordered. As usual, the burger turned out to be pretty messy and too big to eat with my hands. I had to cut it up. But it tasted good, and Belgian beer is always a treat. Also, the frites were outstanding. No one does fries like the Belgians do. I just wish they offered ketchup instead of mayo. I guess I could have asked, but that seems like such an American thing to do. After lunch, I was feeling a bit tipsy, so I decided to go back to the hotel for a rest.
While I waited for Bill, I decided to make a video for my YouTube channel. I usually post music on that channel, but when I’m traveling, I can’t so easily do that. So I made a talking video… and I was a little drunk when I did it. It was political in nature, so I’m not going to add it here. Suffice to say, if you’re interested, you can easily find it if you know where to look.
Finally, evening arrived, and Bill got back to the hotel. It was the last night before the conference would end, so we decided to go out to dinner. There was a place I noticed that was packed every night, so I was eager to try it out. It was called La Vache à Carreaux (The Checkered Cow). Just as we were deciding whether or not to go inside, a group of men approached. They turned out to be guys from Bill’s conference. They work at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, where Bill once worked 15 years ago.
Although we didn’t have reservations, the friendly wait staff managed to find us a table. We were in the same room as Bill’s colleagues were. One of them joked that we were going into the restaurant, in spite of the fact that one of the guys in the group was present. I didn’t get the joke at first, because I didn’t know any of the men. But I soon realized why the guy had made the subtle warning. In that group of three men, there was a guy who wrote the book on being loud and obnoxious.
Bill and I ordered beer and dinner. I had decided on the duck confit, which looked excellent and I assumed correctly that it would be mushroom free. The obnoxious guy also ordered duck confit. While we were waiting for our food, he proceeded to regale everyone in the restaurant about his foodie cred. He spoke very loudly about his love of foie gras, and how he prepares duck confit. He loudly opined about fine wines and gourmet food, bragging about how he has guys in Alsace and Lorraine who procure the best French products for him and ship it all directly to his German address. It was very annoying, because he was epitomizing all of the worst stereotypes about Americans.
But then… he started talking about how foie gras is made. I don’t like foie gras in any case, but especially since I know how it’s made. I don’t want to get into the specifics here, but basically geese are force fed until their livers become fatty. It’s pretty barbaric, in my opinion, and although I’m not a vegetarian, that’s a delicacy I can skip because I don’t like it, and the process of making it is very cruel. I generally don’t eat veal for the same reason. As he extolled the virtues of eating foie gras, the guy bellowed “People who think the method of making foie gras is cruel are ‘fucking retarded.’ It’s all a bunch of bullshit!”
Bill got a load of the expression on my face, which had dissolved into pure bitchface. I can be loud and obnoxious myself, when the mood strikes, but since we’ve been in Europe, Bill and I have adopted a policy of speaking quietly when we’re in public. It’s a courtesy thing. This guy was sharing his views with EVERYONE– not just his work buddies, but Bill and me, the wait staff, and the Belgians who were trying to enjoy their dinners. Nevertheless, dinner was delicious, and we did stay for dessert… but cut out of there quickly once that was over.
A storefront we passed on the way to the restaurant. Check out the cute dog!My duck confit with salad and mashed potatoes.This was a lovely casserole made with Comte cheese.Chocolate mousse for me…Apple tart for Bill.
I can see why La Vache à Carreaux is often full. The food and service were very good. I would go back. But if I do go back, I hope it will be when those guys aren’t around to talk about foie gras and swear in front of everyone. I feel sorry for that obnoxious blowhard’s wife. But then, I guess a lot of people feel sorry for Bill, too. 😀
Wednesday morning in Mons started much like Tuesday did. Bill and I got up and went to breakfast, ate the same mediocre chow, and kissed each other goodbye. I went back to bed for awhile, and then got up for a walk around Mons. We had some rare sunshine on Wednesday, so that was a nice thing.
The sunny weather led me to the Belfry of Mons, which I hadn’t known anything about before our arrival. My German friend had mentioned it to me, but I thought it was in the church on the main drag. Not so… this is a tower that you can pay 9 euros to ascend. It even has an elevator that will take you most of the way up. I didn’t want to go up the tower without Bill, so I decided to put off a visit. Of course, on Friday, when Bill was free, it was cloudy again. Shucks. Well, maybe we can visit again and go up the tower then. I did read reviews of the Belfry and they indicated that at no point are visitors able to take in views outside.
I kept walking and wound up at another church… one that was even more beautiful to me than St. Elisabeth’s. Sainte Waudru Collegiate Church is a very impressive gothic church that dates from the 15th century. It’s currently undergoing some refurbishment, but it’s open for visitors. I was feeling prayerful again, so I sat for awhile and took in the awesome beauty inspired by faith in God. I even lit a few candles, although I’m not Catholic. It helped lightened my purse. Who knows? Maybe God heard my pleas… er prayers… Someday, I’m going to make a video of all of the beautiful churches we’ve seen since we’ve been in Europe.
Below are some photos from Wednesday’s walk…
The big Belgian Belfry!Saint Waudru Collegiate ChurchI probably should have stopped in…A colorful street!
After a couple of hours of walking, it was soon lunchtime. I thought about where I might like to have lunch, but then realized I needed to go to the grocery store for some hair conditioner. The shampoo in the hotel was irritating my scalp and drying out my hair.
So I walked to the Delhaize, which looked very familiar to me with its lion logo. You see, I am from the southeastern United States– Virginia to be precise– and there, we had many Food Lion stores. Food Lion used to be called Food Town, but in 1983, they changed the name. Well… as I research this blog post, I have discovered that Food Lion is, in fact, owned by Delhaize, and has been since 1974. Aha!
I never liked shopping at Food Lion, although I will admit that it’s been quite some time since my last visit. To me, it was always a very no frills grocery store with bright lighting that was too sterile for my eyes. Of course, when you’re broke, as I was when I was single and for a good portion of my marriage, it’s a good place to get groceries. But I have alway preferred shopping at fancier places. I see that Ahold Delhaize also owns Giant, which is a store I used to go to a lot when I lived in the northern Virginia area.
Anyway, Delhaize is a Belgian company, and they have Delhaize stores in Belgium. I didn’t find shopping there to be like going to Food Lion, except for the lion logo. The lighting wasn’t as harsh, for one thing. When I went into the store, I noticed that it was very busy, as a lot of students from the high school were there getting lunch. That’s what I decided to do, too. I bought some sushi, sparkling water, and a beer– a Kwak Rouge, which is a kriek (cherry lambic). Then I got some conditioner and deodorant, since I couldn’t find the deodorant I thought I’d packed. I actually did pack deodorant, but it was buried deeply in the recesses of my Red Oxx bag. I had a brief moment of disorientation as the Delhaize payment system involves putting cash and change in a machine, rather than giving it to a cashier.
I went back to the hotel and had lunch as I watched Little House on the Prairie in French. The sushi wasn’t great, but it got me through the afternoon. Then I did some reading and napping as I waited for Bill to come back after his conference. Later, we went out to dinner at a little Tunisian place called the La Petite Couscoussiere. We noticed it on our first night in Mons, and it was consistently busy. Fortunately, they had room for us on that Wednesday night. I know Bill loves going to ethnic restaurants.
Below are some photos from our visit to the little Tunisian place… I’ve actually been to Tunisia, but it was over New Year’s 1977/78. I have fond memories of our visit to Sousse, when I was a little blonde five year old. The Tunisians spoiled me with candy and fruit! I’d love to visit there again, now that I’m blonde again.
The wine was from Morocco…Chicken tajine for me and meatballs for Bill…Lots of cous cous!Frosted lemon for Bill and profiteroles for me… I had wanted a colonel, but they didn’t have the right liqueur for it.
We enjoyed the Tunisian place, except for the fact that the woman sitting behind me was a bit drunk. She hung her purse on the back of my chair and kept staggering around. At one point, she hugged a woman at another table. I assume they knew each other, although she was clearly tipsy. I didn’t notice it, because my back was to her, but Bill said she was sitting with two guys. One appeared to be her date. The other appeared to be a friend of the guy, and it was clear that he was a bit annoyed with her. So was I. Hang your purse on your own chair, lady!
After dinner, we visited a bar called Le Central for a nightcap… We just had one, though, because it was clear the barkeep was wanting to close up as he pulled all the shades an hour before the posted closing time. It was no big deal, since Thursday was a work day, anyway.
He’s so cute!
After our nightcap, we walked back to the hotel for another night of rest. The next day, we would discover a great local spot for dinner… and hear a very obnoxious American guy embarrass us among Belgians. Stay tuned for the next installment.
Tuesday morning, Bill and I woke at the crack of dawn, dressed, and made our way down to the breakfast room at the B&B Hotel Mons Centre. On that first morning, there were lots of people in the breakfast room. I got a kick out of checking out all of the uniforms. I saw folks from Norway, Germany, and Estonia (I think), as well as some Americans.
One thing I’ve noticed, having spent most of my life around military types, is that they all have a certain way of carrying themselves. I have sort of a love/hate relationship with the military. My father was a career Air Force officer, and I have many friends and relatives who have served. Bill was a career Army officer. I’ve been around these folks forever, and some of them are among the finest people I’ve ever met. But then, some are not so great. On that morning, I was feeling pride for the military– not just the US version, but for servicemembers from all countries. They all have a common thread, no matter where they come from.
As for the buffet breakfast– it cost 17 euros a person. Personally, I didn’t think it was worth that much, although they did at least offer fresh baguettes. The rest was pretty mediocre– watery orange juice, scrambled eggs that tasted reconstituted, canned baked beans, mushrooms (yeeech), and either sausages or bacon. They also had cold cuts, cheeses, fruit, yogurt, and a little machine that made pancakes. Yes, there was coffee, too… from a machine. I pretty much ate the same thing every day.
A bus took the conference participants to the work site, so once we were finished with breakfast, Bill caught the bus, and I went back to bed for a couple of hours. I would try to read, as I’ve been struggling to finish a book I’ve been working on for awhile. Invariably, I’d fall asleep. Then, later in the morning, I’d get up, get dressed again, and walk around Mons. Every day, I went to a different area.
Since Tuesday was our first full day in Mons, I kept things basic on the first day. I stopped at the Saint Elisabeth Church, a huge building on the main drag, on the first morning, and actually prayed. I don’t pray very often, but given what happened in the United States this month, I felt like it wouldn’t hurt to offer a word to God Almighty. As for the rest of it, you can see that Christmas decorations are already going up. My German friend tells me the carnival started on November 8 and will run until December 8. It’s pretty impressive.
Below you can see photos:
I ended up going down these steps later in the week.This was a door handle. Pretty awesome!
As the hour drew closer to noon, I walked around the Grand Place, trying to decide where I wanted to have lunch. It’s always awkward for me to eat lunch alone in a restaurant, especially when I’m in a country that isn’t my home and I don’t speak the language. I really should have studied French or German in school, instead of Spanish.
In any case, I ended up having lunch at La Pizzarella, a pizza restaurant in the Grand Place. I would link to it, but it looks like their Web site is down. This restaurant doesn’t get the best reviews on Trip Advisor, but I didn’t have a terrible experience. A lady invited me to sit down at a two top and I ordered tortellini stuffed with smoked salmon, and washed down with wonderful Chimay Blue beer. They played French pop on the sound system, and the only negative thing about it was the woman sitting near me who sang along with it, off key. I know that sounds snobby, but I am a singer with perfect pitch, so off key singing is like nails on a chalkboard to me.
I like how Belgian restaurants often serve bread with butter.This was okay, although it was just bordering on slightly too much.Chimay Blue makes everything better for me.
By the time I was finished with my leisurely lunch repast, it was afternoon. I paid the waitress at the cash register, then walked outside to sunshine. After strolling around the Grand Place some more, I headed back toward the hotel, stopping once again in the church to get some sunnier photos. I love how so many churches in Europe are open for people to enjoy, even when it’s not Sunday.
Not sure what this was about…
A couple of hours later, Bill came back from his conference. We hung out in the hotel room for a little while, and then went looking for dinner. We ended up at a Lebanese place that we really enjoyed. However, a couple of nights later, one of Bill’s colleagues said that he found an even better Lebanese place. Maybe if we ever visit Mons again, we can visit it. There seemed to be a lot of Lebanese restaurants in that town…
I had grilled quail, while Bill had a lentil dish with hummus and a goat cheese salad. The waiter was very charming and spoke English quite well. Bill gave him a large (for Belgium) tip– 17 euros. The guy asked if he was sure, and Bill said he was… and the guy went “Thank YOU!!!!” It was pretty funny and worth the money to get that reaction.
I enjoyed the quail , potatoes, and salad, but I think if I went back, I’d have chicken.A normal Kwak glass, sans wooden handle.Theatre Royal
After dinner, we made our way back to the hotel for night number two. I neglected to bring conditioner with me, and the hotel provided a shampoo/conditioner mix that irritated my scalp. So, on Wednesday, I made plans to visit a Belgian grocery store. More on that in the next post.
Yesterday, Bill and I got home from our latest trip. This journey was different from our usual trips, because most of it involved a conference Bill attended in Mons, Belgium. Some weeks ago, Bill told me about this trip and asked me if I wanted to go with him, since it was happening just before our 22nd wedding anniversary. I said yes, because I enjoy Belgium very much. I love most things about it– the chocolate, the beer, the frites, and the irreverent humor, especially!
After the conference, Bill agreed that we would go somewhere more luxurious to celebrate our marriage. He got permission to drive our personal vehicle so we could make that happen. Normally, when Bill goes on work trips, he has to rent a car or fly. Fortunately, his bosses were fine with letting him drive our Volvo.
We didn’t have much choice over where we would spend our days in Belgium. I think Bill had a choice of several hotels that fell within the rates allowed by his company. By the time he was ready to book, a lot of the hotels were already full. Consequently, we ended up at the B&B Hotel Mons Centre, along with a lot of other military types from around Europe.
It was a Facebook ad that led me to book our wonderful accommodations in Nistelrode, Holland (The Netherlands). I wanted a place that was quiet, luxurious, and comfortable, and when I saw The Duke Suites showcased on my Facebook feed, I was immediately curious. The only thing that gave me a moment’s pause was the fact that the place is part of a golf club. Bill and I are not golfers, nor do we aspire to become golfers. However, I did used to work at a country club when I lived in South Carolina, so I am familiar with golfing. Even though the nightly rate was pretty steep, I decided to book it.
With our plans set and Noyzi and Charlie safely boarded at their usual Hundepension, we headed west on November 11th. The drive to Belgium was fairly uneventful. We did stop at a McDonald’s for lunch. That was a regrettable decision, especially since their toilets were closed. They did have port-a-lets outside of the restaurant, but we decided to hold on until we encountered the next Autohof.
Nuns on the run…Nukes!(my German friend says Germany has gotten rid of its nuclear power plants… this photo was taken in Germany, though.)I remember when I liked McDonald’s. Now it’s a recipe for indigestion. We should have held out for something better.
When we arrived in Mons, it was already dark. The hotel has a good location, within walking distance of the Grand Place in Mons. However, Bill was challenged by parking, as the hotel has a parking garage, but it’s easy to miss and has a very narrow opening. We didn’t check it out for ourselves, but the parking garage is also reportedly deep, making it a challenge to get in and out of. Someone also parked in front of the door on the first morning and got their car towed! Fortunately, after some repeated circling around the block, Bill managed to find some free street parking. He left our Volvo unbothered in that spot all week.
When we checked in, we were initially given room 156, which was supposedly a “boutique room”. Indeed, it was a large room with chairs and a table, as well as the usual bed. But then when we went into the bathroom, which had a shower stall, I noticed that the toilet seat was not fully connected to the seat. Since I’ve had my share of dealings with half-assed toilet seats, I asked Bill to see if he could get us a room with a better toilet seat. He was successful, and we were moved to room 358.
Below are some photos from room 156…
That green background was a bit depressing.We didn’t have the chairs in our second room.Looks like some water warping.I didn’t want to deal with that seat…Shower stall.I probably would have preferred that shower, though.
Below are some photos from our second room. It was smaller, but in better condition. At least the backdrop was less depressing.
That carpet was a bit busy.I’d rather have a shower stall than a tub…
Once we checked in, Bill and I decided to hunt for some food. As I mentioned up post, the best thing about the B&B Mons Centre Hotel is that it’s very close to the heart of the city. It takes about ten minutes to get to the action on foot. It’s also very close to a large grocery store, which came in handy for us a couple of times.
We didn’t realize it when we arrived in Mons, but there was some kind of carnival going on. It was kind of surreal walking downtown and being confronted by bright rides, games, and street food in the Grand Place. The weather was cool and misty– probably unseasonably warm by local standards. Lots of people were out and about, enjoying the November festivities. This carnival was going on the whole time we were in Mons. No, we didn’t get on any of the rides!
We ended up having dinner at a restaurant called La Grillade, which is a Greek place. They were fairly busy, but they had room for us in the back room. This turned out to be a good choice for dinner, as the back room was nice and quiet, and the food was delicious. I especially appreciated the excellent frites! I had salmon filet, and it was cooked perfectly. Bill had a lamb skewer that he said was most satisfactory. We split a bottle of wine and enjoyed watching a group of men at a nearby table bonding over friendship and good food. The food was good enough that we even had dessert.
The salmon was excellent. The Béarnaise sauce came in handy!TiramisuChocolate mousse!Quite an impressive body…This is the front of the restaurant, but there’s a glare on the sign.
After dinner, we headed back to our hotel. Bill had work in the morning, and I was tentatively planning my first day of exploration around Mons… I know some Americans live there because of SHAPE Headquarters. I don’t think I’d mind living there myself. It’s a very nice town.
So ends the first installment of this series. I’ll be back soon with the next part.
I have a lot of writing to do about our trip, which was mostly for business, but also to celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary. Our trip began on Monday, November 11th, which was Veteran’s Day, and ran until this morning. We stayed five nights in Mons, Belgium, where Bill attended a work conference, and three nights at The Duke Suites in Nistelrode, The Netherlands.
I made a few videos for my YouTube channel while we were traveling, but they weren’t about travel. They were mostly about politics. This trip didn’t allow for a lot of videos, anyway, because Bill was working for most of it. I did get a lot of nice photos, eat in some great restaurants, and rack up a few new stories. Just the difference between our Belgian and Dutch accommodations are worth discussing…
I hope you’ll join me on the upcoming blog series about this trip, which may or may not be as long as usual. A lot of this trip involved me sitting around waiting for Bill to get off duty, but we did meet some new people. There were a couple of guys I met that I hope I won’t run into again… unless I’m driving, that is. 😀
Anyway, I’m going to go hose off, maybe get a snack, and perhaps get this series underway. Stay tuned!
There was a wine stand last night, but Bill and I almost didn’t go because it looked like it was going to rain. However, because I’ve been way too cooped up lately, we decided it would be a good thing to attend and support the hosts. So we went and enjoyed the somewhat agreeable temperatures, even if the sun was behind clouds. I didn’t even bother to wear a sweater. I didn’t get many photos, because it was a relaxed gathering. We could have brought the dogs with no problem.
Last night’s wine stand was a fairly low key affair, as I think a lot of people are either on vacation due to school holidays, or they had the same idea that it might rain. Nevertheless, we ended up meeting an interesting person last night. She heard us speaking English and came over to ask us if we knew any lawyers who could help her with a problem her “niece” was having. I got the sense that maybe she was actually the “niece”, given how urgent and personally invested she seemed about the issue… which I seem to recall had to do with money, the US military, and local taxation. Bill spoke to her longer than I did, since he knows more about military policies than I do.
In the end, we told her there’s an American lawyer who lives in our village and works in Frankfurt. Maybe she knows someone who can help her with her problem. In fact, she even got up and went to their house last night, but they weren’t home. My guess is that the lawyer and her spouse took their kids on a trip somewhere. We were trying to tell us who the American lawyer is, and another German lady sitting with us spoke up and told her about her in German.
What was especially interesting was that the woman, whose name I didn’t catch, though she gave Bill her former business card, spoke absolutely flawless English. She said she had lived and worked in Washington, DC for a long time. She even knew about Fredericksburg, Virginia, and we had a good laugh, because Bill and I used to live in Fredericksburg 22 years ago, just before and after our wedding. And then I told her that I grew up about 90 miles south of Fredericksburg. Then we had a chuckle about how redneck parts of Virginia still are.
I sensed that maybe she’d married an American and they were now having issues with taxes… or maybe she really does have a niece with that problem. I don’t know. The wine might have made things less clear. She said she no longer works, although she still has business cards. I noticed that it looked like she was wearing a wig, but who knows why… She did say that Breckenheim started the local wine stand tradition some twenty years ago or so.
When it started getting darker and we both needed to pee, we went home to the dogs, who were very excited to see us. Charlie even pulled his bed into the dining room so he could hang out with us in comfort.
We have a short break coming up at the end of the month in Bad Wörishofen, Bavaria. After that, Bill has to go to Mons, Belgium for work. Since it’s right before our 22nd wedding anniversary, and about a four hour drive, he invited me to go with him. So that’s what we will do this year. Go to Belgium so he can work and I can enjoy some museums and beer, then afterwards, book at stay at a nice hotel in Belgium or The Netherlands and celebrate our anniversary.
Facebook has already suggested a lovely looking hotel in Nistelrode, The Netherlands. The hotel is on a golf course. We don’t golf, but we can appreciate the beauty and quiet of golf courses. Maybe we’ll go there, or maybe I’ll something even better. I’ll keep looking.
It’s hard to believe we celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary in Armenia last year. The year has flown by, and a lot has happened. I’m glad we got to go there last year… I’d love to go back again sometime, if the opportunity presents itself. I had meant for us to visit Spain for our anniversary, but Bill’s work schedule won’t accommodate that this year. Maybe we’ll go sometime in the winter.
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