Birthday Europe Trip

June 24th, 2013

First off....did you know that Google Reader is disappearing on July 1st?  If you use Google Reader make sure to make the switch by using Bloglovin or Feedly.   I like Feedly, but it's all about personal preference. 

So 1 1/2 year ago I celebrated my 30th birthday in Europe.  It was amazing.  My trip was jampacked with so many memories, like....

• Touring Anne Franks House
• Taking a photo with the I Amsterdam sign
• Trying Belgium Chocolate and Waffles in Belgium
• Biking Through the Countryside in Holland
• Walking through the Red Light District in Amsterdam
• Visiting the Beaches of Portugal
• Trying Pastel de Nata in Portugal
• Drinking Port in Portugal
• Having Tapas, Sangria, and Paella in Spain
• Visiting Gaudi's Work
• Pretending to be a Matador in a Spanish Bull Ring
• Enjoying the Moorish Architecture of the Alhambra Palace

....and remarkably I am still not done posting about that trip.

Another thing I love to do is make videos of my trips.   My old Macbook Pro was near death, and it made it very difficult to make videos using lots of clips.  I recently upgraded to a fully upgraded Macbook Air (I am in LOVE!), and it has made loading video clips a breeze.  I tested out my new system and made a video of my Birthday Europe trip....


I have to explain a few things as some of the clips will probably have you scratching your head.

I have limited videos in Amsterdam and Belgium because my camera momentarily died during a "flash flood" in my poncho while cycling around Amsterdam.

The second music choice is a song we heard quite a few times on our trip.   Tell me you love it as much as I do!?  Hah!

The clip of the old people in wheelchairs were our fellow passengers that we shared a flight with to Malaga.  I had never seen so many wheelchairs in my life (and I work in a hospital).   We were easily the youngest people on the flight!

The ridiculous dancing is a mockery of a man we met on my birthday.  He had the craziest and most bizarre moves!

Yes...THAT is a clip in the video!

The "singing" at the end was an imitation of a person we encountered while having tapas in Seville.  The person asked for money and then proceeded to sing....HORRIBLY!!!!

....and I'm sure you are all wondering why I decided to give myself a fake goatee?  On a way-too-early bus ride to Gibraltar, both my friend and I (while half asleep) noticed two women sit next to us.  When we arrived in Gibraltar we both woke up to find that the "woman" was actually a man!  We laughed at our delirious confusion, and still chuckle about it till this day.

This is the time in the post when I typically apologize for being so ridiculous, but I won't this time.  The crazy antics are me being me, and I kinda like that about myself.  :)

Try Belgian Chocolate And Waffles In Belgium

One of my several definitions of being a Foodie is traveling for food.

 Macaroons from Del Rey Chocolates

While traveling to Amsterdam I decided to escape for a day and venture over to the neighboring country of Belgium.  Belgium is more notably known for two types of food, Belgian Chocolates, and Belgian Waffles.  It wasn't exactly a $20 bus ride over to Belgium either.  It was a steep $80 roundtrip train ride from Amsterdam to Belgium.  So it definitely wasn't cheap, but again, I am a Foodie and I will travel far for edible delights (the more I tell myself that the easier it is for my wallet).

The train ride to Antwerp was an easy two hours each way, and the train station alone was worth the visit!  It was monstrous, clean, and beautiful designed.

Antwerp Central Station

As soon as I stepped off the train I quickly discovered little waffle stands scattered around the station.   I wanted to try a more mom-and-pop type place so I skipped the ones at the station and explored the city on foot.  I managed to find a pleasantly nice shopping area that seemed like a pretty  happening place.  It was lined with charming old buildings and statues, so I crossed my fingers and toes in hopes of finding a waffle place.

Hunting for waffles in a shopping area of Antwerp

I guess before I move on I should give you some Waffle history.  Believe it or not there are several types of waffles.  For instance, in The Netherlands I tried the Stroopwafel which was nothing to write home about.  Then we have the American style waffles which are topped with maple syrup, or fried chicken if you desire a more heartier alternative.  Belgium has two popular styles of waffles, the Brussels Waffle (which is how they typically serve Belgian waffles in America), or the Liège Waffle (which is coated with bits of pearl sugar that carmelizes on the outside when baked).  I'll take the one I can't find back home please!  Liège it is!

 My Liège style Belgian Waffle

After scowering the area I finally settled on a little food truck that had locals running to it.  The nice old man took the money out of my palm and in exchange handed me my waffle wrapped in a napkin.  In Belgium, waffles are considered street food similar to hot dogs in New York.  I sat by a fountain and took one bite of my still warm waffle and my eyes widdened stunned at how yummy it was!  It was perfectly sweet without it being smothered by fruits, chocolate, syrup, etc.  If I had 5 thumbs I would give it 5 thumbs up, and then I would try growing a sixth thumb just for extra credit.

Then it was time to hunt for some chocolate.  Before arriving in Antwerp, I went on TripAdvisor to search for Chocolatiers near the train station.  I found one chocolate shop that had locations in Amsterdam, but I didn't just spend $80 to travel to Belgium to buy chocolate I can get in Amsterdam.  Then just around the corner from the train station I found Del Rey Chocolates, a local chocolate shop that takes pride in creating pieces of edible chocolate art.

Chocolates from the store window

I walked in the store to find myself surrounded by beautiful morsels of chocolate heaven.  The people at the shop were quite friendly, and helped me pick out a few things to take back to Amsterdam with me.  I decided on a small box of assorted chocolates and macaroons (the fun colors were calling out, "EAT ME!").  The chocolates were not cheap, but it was still worth the money in my book (then again I am also the crazy fool that just spent $80 to buy chocolate and waffles).

Works of Art from the window of Del Rey

The Votes are in, and the Winners are:

Chocolate Category- My vote still goes to Swiss Chocolate.  Belgian Chocolates were more rich (concentrating more on the cocoa flavor), while I favor the more milky smooth taste of Swiss Chocolate.

Waffle Category-  The Belgian (Liège) Waffle wins by a landslide.  Now it's time to search for a place in Southern California that makes them!

Date Accomplished:  October 19th, 2011