Over the course of eight trips to Belgium I've gleaned a few shreds of knowledge that might make your trip a little more interesting or, at least, a little more comfortable. These are in no special order, and shouldn't be likely to change any time soon.
1) Money. American Cirrus ATM cards work in most of the ATM machines in Belgium. Look for the Mr. CASH logo, which appears on bank machines as well as point-of-sale vendors. This includes BANCONTACT. This can be handy not only for cash but for gas purchases; many gas stations are empty at night, but can be turned on by the insertion of an ATM card in the appropriate slot. ATM withdrawals give you the best possible exchange rate, with no commission (other than what your bank may charge). Call 1-800-4- CIRRUS for the latest listings of ATM machines you can use.
In basic terms, 100 francs is worth $3.00. 1,000 francs is $30.00. Some supermarkets take ATM cards or VISA; Sarma takes VISA, I'm not sure about the others. Mastercard is known as Eurocard over there.
Keep in mind that the prices for everything--store goods, meals, etc.--include all applicable taxes and tips. The price you see is what you pay; if only it were that easy here. If you're happy with your restaurant service you can leave a few francs as a tip--typically people will leave some of the change from the nearest-denomination bill.
2) Driving. The autoroute speed limit is 120 km/hr. On smaller roads keep an eye out for triangular signs on the right that have a red border and a black X in the center. This means that vehicles entering from the next goat path on the right have priority over through traffic. Invariably it's some slow-moving tractor. Filling your gas tank will cost you about 1000 Belgian francs.
3) Water. Europeans think that drinking tap water is a weird idea, and you can become terribly dehydrated if you depend on water fountains. Particularly in Belgium some restaurants will refuse to bring you a carafe of plain water, and will insist on selling you tiny, overpriced bottles of mineral water.
Whenever you're going anywhere, pick up a 2-liter bottle of mineral water for the trip; throw it in the back seat of the car, or carry it on the train. Water is available in every store. In fact, you'll usually have a choice of varieties, and this can be very useful for brewers, as each of them has the mineral content on the label. You can buy water that has almost nothing in it (Spa) up to water that tastes just like Burton-on-Trent (usually from Vichy). Check the carbonate content on the label. You'll definitely taste the carbonates by 300, and some waters go way into the thousands. This brings us to:
4) Bathrooms. In many restaurants and public facilities you'll encounter the Dame Pipi, usually a humorless woman who cleans the bathrooms and charges you for their use. It's helpful to have change in your pockets- -usually 7 to 10 francs. You'll have a very unpleasant experience if you try to use the bathroom without paying. Think of it as a user fee.
5) Food. Be prepared; eating in Belgium is expensive. Even a simple pizza for one person will cost 300 francs (or about $9.00). Show a little restraint, but also accept that you're on vacation and that's just how it is.
All months with the letter "R" (SeptembeR, MaRch, etc.) in them are mussel season (moules in French, mossel in Flemish). Mussels are one of the Belgian national foods, and usually are excellent. They come with French fries, and the portions are usually quite large. You'll have a choice of preparations, many of which I'm not familiar with. I usually go for whatever's cheap, as these are less likely to be drenched in cream and have lighter wine-based sauces.
"French" fries are another national dish. The ones in restaurants are your average fries; what you want are the ones from the trailer stands. Go for the ones that come in paper cones, and avoid the ones that come in plastic trays. Usually even the small portions are huge, and cost about 50 francs. You will be offered a large variety of sauces for the fries, including mayonnaise. My friends over there frequently take tartar sauce or sauce cocktail (French dressing with whiskey in it). From long experience I can tell you not to get exotic, or you'll be sorry. I'll go for mayonnaise if it's home made, and otherwise just go naked. If you order the mayo, be prepared for a heart-clogging glob that's worth at least 1000 calories.
Finally, there's waffles. The kind we think of as Belgian waffles are known as Brussels waffles over there. Skip these. What you want are the Liege waffles (gaufres in French), which are available only from street stands. These are compact, round waffles made from a batter that contains chunks of sugar. When cooked some of the chunks near the surface carmelize the exterior. You can usually smell these from several blocks away. Hot, they're just wonderful, and cost about 20-30 francs.
Finally, there's chocolate. In the supermarkets buy Cote D'Or fondant (dark), as well as Callebaut Zero bars, Cote D'Or chocotoffs, and Galler bars. If kept from heat most of these will travel well. The filled chocolate bonbons are known as "pralines" in Belgium, and the most common vendors are Leonidas and Daskalides. In Brussels, more chichi brands include Toison d'Or, Neuhaus, and Wittamer. Almost all of them are fantastic when fresh, but they fade in flavor quickly and don't travel very well. If you really want to bring some back, buy them the day before you leave (or better yet, that morning) and keep them as cool as possible. Eat them as quickly as possible, too (no this isn't a joke--you'll quickly find that some of the flavors start to fade a bit if you wait).
6) Beer. I won't go into detail here, except to say that if you ask for a "Scotch" (pronounced the way we do) you'll get a Belgian-style Scotch ale. There are a number of very good ones. When you're ready to stock up for the trip back, many supermarkets have very extensive beer selections, including the appropriate glassware. The larger supermarkets--usually ones on the outskirts of town--will have almost all of the regional and national brews, and sometimes some of the more local varieties as well. A small fee will be added to your purchase for the bottle deposit. You can collect this when you bring the bottles back on your next trip. ;-)
7) Language. If you speak French, make an attempt while in Wallonie. While in Flanders, speak English first--just ask people if they speak English. Nobody's going to shoot you, but you'll get a better reception in Flanders if you try in English; you'll find people who speak French but prefer English even if they're not as fluent. Some want to practice, and some have other political reasons. Again, nobody's going to go after you, but my advice is to stay out of the linguistic disputes if you don't want to uncover hidden layers of ugliness.
If you're interested in historical information, there's a very good (long!) entry in the Encyclopedia Brittanica, including a snazzy map showing all of the tortured linguistic/political boundries.
8) Telephones. The Belgian phone system is old, decrepit, and expensive. To combat equipment failure most pay phones are being converted to coin operation to electronic cards; the coin versions can now be hard to find. To operate the new phones you need a telecard, which can be purchased at post offices and railroad stations (always) and at larger newsstands (sometimes). The card usually costs 250 bf, and it's likely you won't use it up unless you make a lot of calls. Save it as a souvenir, or give it to your host or a fellow traveler.
When using the phone, AFTER your connection is made a number will appear on the screen that indicates the number of calling units you have left. Most households pay for their calls on a per-call basis, and it's not cheap. For this reason I usually try to make my calls from public phones, which don't run up my host's bill.
All the major long-distance carriers (AT&T, MCI, etc.) offer FREE dial-in numbers that will connect you to an English-speaking operator. From there you can use your calling card to call home or to another country, and this will be billed to your home phone (at rates much lower than Belgium's--usually about $1.00 per minute). This can be very handy, as you can use it to call that hotel in Dusseldorf, cancel your reservation, and spend the rest of your vacation in Belgium. Call your long-distance carrier for their dial in number. (By the way, the same applies for England and most other European countries, though they all have different numbers.)
The fine print. Ok, folks, I spilled my guts for you. Now you can send me a postcard from the homecountry--you don't have to be sober when you write it:
Phillip Seitz, 2600 S. 16th St. #739, Arlington, VA 222204 (and have a great trip!)
Well, it appears to be the season when everybody's planning a trip to Belgium, me included. People have occasionally come to me for suggestions regarding places to go, and it's a great pleasure to help out when I can. But even though I'm getting ready for my 9th trip there's a great deal I don't know about the place, and I see exploring and learning more about a different culture at the most exciting part.
Now, this is directed at nobody in particular (HONEST!), but I'd like to remind people that there's a lot more there than beer. Yes, I know, it's hard to believe, and time is always short when you're a beer tourist. Moreover, talking about and enjoying beer is a wonderful way to meet people over there. But even so I'd like to urge people to take some time to smell the roses, and to enjoy some other things. Here are just a few examples:
1) There are lots of wonderful festival days. Check the green Michelin guide for information.
2) Industrial archaeology. There are some fascinating barge elevators in the central south, and many interesting industrial and coal mining areas.
3) Art. The Antwerp art museum is one of the world's greats, and there are numerous fantastic museums in Bruges. They also have some very classy (and eye opening) smaller museums, such at the Musee Felicien Rops in Namur. The Agnus Dei in the Ghent cathedral is worth a trip in itself.
4) Landscape. The Meuse river valley is really gorgeous, and there's a great overlook from the citadel in Namur. Dinant is also quite dramatic.
5) Culture wars. Once you have an introduction to the history, you canspot all sorts of things as you travel around. Actually, I suggest plowing through the article on Belgium in the Encyclopedia Brittanica, which includes a positively bewildering map of the linguistic divisions.
6) Small towns. There are lots of really lovely places to spend an afternoon sitting outside in a cafe, and yes, you can drink beer while you do it. My favorite is Limbourg, in the provice of Luxembourg (not to be confused with the COUNTRY of Luxembourg, but that's another story). Obviously this is for summer months, and when it's not raining.
7) Agriculture. It's really fun (but messy) to be around in the fall when the sugar beets are being harvested in Hainaut. Huge pyramids of beets by the side of the road, and tractors everywhere.
I guess my suggestion is to pace yourselves, and not to forget the importance of wasting time. At this point my M.O. is to get up in the morning, look at the map, and find someplace I've never been to visit. In the evening there's lots of time for cafes, etc. And if you're feeling particularly catholic in your tastes, there's even a gin museum in Hasselt!
I beg your pardon for taking this space, but I just wanted to remind you that there's more to bring home from Belgium than beer. Overall I've found it to be a very friendly place for people who are curious and care about life and culture, and in some cases it can even change your life. I know it changed mine, and I'll be eternally grateful.
Phil
For all of you Belgium bound travelers, I recommend getting a copy of Phil Seitz's excellent article for Belgium travelers. Listed below is a couple of things my wife and I experienced last June in Belgium.
- Not all shops/restaurants/places have normal operating hours like we are accustomed to here in the US. I seem to remember the Cafe Tre Fontaines (sp?) in Beersel is closed on Tuesday?. Places sometimes close at lunch time for a period of time (1 - 2 hours).
- If you are going in July or August, bewarned that is holiday time (vacation for us yanks...) in Europe and many places may be closed.
- Drinking water. We are so accustomed to getting a glass of water with our meals, not in Europe. We had to buy alot of bottles of Vittel to survive (all that beer dehydrated us...). We had one restaurant in Dusseldorf say that tap water is for sheep and dogs!!! Be careful about ordering water off of a menu - it may be carbonated!!! say you want flat...
- Don't get in a big hurry to leave when eating at a restaurant. Unlike us, the Europeans like to take a long time to eat. I remember many 3 hours meals... You may have to ask for your check.
- The Hans Memling is nice place to stay in Brugge. It was about 1800 Francs a night. It is located close to the central core (about 6 blocks from the T'Beirje) and the innkeeper is pretty nice.
- Leave yourself plenty of time at airports. I know the Brussels airport slows down around lunch time because they all go to lunch. And catching a flight takes alot longer. You can't just run through customs...
- Above all remember you are in a foreign country. Be courteous to the locals. I felt bad for a Belgium waiter one time when an American chewed him out for not having hamburgers on the menu.
Enjoy!!!
martin
Hello all. Recent posts imply many on this digest have planned or are planning trips to the low countries soon. I have just returned from a 10 day beer hunting honeymoon in Belgium and the Netherlands and will herewith pass on a few lessons learned. This was my 5th trip to Belgium and my wife's second. This was also, by far, my most extensive trip (most past ones have been confined to Brussels).
Cash Machines - This is the first time I have travelled without bringing pockets full of cash. There are lots of cash machines in the large cities of Belgium and Holland and some in many of the smaller towns. A word of caution: Cirrus systems are the standard in Belgium and Holland. We could not find the Plus system anywhere. As a result, we were constrained to use our VISA card for cash advances, and these cards have daily limits as well as total (reasonably small) limits. Fortunately, we stayed in a few hotels that had telephones in the room, so we ere able to do phone transactions back in the US to keep the VISA limit alive. A last word of caution on cash machines in Belgium. We arrived in Brugge late on a Sunday night with only about 1200 BF in our pockets. Lots of machines in Brugge, but all of the ones near the market in the center of the city were out of money. Beware Sunday nights in tourist centers.
Tours - We did the easy brewery tours, the ones we were sure we could do without lots of prior planning. Cantillion, De Dolle, and Achouffe. All were worthwhile. The most interesting tidbit we picked up was at Cantillion where Jean Pierre Van Roy said that shipsments of Cantillion products were discontinued to the US last August. He seemed surprised we could still buy any. The reason he stated was economics, which I read as the dollar is so weak, the beer becomes too expensive in the US. He said he had no plans on shipping in the future. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Places - In Brussells, the cafe with the largest beer list within a short walk of the Grand Place is Bier Circus (89 Rue de L'Enseignement). 100+ bottles and avery interesting selection. As reported, Beer Street has changed ownership and is now not really worth stopping at. Moeder Lambic St. Gilles (68 Savoiestraat) has a catalog for its beer list (over 500) and includes Drei Fontanen Geuze and Kriek. Reports from the owner of Bier Circus is that Moeder Lambic Ixelles has closed, though we didn't have time to check it out ourselves.
In Antwerp, Kulminator is the place to go, but we really enjoyed Stamineeke (23 Vlasmarkt). Good beer selection, comfortable surroundings, nice blues and jazz, and the staff really knows how to serve beer. Surprisingly, on a Friday night, none of the cafes were exceedingly full. It all seemed like a quiet Tuesday night in the US.
In Brugge, the Beertje stands out, but there seems to be many more English speakers there (Americans and Brits) than there used to be. One tip, they have Hanssens Geuze and Kriek, but its not on their menu.
In Amsterdam, there are two Beiaards, on at 90 Herengracht and one at 30 Spui. The one on Herengracht has a better bottle selection (Westvleteren for example) and the one on Spui has better drafts, including LaTrappe Quadruple on tap. At Brouwerij 'T Ij, they continue to make excellent beers. The tap at the brewery (7 Funenkade, under the Windmill) has funky hours, though. 3:00 to 8:00 closed Monday and Tuesday. The other Amsterdam Brewpub, Maximiliaan (6 Kloveniers Burgwal, one block east of the red light district) compares with an average American Brewpub. The beers are somewhat less than distinctive, but the idea of a brewpub has intrigued many, and if you want to see flocks of Amsterdam yuppies (I didn't think they existed), this is the place to go. The beer selection at the Wildeman (5 Kolksteeg) remains outstanding.
We also spent a very enjoyable Saturday night in Beersel. I highly recommend spending a night here. There are a number of excellent cafes which serve a variety of Geuze and Kriek including Hanssen, Oud Beersel, Girardin, Drei Fontanen, and Boon. The B&B there (Centrum) is a very nice place to stay (good breakfast) and contrary to the CAMRA guide to Belgium and Holland, they speak enough English and French there to make getting a room very easy.
Also, if you are in the neighborhood of Westvleteren (about an hour south of Brugge) make an effort to go to the cafe (Vrede) there. It is an amazing place, in the middle of nowhere about 3 kilometeres outside of the small town of Westvleteren, with a huge cafe that fills on weekends with people from all over the area just to drink the beer. To get there, go to Westvleteren, follow the signs to the St. Sixtus abbey, and ask directions along the way (actually, just look confused and somebody will point the way to you).
Sorry for the long post. Hope this is of use to some of you. As for me, I can't wait for my next trip over.
Cheers,
Tom Cannon