This weekend flew by. And, despite it marking the third straight weekend of go!go! go!, it was well worth the loss of quiet time. There is more than enough opportunity for solitude and regeneration coming up with my four day weekend that is but three days of work away.

K's parents arrived on Friday night, via Eurostar - England to Brussels in 2 hours. I finished a spin at the gym while K fought traffic to and from the station. We spent the entire weekend sharing some of our favourite restaurants and cafes. Their own personal/work related reasons for coming our way were uber-fantastically fun to take part in: Saturday included a tour of a soon to be dismantled exhibition of artifacts from around the tramping grounds of my favourite ancient short story character: Gilgamesh. But, I have to say, it was the field trip we took on Sunday that took the vegan cake. K's mom is an archaeologist, and she managed to wrangle group access to 6000 year old flint mines that are currently being excavated in a Belgian spot not too far from Brussels. I admit that while strapping on the safety gear and stepping, with trepidation, towards the 9 meter in length (SLIPPERY) ladder, I had some reservations. But, once I made my way down, and had a chance to poke around under the earth, I couldn't have been happier.

Before the descent we found a patch of the countryside and enjoyed a picnic that K and I put together, compliments of Flagey's weekend market stalls. Our picnic basket included:

Fresh tomatoes
1 baguette
bananas
apples
stuffed grape leaves
black and green olives
hummus
one of my super quick tabouli salads

We capped the weekend off with some vegan friendly Ethiopian food.


I admit to feeling pangs of guilt with not being able to make my usual flurry of posts. I can see the horizon though - no more weekends of mad rushing, travel, entertaining or work. With the exception of a four day trip to Germany coming up in mid-May I am very happy to say that I am bound to Brussels (and my kitchen) for the next few months.

I needed to make a pit stop at the Ixelles police station last night after work, and rather than racing home (my thick Canadian skin is proving useful in this -2 degree weather that finds other folks scurrying home as fast as can be), I decided to stroll around the neighbourhood and FINALLY pop into La Tsampa. I was under the silly impression that this was only a veg restaurant - when really, the truth being now revealed (and the massive iron doors upon creaking open, did very much make it feel that I was 'revealling' something), La Tsampa is a great little magasin AND a restaurant. Whopppee.

They had a great selection of bio/organic foodstuff. They even had - get ready - Vegan Ravioli. I almost started crying right there in the middle of the mega-packed shop. The tears were provoked by memories of sharing a tin of Chef Boyardee with my nana at almost every lunch time...eaten whilst watching Days of Our Lives. It appears that for a mere 4.35 euros I can enjoy the memory once again (I think I might skip on the Days of Our Lives though).

They were also well stocked with yummy looking pastas (loads were wheat free), dried fruit, nuts, egg replacer, vegan makeup, vegan body spray, Bach Herbal remedies, and a hearty selection of fresh produce. Way to go La Tsampa - you made my day!!! Upon doing some research today it appears that they do a pretty good menu in the restaurant as well - I think Thursday night might have to include a little visit. They also have veg cooking classes and the shop seemed to be a spot for posting veg related information and products.

Totally impressed. Looking forward to enjoying my vegan energy bars, which I picked up last night, during my Friday plane ride.

I think, even in my vegan state, that I know chocolate; I have had some pretty amazing chocolate in my life, and have even lived across the road from the Gladstone Cadbury Chocolate factory. This expertise leaves me with a certain amount of qualification to make some strong statements about the darling morsels that have made their melting ways into my sweaty palms. Before I share the new chocolateir, whose treats past between my lips last night, I have to acknowledge the fact that their can never be a chocolate treat as tasty as my mom's christmas truffles.

**Note - Mom, if you don't manage to veganize your truffles during my trip home I might have to reconsider my Chemay offer.

I wasn't feeling so hot last night. The damp days of Brussels aren't always best suited for us with tin-man joints. Despite the cool weather my knight in shinning armor (disguised as a super geek) made an evening journey to the posh market to fetch himself some bread and other pizza toppings. Upon his return, he withdrew, from under his Arthurian nerd-bag, a funkfully designed little red box. Held within the box was a good sized portion of Gingembre de Guilin. The dark chocolate covered ginger sticks, which came in a bit too much packaging, were delicious. What was even better was the localness of the product - all made and packaged in Brussels, from the well traveled LAURENT GERBAUD, whose company: Chocolats Gerbaud sells the best Belgian chocolate I have tasted so far.

The chocolatier has tramped across the world and swapped Belgian beer insider tips for gourmand secrets that he has incorporated into this chocolate. In addition to some run of the mill product titles, such as: Figs in Dark Chocolate, and Truffes Noires, the goodness also takes us into other countries with his, Amandes de Sicile, Oranges de Shanghai, Abricots de Barrydale, and Noisettes du Piémont. The whole product line seems to be marketed very consciously around this attempt at globalizing ones day through the chocolate indulgence. A well planned out business plan for Brussels in particular - a city within a country with the largest European GDP, with citizens who make a regular habit to work until 10 pm most nights, leaving the busy business drones with little time for trips to Guilin, Sicile or Shanghai. Conversely, as I noted on my trip to Ikea (yes, I realize the irony thanks), that it is also a city with some extensively dense pockets of poverty...sorry...where did my taxes go?

The main shop can be found at A.M Sweet, Rue Des Charteux 4, 1000 Brussels. But, don't be discouraged, you can pick up these delectables from a variety of retailers across the continent, in the UK and on your weekend trips to Japan. Check out this page for a list of the retailers.

Anyway, the chocolate I had last night was fantastic. And, everyone back home can bank on some Chocolats Gerbaud.

forests and fruits

Spent Sunday exploring some of the aspects of Brussels that Lonely Planet had threatened would be in short supply - fruit and forests.

I had a wonderful day traipsing around the south east corners of Brussels. AND! a very vegan dinner was had by all.

Fruit Salad:

2 oranges (I learned a new trick yesterday - peel the oranges, rip them into slices and than use SCISSORS to cut them into small pieces)
1 bunch of grapes (ie: as many as you would like)
2 banana
1/2 honey melon
1 quart of strawberries

Wash all fruit. Slice fruit into tiny tiny peices and toss in a large glass bowl. Allow the fruit to sit for about 3 hours in the fridge. Enjoy!

We enjoyed our salad atop a lovely little terrace.
The walk through the forest was amazingly wonderful. It made me feel as though I was at home. What it reminded me of was the walk that Keith and I took through Cathedral Grove on BC's Vancouver Island. Granted the trees weren't quite so old, nor quite so wide, they were quite massive and the canopy so high.

There were loads of families enjoying the unusually hot and dry weather. Lots of little kids streaking through the path ways, trailing screams behind them. Lots of old couples holding hands and betraying to my eye the love they still have for each other.

I took a taxi home at 11 pm, and saw Brussels in a very different way. It appeared much more......european??? Does that make sense? Something about the structures and the backlighting? Not sure what it was.

Ahhh...well. Really enjoying it here - and not having a problem being vegan at all!