Mike's Visit

We were honored that Mike chose to visit us for his frist trip outside the U.S.; it was really great to see him. Surprisingly enough we didn’t leave Belgium during his entire visit. He was pretty clear about his interests…..Beer, Chocolate, Waffles, and Military History...probably in that order. So, we did our best to make sure he got to experience the best of what Belgium has to offer. He actually flew into London and took the Eurostar into Brussels which can be a real cost saver but also can make a long trip even longer. We took it easy for the first couple of days so that he could adjust to the time difference, but I was sure to take him into Mons for his first waffle. He was happy to discover they are not the breakfast waffles we are use to back home but instead are a sweet, fantastic dessert. We made our way up to Brugge to see all the chocolate shops, hopefully he can resist eating all his purchases and manage to get most of the chocolates home as gifts as intended : )

On Friday he and I headed up to Waterloo, a neat historical site, but in terms of tourism needs a lot of work, as the films and explanations are clearly dated and vague. Still incredible to see the spot where Napoleon was defeated. Although climbing the 226 stairs was not all that fun in my out of shape condition! Next, we stayed on the historical kick and the three of us headed to Bastogne (Battle of the Bulge) on Saturday to check on the WWII memorial there. The site was much better in terms of information and background, but still not as comprehensive as I might have liked. Keith also took him to a cemetery near the house that apparently is the only one to have U.S., British, and German soldiers buried in the same location. Now that Mike has seen some of the actual WWII locations he is re-interested in the Band of Brothers mini series, so we watched a few in the evenings. So with Chocolates, Waffles, and history checked off the list the only thing left was BEER.

On his last day Keith took Mike into Brussels to check out the Grand Place and a bar that we’ve been meaning to try. The Delirium bar has the Guinness World Record for having the most beers available at any one time, which amounts to 2004 different brews. So, Mike had an opportunity to try the best of what Belgium has to offer. Obviously we had plenty around the house for him to taste test, but we certainly can't compete with their selection. Due to some scheduling complications Mike decided to head back into London a day early to make sure he was on time for his flight. Although they don’t have the beers we do, I am sure he is having a great time.