Yesterday I woke up feeling better, the sun was peeking behind the bricked gables calling me to get up, get happy, and get the day started. After a bit of leisurely morning, I kissed my love adieu and went about my day. Errands? Adventure? I wasn't sure what was going to happen, and in my experience, that is when the best things happen.
I needed to get a few items for dinner, so I stopped by my local grocer
Delhaize to get a few things.
A tangent, if I may...
Along Brusselstraat there are some great shops, including a specialty shop called Oil & Vinegar, and guess what they sell? Yup, oil and vinegar, but not just any old oil or vinegar, these are special varietal blends of the most delicate, sumptuous, and tangy tastes. The different varieties of oil and vinegar sit in beautiful glass vats . Oil & Vinegar is a company from the Netherlands and they have just branched out to the United States. The website for the US is a little difficult to follow, but let me tell you that this is a brilliant concept and any franchise would do extremely well in the US. It seems pretty involved as far as tastes go, but this is a store that you can learn from. I'll have to go back with my camera and present a sample of the delightful flavors they offer. This is a really unique store.
Ok, back to my day in photos of round forms.
I needed some vanilla to make bread pudding and as you can imagine in a foreign grocery store, this can be a bit difficult to find. But, people are pretty friendly here, and will help you if you ask. I found vanilla at
Origin'O, an all natural grocery store, except it wasn't the vanilla that I was used to (e.g., Mexican vanilla, liquid vanilla). Nope, this was a jar of tiny little beans, which smelled like heaven when I opened it.
Isn't this cabbage so beautiful?
Albiet blurry, it reminds me of antique soup terrines, which I typically find hideous, but now have a whole new appreciation for. Just look at that color and texture! It's called a savoy cabbage and according to this
blog, has "a very distinct and sweet flavor." Hmmm, this maybe something I have to stew up and try this weekend.
I saw this fur foot ball in the window of a men's shop...
Not quite sure what to say about it, just wanted to share it's form with you.
Then, quite out of blue, from two ladies I was given this rose, "for the love of Jesus."
Thank you!
That concludes my pictures of round things.
On to
Kruidvat (pharmacy and beauty store) for some sweets!
I am addicted with these Gummi cherries, a sweet treat I learned about in Spain 9 years ago.
Ready for an adventure.
Raquel, my friend in Puerto Vallarta, used to talk to me about how she used to fill her time when she first moved there. She was without a job, pregnant and not sure what was coming next. She would get on a bus and just go along for the ride - discovering new places, and learning the lay of the land. It sounded like a good idea to me.
I got on the #7. It took me by
Spit, and past Heverlee.
It also broke down.
It's quiet out here.
The #7 bus stops by the new
Aldi which opened yesterday. I've been told by friends that this German based grocery store chain generally has inexpensive produce and other items. It was too crowded to buy anything, but did I sample champagne, coffee, chocolates, cake and cookies. Good enough for me!
Playing with composition at the bus stop...
"Hop on the bus, Gus
Don't need to discuss much
Drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free."
I love flamenco dance. I even took a class in my mid twenties. I would like to take lessons again, it's such a sensual and emotional dance. As much as I like dancing with my partner, flamenco can be danced alone ~ performed for your partner. My teacher said I was a natural, and I remember a few steps from the Sevillana. I loved my zapatos with nails in them, they were so loud and powerful when I did the zapatera. My goal was to become very good because I really wanted to wear a frilly skirt and use the castanets. One day... one day...
My intention was to wait until each piece was seperated from the whole, but I couldn't wait. I really wanted to taste my Señorita orange from España! And it tasted...
I had tea in an orange mug with two chocolate orange soft cake cookies on the side for a delicious and enjoyable 15 minutes, a real treat for me.
Albiet blurry, it reminds me of antique soup terrines, which I typically find hideous, but now have a whole new appreciation for. Just look at that color and texture! It's called a savoy cabbage and according to this blog, has "a very distinct and sweet flavor." Hmmm, this maybe something I have to stew up and try this weekend.
A very popular and tasty snack, Belgium's infamous friets (aka French fries) were invented here and not it France. I heard this story at dinner the other night. I don't know how true it is, but the source of my story is Belgian and a very good story teller.
That was not as hard as I initially thought. My knife isn't the best knife, but it worked.
I prefer the simple fish print. There is a reason I went with fish and a reason I went with the potato... More about that later.
