The Belgian Trifecta!

Decisions. Decisions. Which One to Choose?

The challenge:  Complete the gastronomical marathon which we dubbed “The Belgian Trifecta”:  Consumption of world-class beer, chocolates, and waffles.

The timeframe:  A brief, but enjoyable ~18 hours.

The disclaimer:  The Belgian Trifecta should not be attempted by pregnant women or people operating heavy equipment.  Side effects of The Belgian Trifecta include sticky fingers and a desire to nap.

The approach:  We took a programmatic approach to tackling The Belgian Trifecta.  First, we built up our courage by consuming a few local beers including an Affligem blond pale ale and Maredsous brown.  Fortified with our libations, we stepped into the cool night air and located a small waffle stand near our good friend Manneken Pis; we sought balance with our topping selections of caramel and strawberry.  Overtaken by a strong desire to nap (see disclaimer), we retired to our hotel facing shame and defeat.  We had lost the battle, but not the war - The next morning we found new inspiration and secured a hearty breakfast of chocolaty bonbons before heading out of town.

The outcome:  No victory was ever sweeter!

Now That’s Convenience!

Beer Vending Machine - Super Convenient!An item on Matt’s Japan to-do list was recently accomplished when he enjoyed a frosty libation from one of the convenient beer vending machines located throughout Japan.  This task was relatively simple to accomplish while visiting the city of Kyoto, and the price of $2 or $3 (US) made it a refreshing bargain.  While these vending machines aren’t terribly prevalent, we encountered them on city streets and in multiple hotels, offering a nice way to use up pocket change after a day of subway rides, site seeing, shopping, and dining.