Belgian Chocolate, Frites, and Waffles!

Carol and Ed just left for the airport and it immediately feels a little more lonely and empty without them. We had a terrific visit - despite crummy winter weather! Paris in the snow, Leuven in the cold, Brugges in the freezing rain, and then around Brussels in the "trying to be nice" weather. I will work on posting the photos of all our fun in the coming entries, but for now I just miss them. Connor misses Cara and Poppa Ed too! Our home and hearts felt so full and happy showing them around our new expat life here. There is just something about parents (& grandparents) that makes everything work well; they marvel at the smallest things and attend to everything so well.

Fortunately, Karen and Brady are coming over shortly to pick us up to make a trip to Ikea. That store always picks up my mood. And it will be nice to play with fun friends.

For now I just want to leave you with one of my favorite memories of our Willingham Adventure:

Yesterday we decided we needed to indulge in the "Belgian Gastronomic Tour" before Carol and Ed left. The delicious treats here help to balance out the cold, wet weather! So we started with a self made "chocolate tour" through the chic neighborhood of Sablon. We tasted and bought at the following chocolatiers: Wittamer, Leonidas, Marcolini, and Neuhaus (we skipped Godiva - supposedly it is the "lesser chocolate" over here!). It was so much fun and as Ed observed, the chocolate shops over here are as fancy and elegant as jewelry stores in the States. Not quite as expensive though!











Then we came back and fed Connor a healthy dinner before going back out into the rain for our "dinner" of Belgian french fries and waffles! Fritland did not disappoint with hot, golden frites and the waffles were my very first street waffles in Belgium. Wow! Shouldn't everyone at some point in life have dinner of Belgian fries and waffles in the rain and the light of the Grand Place?!?
We miss you Cara and Poppa. Thank you so much for coming across the Atlantic to love on us! It was just the bright light we needed in the midst of the grey winter.