Mardi Gras, Bruges, et Cantillon

I know it's been a few weeks since the last post, so I'm going to have to backtrack a little...

Binche (Mardi Gras)

       Welcome to March 8th, otherwise known as Mardi Gras or "Fat Tuesday." ISA took us on a trip to Binche, Belgium for the afternoon/evening to celebrate the event. There was a huge parade with some interesting music and a lot of people. The festival in Binche is known for its tradition of throwing blood oranges into the crowd. There must have been hundreds given out and I actually caught one! (It was delicious). 
       The next night ISA hosted another movie night at the office with a 'free' Belgian-inspired meal of chicken sausages and stomp (mashed potatoes and carrots/broccoli). It was surprisingly tasty. Then, we watched a French film called Trois Couleurs: Blanc. Much of the film was in Polish too, which was an interesting twist. 

Bruges (boat tour)

       On March 12, we had an excursion to Bruges--the city that was featured in In Bruges (that we watched at our 1st movie night). We Departed Brussels around 8:15am and our first visit was the "Memling in Sint-Jan museum," which was a former hospital. We finished a little earlier than expected, so we sat down for what we were told was the best hot chocolate in Belgium...I would say it makes it to the top of the rankings. We then went on a surprise boat tour, which was a pleasant introduction to the city. Next came a quick peek inside the "Church of our Lady" where we saw the white marble statue of Maddonna and Child by Michelangelo. This was followed by a visit to the Belfry tower. We climbed 366 steps to get to the top, where we rewarded with a magnificent view of Bruges and its surroundings. I got to sign my name at the top and make my mark! 
       We took another tour, but this time in a horse drawn carriage along the cobble stoned narrow streets of Bruges while listening to the history of the area. The carriage took us all the way to the "Minnewater" where we were allowed to step out (giving the horse a few minutes of rest) and capture a few pictures. Then came some free time to explore the city and sample some chocolates--literally every other store was a specialty chocolate shop. This concluded the excursion to Bruges and we hopped on a train back to Brussels in the early evening. We arrived home at a decent hour, so a bunch of us went to the movies to see Black Swan, which was...umm...unforgettable!

Cantillon Brewery

       The following weekend was fairly rough. I had two major papers due that Monday, so I spent most of the weekend inside writing. However, I did take one break...for a trip to an authentic brewery in Brussels. It is called the Cantillon Brewery and it was founded in 1900. It is the place where Kriek, Lambic, Faro, and Gueze are made, which are some of Belgium's more famous beers. In 1999, they decided to switch to only organically grown cereals. The brewery is also known for its cherry, rasberry, and apricot fruit beers. Well I guess there's a lot more to learn in Belgium besides politics and chocolate!


I'll stop here for now...expect another post shortly with the rest of my March madness adventures!


A tout à l'heure.
Arielle