British Expats - An imaginatively titled Belgian thread...

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeniB (Post 12372931)

Hi Bob Sounds like you are really making good progress in Belgium..We were always impressed with the quality of work and workmen in Nl..It is much rarer now to find that staff do not speak English.......and German..and French ..and Spanish . The young learn at least three languages in the main. Puts us to shame really..Altho the 'wash girl' at my hairdressers was getting a tad ticked off with me not speaking Portuguese yet... especially as my OH was prattling on ten to the dozen.. (the weasel) :lol: It gave me the neccessay kick to download a set of lessons today.. Onwards and upwards ..

Hi I was interested to hear that the OH speaks fluent PT... And restos are mentioned a few times here.

So Im guessing that there are 'foodies' like us reading this thread

You may want to consider taking a trip to the unofficial PT 'quarter' in Brussels. We live in Etterbeek the centre of the EU. Right on the border with Ixelles. The nearest of 2 Portuguese restos is just a 5 min walk.

When you arrive at the major train station Gare du Midi, Brussels there is a tram 81 that takes you directly to the Mouterij/Germoir stop. This train station is where the international trains depart (Eurostar to London, Thalys to Paris and other capitals)

If you imagine a 'corridor' on the line between Place Flagey and Mouterij/Germoir, you will come across several traditional PT restos in a band of just +/- 100m each side. At Mouterij/Germoir there are 2 on either side. Cafe de Portugal CDP and 142. 142 has excellent food quality/price, has Italian as a theme with PT food. Its one of my highly rated Brussels restos (price/quality)

You can get a lunch for 2 at several restos in this corridor. For under 30€ for 2 you will get a lunch of soup, choice of meat or fish for main course, coffee and a bottle of wine! (Not Sundays) Your BH will enjoy chatting to the PT customers and staff. CDP is one of these.. and footy mad, Benfica!! All this in the centre of Brussels/Europe.!!

I would propose to make a day of it. Arrive in the Gare Centrale. Walk around the Grand Place (one of the best in Europe), then walk through the Parc Royal, past the Royal Palace, Place Luxembourg (busy with EU employees), through the huge EU buildings, through the park Leopold to the wonderful Place Jourdan. Here all the bars allow you to bring your own food and you can enjoy a good Belgian Beer with it!! Plenty of take away choices at the place. These 2 Place's are busy, multicultural as they are next to the EU parliament.

There you can decide to go to either Mouterij/Germoir or Place Flagey or along the corridor for your PT meal. Walk around the lakes at Pl Flagey.... And jump on the tram 81 to Gare du Midi to go back.

Note without stopping this walk will only take +/- 1 hour.... So much in such a small walk... But you will stop :)

You will have Belgian beers and PT wine, so dont drive! And the trains and other public transport is excellent.

Happy eating, drinking and visiting... And enjoying the capital with a PT twist :)

Welcome to Belgium!

Jon
PS of course Brussels is a culinary capital of Europe, I focused on PT as you as a couple speak it