Belgian Chocolate Shops in Brussels, Grand Sablon

A beautiful pink box of Wittamer Chocolates

Every good chocoholic knows Belgian chocolate is the best in the world. But while tourists flock to the shops selling chocolate Manneken Pis statues around Grand Place, locals and in-the-know travelers head to Brussels’ chocolate Mecca – Grand Sablon.

Grand Sablon (Grote Zavel in Dutch) is a small square (a triangle actually) with the beautiful Notre Dame de Sablon church at its head. Lining the streets are cafes, bars, restaurants and shops – most notably the best selection of chocolate shops in Brussels.

Here’s my rundown of the chocolate shops of Sablon.

A Weekend in Berlin, Germany

Berlin, Germany is a dynamic, artistic city that has shed, but not forgotten, its tragic past. We share how to spend a weekend in Berlin with plenty of things to do and see in this fascinating city.

Musée Magritte Museum Brussels

Empire des Lumieres (Empire of Lights) The first Magritte I saw in person in Brussels.

Almost a year since its grand opening, I finally managed to visit the Musée Magritte Museum in Brussels, this past weekend.

For those of you unfamiliar with René Magritte, he was a surrealist painter and probably the world’s most famous Belgian artist. His paintings depict everyday objects such as apples, men in bowler hats, umbrellas, stones and pipes in odd arrangements and juxtapositions.

Leaving Las Vegas

MGM Grand Hotel

The last half of our Vegas visit was as good as the first half and included just as much good food.

On Thursday night, I tagged along with Andrew and some of his work colleagues for supper at Shibuya, a Japanese restaurant at the MGM Grand. Although, not quite as good as Okada, it was one of the better meals we had at the Grand.

Viva Las Vegas!

View of the Strip from our room at the MGM Grand

Vegas, I owe you an apology and I am deeply sorry. I imagined you were still a land of $5.99 all you can eat buffets that bake under heat lamps all day long, gathering the germs and bacteria of a thousand semi-comatosed gambling junkies. I thought there would be little to do but waste away the day at the one-armed bandits, while sipping watered-down, comped drinks. I’m sorry Vegas, I was wrong.

Online Social Networks in Belgium

Social Networking in Belgium

Our ‘Web Guy’, Andrew, takes a look at social networking in Belgium and uncovers a few surprises.

A couple days ago, I read in a flyer from Numericable how pervasive social networking is in Belgium. Facebook alone counts more than 2.8 million Belgian users… that’s 25% of the country! While looking at these stats, I found it interesting that the male-to-female ratio is almost 1:1. Curious, I looked at a few other European countries and they are all within +/- 5% of a 50/50 split.

This got me wondering about the demographics of other ‘social’ sites frequented by Belgian users.

Abbey Notre-Dame d’Orval – Belgium

Abbey Notre-Dame d’Orval – The modern abbey

Most people know that Belgium is famous for its many beers. What many people don’t know is the beer-making tradition was started by monks in the many abbeys scattered about the country.

This summer, Andrew and I decided to take the opportunity to visit several of these abbeys. The Abbey d’Orval, famous in Belgium for both its Trappist beers and its cheeses, was one of the places we visited.

English Books in Brussels – My Favourite Book Stores

It’s not hard to find English reading material in Brussels. In fact, most of the French and Dutch bookstores carry a range of English best-sellers. But where do you go if you are looking for something besides the latest Dan Brown thriller?

Battling Expat Fat at Aspria Brussels

It took us four years, but we’ve finally done it – Andrew and I have joined a gym. And you know what? I actually like it.

Let me begin by saying I am not a sporty person. Normally, my most intense physical activity is walking around with my camera gear strapped to my back. I believe, if we were meant to jog, God would have given us built in sneakers. That said, I’ve known for quite some time, I needed to change my immobile ways.