Le premier soir....

After we arrived at our hotel in Brussels, we took a little snooze and awoke ready to explore. It was around 6 when we headed out...with 2-3 hours before a proper euro dinner time....we had a little apéritif in the lobby...

~kir royale~

and since dinner was still hours away.... a little waffle certainly didn't spoil my appetite!

~a waffle in the Grand Place~

~Grand Place at night is so beautiful!~

We walked through the Grand Place and through the Galleries St. Hubert...when what to my wondering eyes did appear? Champagnethèque! A champagne tasting bar....I might have died on the spot! Our host led us to the tasting room and set up a "petit festival" of champagne...3 different small grower champagnes....

~veuve display...~

~tasting room~

~first glass: Drappier~

My first glass was a brut nature...no sugar added. It was fresh and not at all sweet. Very refreshing and effervescent. I loved it....truly. (we bought a bottle to bring home!)

~mmmmmmm~

The second glass was the Tarlant... these vines are very old. Our host explained, that the roots go so deep that they absorb the minerals of the earth...(did I mention this was all done in French! French speaking + champagne = very very heureuse moi.)
The last glass was a very full bodied Krug.

~Krug~

~oh yes, quite good!~

We did a big circle of walking back to the hotel to drop off the bottle of Drappier that we had purchased and then ate a very Belgian dinner....I (of course) started with a hot goat cheese salad and then had vol-au-vent (chicken and mushrooms in puff pastry). Tom had frogs legs in a garlic butter sauce and then steak frites. I was so very happy....and it was only the beginning!