These Ain't No Eggo-Waffels

Up until now, Paul and I have successfully accomplished the many excursions we had set out to. However, this next quest would pose the greatest challenge we've had to face all year. We could not leave Belguim without finding the perfect the waffel (they have another name in Belgium, but of course I can't remember it and didn't try to pronounce it anyway so its not important). Although staying in a less-touristy city would have helped with the authenticity of the famous Belguim waffels, we ended up traveling to Brussels mainly because it was the capital and easy to get to. After settling in at our hostel, which smelled like poop 24/7, we decided to start our epic taste test with a quick waffel dinner down the street. It set the bar high in terms of taste, but it was a little more expensive than what we had expected (I forget the name of the place). Paul and I then came to the conclusion that this waffel shop was yet another tourist trap and did not produce the perfect waffel. It was good, but not almost 6 euro good. The next day we started our travels with another waffel. However, this time, we went just a tad farther down the road to where a mini Christmas Market was set up. Directly on the way to the famous Peeing Boy statue (if you can even call it that) of Brussels, there was another conveniently placed waffel booth. Yet again, this waffel was delicious, but just cost too much money. After the anti-climatic Peeing Boy and roaming around the square, which had some very impressive buildings, Paul and I started for the farthest point the main roads would take us, Hallepoort. Once a main gateway into the medieval walled city, it still stands, but without any wall. However, Paul and I did not realize this at first. By the picture on the map, it looked like a decent sized castle, not a gateway. Regardless, it was in great shape and even had a museum inside with interactive aspects such as being able to try on armor. After exploring the various rooms and climbing the spiral staircase to the balcony for a decent view of Brussels, we continued our large circle towards the Royal Palace. Also only good for a couple pics, the real fun came after the Royal Palace. So I was walking on the sidewalk like anyone else would and I get stopped by this lady in uniform. She says, "Can I help you sir?" Of course me being oblivious to everything, I answer, "Nope, I got my map, I think I'm good." She then replies, "Sir you can't walk here, this is the American Embassy. You need to take the gated walkway." Confused, I asked, "What if I'm American?" This seemed to anger the lady as she then replied, "Well sir, I can get that man over there to check your ID, but thats going to take awhile." Needless to say, I took the gated walkway, but not before taking a quick picture of the embassy. However, this got the attention of the lady once more and she called to me that pictures were not allowed. I complied and put my camera away. Thinking nothing of it, I continued down the road only to be run down by another cop. Supposedly, for security reasons, no one is allowed to take photos of the embassy. They must take this rule seriously because this cop chased me down over halfway down the street because I had my ipod on and couldn't hear him calling to me. As a result, I had to go through my pictures until he believed that I deleted the picture. Sadly, that was the highlight of my day. After this walk around central Brussels and a quick visit to Brussels Cathedral, I was pretty tired and except for going out to the local pub and getting another waffel for dinner (not even worth describing because it was so bad, I believe it was called VitalWaffel or something like that, just very commercialized), I settled into bed. The next day was a surprising one. As I sat at one of the computers, the kid next to me asked if we had met before. I said I didn't think so, but he said he could have sworn to have seen me before. Not even 2 minutes later, he turned to me and said, and I quote, "You're the gnome guy!" I then realized that we had met before. Not only had we met, but we had sat next to each other on the bus to Stonehenge. Yup, he was a Butler visiting student, not from Oxford, but UCL. It was after this that I learn we both, along with another kid we met who was studying up in Edingbough, were leaving Brussels the same day for Amsterdam. Crazy I know. After setting up plans to travel to Amsterdam together, we planned out what to do for the night. Being tourists, we couldn't leave Brussels without having a drink at the famous bar Delirium, whose claim to fame is being in the Guiness Book of World Records for having over 2000 beers available and 27 beers on tap. However, the greatest thing about the bar.........its not even expensive compared to other local bars. Although it turned out to be a good day, Paul and I had spent a whole day without tasting a new waffel. We would have to make up for this on our last day. And Oh did we. On our last full day in Brussels, Paul and I tallied a womping 5 waffels. Not only did we test 5 different waffels, but we may have found one of the best waffels in Brussels. What was on the slate for the day? Only a gruelingly long and cold walk to the distant Brussels History Museum. Now, of course Paul and I got side-tracked a couple times by certain buildings, monuments, and waffels. The buildings and monuments weren't anything special, but the waffels are something to talk about. The first waffel was average. Nothing really special about it except that it came from another Christmas Market booth, so of course I was a fan. Paul on the other hand, was not impressed. The second of the morning was from another commercialized waffel stall. However, contrary to the pathetic excuse for a waffel we experienced the other day, this touristy waffel company was reasonably priced, not messy, not over cooked, and tasted like a waffel. At the risk of a tummy ache, Paul and I thought it would be best to just get to the park. From the looks of it, the park must be a popular place in the summer and spring, but in the winter, its abandoned. The up side of this meant that there was literally no one else in the museum. It didn't have the collection of other Museums I've seen, but it was one of the better organized and much easier to get around then say, the Louvre. Covering civilizations from Egypt and Rome to the early North Americans and Native Americans, this took up a good chunk of the day and when we left, it was almost time for dinner. I wouldn't have expected anything less than a waffel shop parked right outside the Museum. What I didn't expect though, was the best waffel we would taste all trip. Being sold out of the back of the van wih wafel stickers for decorations, you could tell this guy had been doing this for awhile. The service was fast, the waffel was cheap, but above all, the texture was just perfect. Not too crispy, not too soft. Hot not cold. And even the portions were bigger than others. Not settling, Paul and I would try 2 more on the way back, but neither would compare. Paul and I agreed, we had completed our quest of finding the best waffel in Brussels. Who would've thought it would've been in the center of one of the most touristy areas in Brussels? Not me. In addition to this culinary success, Paul and I saw all the attractions we planned on seeing. I don't know about you, I'd call the stay in Brussels a success. Now of course you're probably thinking to yourself, "How could this kid possibly think he's found the best waffel in Brussels after trying only 7 different waffels?" My rebuttal? I don't have one. I know, this whole idea of finding the perfect waffel is absolutely absurd. But hey, I got to keep myself busy somehow. You can either take my word for it or you can prove me wrong. Either way, if you ever go to Brussels you need to try the waffels by the museums. They're just so good compared to the american micro-waved lies that we call waffels. Oh, and if you haven't realized yet, I didn't take any pictures of the waffels. I was too busy eating them. Sorry.