Belgium: Dinant and Brussels

Twas a cold weekend after New Year's 2020 when we decided to take a quick weekend trip to Belgium. We drove to Bastogne Friday evening (link here), then made a pit stop in Dinant followed by our final destination in Brussels. 

Dinant was a cute little town halfway between Bastonge and Brussels, and after some twists and turns in the forest, this was the first view of the town we saw: 

Not bad for your first welcome to be driving through the knife's edge of a cliff!

Dinant was small yet beautiful and full of history. The creator of the Saxophone was apparently born in Dinant, but there was also a gorgeous 9th Century Cathedral right at the base of the Citadel...which survived two German invasions!

Inside the cathedral was some beautiful stained glass windows and stunning carvings. 

Right behind the cathedral is the entrance to the Citadel...or rather, the option to take a cable car or make the 408-step climb. We opted for the climb. 

Unfortunately we didn't take a ton of photos while at the top, but the Citadel consisted of a large open stone courtyard with several tunnels and outcroppings designed for defense. Signs throughout the interior explained how German forces had invaded Dinant twice, as well as a slew of other historical armed forces had rolled through the city. 

A view from a window in the Citadel

Interestingly enough, the highest point hosted a restaurant and playground...which we couldn't resist! 

Back down in the city, we searched for some food and found ourselves meandering through side streets with the cathedral looming overhead. We also got a sweet 20-Euro parking ticket because we forgot to put the entrance paper in our windshield. Oh well!

An hour and a half later, we were in Brussels! This was the last weekend of Christmas markets in the city. In most cities, the Christmas markets are well-contained and in a single location. A major city may have multiple markets, but they're defined by two or three entrances and advertized well. In Brussells, stalls were scattered throughout the city in random locations, so you had to go searching for the market stalls. 

Christmas markets sell food, trinkets, drinks, cheeses, scarves....you never really know what will be offered. 

At this location, the face of a church was used for a (very artsy) light show, and one of the stalls sold gluwein (glue-vine, mulled wine) with a fiery sugar cube on top. Plus a cute barrel-designed mug!

The main market in Brussels hosted a ferris wheel along with a myriad of other treats. Throughout the night, we ate dumplings, gluwein, sausage, waffles...and I'm sure lots of other food I'm forgetting. 

 I didn't get a wonderful photo of the main square lit up, so this is the closest I'm willing to publish! 

During the day, we took a walking tour of the city and saw the Mannequin Pis (a small boy statue peeing in a fountain), learned the history of the buildings in town, some history about previous kings, and how Brussels helped in previous wars.

We of course also ate some Belgium Fries and Belgium Waffles...the waffles are my favorite because they put chunks of sugar in the batter which crystallize when heated. So when you bite into a deliciously warm waffle, you also get a nice sweet crunch! 

Kyoto & Hiroshima, Japan

JAPAN

Husband and I took a short-notice trip to Japan, and to save money and time, our options landed us in Kyoto for a long weekend. We took a bullet train to Hiroshima for a day trip, and ate Japan's famous (but very expensive) beef. I also severely injured my ankles from overexertion, but otherwise, a successful trip!!

Kyoto

First thing we saw getting of the train was the beautifully illuminated Kyoto Tower, which would be our guiding beacon throughout the weekend. 


Kyoto has a few sub-neighborhoods, which includes Gion, something we'd attribute to an Old Town. This area is home to what we'd also see as Geishas. However, Geishas in Kyotos are uniquely called Giekos and Miekos. Miekos are Geikos in training, and both are young women in the entertainment industry that perform traditional Japanese art to wealthy customers. The shows and relationships with customers are not sexual in nature; they were paralleled to father/daughter relationships.

Kyoto is a mix between modern and traditional, and is known for having hundreds of temples.

 

Temples were literally around every corner, the one above was in the middle of a shopping mall!
They were big and small, the largest a multi-acre, multi-room compound. 

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 Inside one of the larger buildings, worshipers were still welcome to do their thing:



The bridge between Gion and the rest of Kyoto:

In Gion, with a rare encounter with a Geiko!

Tourists are welcomed and encouraged to wear traditional kimonos while in the city: 


We experienced a traditional tea ceremony, where we watched a Japanese woman make tea, then we had the opportunity to make it ourselves!

The food scene was one of my favorites:

This is a ham and brie crepe!

The rest of the city was fantastic, as well:

One night, we decided to travel to the top of Kyoto Tower, enjoy the views, an expensive drink, and then a normally-priced meal. There are several levels with varying degrees of food and expense. 

Beautiful views

Expensive drinks in the sky bar...

And affordable food on the middle level!

 We walked over 12 miles each day while in Japan, and saw some beautiful parts of the city!
Thats not to say we also didn't figure out the public transportation system! It was pretty similar to most major cities EXCEPT for one backwards part...on busses, you get on in the middle of the the bus, then get off from the front. And pay when you get off. And the busses were CROWDED. To the point where some people got off without even paying. And we had to elbow our way to the front for one ride. Thankfully, the subways were much smoother!


The art scene was...interesting. We found items tucked away throughout the city that caught us by surprise.   

 We had spent the weekend hearing about Kobe beef, a special type of beef unique to Japan that farmers raise and pamper, leaving the butchered beef to be the most tender you've ever tasted. These steaks typically are over $100, and many restaurants post the cow's pedigree outside so you know you're getting a true Kobe Beef cut. So, we decided to splurge. And we were not disappointed!

Evan described eating this steak as tender as eating a perfectly ripe avocado.
The restaurant we chose was in Gion, and had a giant wooden slab for a table. A zen garden and the kitchen was right in front of you. It was peaceful, clear, and a beautiful experience. 
We each also got a side...mine was sea urchin soup with rice and Japanese pickle. 

As we finished up the weekend, the temperature was dropping and we had less desire to spend time outside. So we went to the Railroad Museum for a respite from the cold. My nerdy husband LOVED it, all three stories!

 We also lucked out with a monthly flea market at one of the large temples in town. Stalls lined the entire compound selling food, clothing, tools, anything you could think. We also saw folks lighting candles and going inside the temple for worship. 
  

 HIROSHIMA

 Being in Japan, we wanted to take a day trip somewhere, and experience a bullet train. We thought Hiroshima was a perfect place with historical significance, and we heard its beautiful.
We took the bullet train...$120 per person each way! Ouch! But completely worth it and we don't regret it. A normal 7 hour drive took only 1.5 hrs! 

Before we get to the beautiful sites, the food! Didn't snap a picture of everything, but we did experience sushi and pizza. The Japanese are fantastic Italian cooks!

The sushi conveyer belt had tender, soft, and tasty sushi...along with some unique cuts and dishes. 

Of course, Evan got a picture of me stuffing my face

 Hiroshima is an absolutely gorgeous city! Very modern, clean, and efficient. We walked 2 miles from the train station to the Atomic Dome, peace park, and other areas. 

Peace Park

Hiroshima Castle was another stopping point. Although beautiful and seemingly historic, the signs said it was destroyed in the bomb. In fact, almost all historical buildings in the city had a line stating it was destroyed then re-built. 

Seven floors up, the castle was a museum and had great views of the city. 

 The surrounding area had smaller shrines, and the compound was surrounded with a moat with some aggressive coi fish!  




The Atomic Dome was one of my favorite areas in Hiroshima. According to the information surrounding the location, the atomic bomb exploded 600 meters above the dome, which is the reason it survived. Being American and standing where the bomb exploded was a very heavy and tolling experience. 
 

Overall, we had a blast in Japan and enjoyed every minute...definitely go if you have the chance!

Oh, I almost forgot! These little guys! They're for good luck based on the size of their legs...which are not legs ;)