Antwerp, Belgium and Rotterdam, NL

I just got back from a lovely weekend with an old friend from Belgium. (Steven's a medical student I met while I was in Europe two years ago.) We met up in Antwerp where I stuffed myself with Belgian waffles. Ohmygod they are so delicious...they taste NOTHING like the so-called Belgian waffles in the US. These ones have sugar or honey or something on them, and they are heated up for you right when you order it. Yum...

We spent the majority of our time in Rotterdam, a city in west Netherlands that's European's largest port. It is really a unique city - in the decades after it was bombed in WWII the city council decided to rebuild in a more modern style rather than restoring the old flavor. The result is an eclectic place with real charm. For instance, the city library is a funky mixture of contemporary decor coupled with old men watching chess games. (I love going to see a city's library...I really think it can reveal a lot about the character of the place.)

Steven and I happened to be in Rotterdam during Harbor Days, which as far as I could tell meant that many old Dutch people dressed up in traditional clothing (including the wooden shoes!) and sang schlager songs.

I had a great time catching up with Steven and hearing about medical school life in Belgium. Not so different, as it turns out. As I've been eating tons of Belgian waffles every time I see him, I've been trying to convince him to come on a "culinary tour" of the US to sample my food...poor guy has had to hear me go on and on about BBQ, bacon egg and cheese biscuits, Waffle House, and sweet tea.

And of course I would forget my camera...I'm going to try and find some pictures of Rotterdam on the internet. (These pictures are ones I found online of Rotterdam - I didn't take them.)

Here's an old picture of me and Steven in Belgium...just fast-forward two years.