Waffles and Chocolate in Ghent

Belgium is undoubtedly credited with being the ultimate authority when it comes to breakfast (Belgian waffles, anyone?) and their chocolate seems to exceed most others as well. Never one to settle for what I am told, we ventured to Belgium to taste test each treat.

Initially, we were thinking Brussels. It's the capital and in a central location so it seemed to be the logical choice. Thankfully, a coworker of Tom's let him on to the magnificence that is Ghent. Admittedly, I had never really studied the geography of Belgium and didn't explore further options, but as soon as I began some research on Ghent, it looked like a great choice. Ghent is a very historic town located in the west of Belgium, the language there is Flemish and is kind of like a dialect of Dutch. The east part of Belgium, however, speaks French, and I was at a total disadvantage, because I know none of these languages.

Our six hour drive to Ghent ended up being nearly nine hours. Construction was everywhere and our GPS lost service and started freaking out on a newly reconstructed highway. We arrived in the evening, unsure of precisely where to park as our hotel's website stated the garage was full but public parking was "nearby". This resulted in us driving through pedestrian pathways, the pedestrians were less than enthused to clear the way, and on train tracks, with us narrowly missing meeting our demise via a Belgian street train. Eventually, we did manage to locate what seemed to be the only garage downtown and lugged all of our things through the uneven brick lined streets. On the positive side, the city was really quiet and we were walking through the heart of their shopping district.

We were fortunate enough to be spending the weekend with friends and we had dinner at a local burger place shortly after they arrived. Ghent is located on the water with numerous bridges and canals, similar to Amsterdam. But the city is much less touristy and a has a lower population, making you feel like you are on an evening stroll instead of caught up in the hustle and bustle.

The following morning we had to keep our strength up and went to Brasserie Agrea for breakfast. I was dying to get a true Belgian waffle, I opted for a healthier variety with fresh fruit instead of ice cream and chocolate. I also ordered an omelette for some protein and ate half. Tom carbo loaded with a waffle and the gigantic piece of bread that accompanied my eggs. Belgian waffles are amazing by the way. The outside was perfectly crisp and the inside was soft and warm, one day I will master making Belgian waffles.

The smallest bar in Ghent

After breakfast, we navigated our way to the river front for a canal tour. The sun was beginning to rise over the buildings and the city, making the lighting absolutely beautiful as it reflected off the water.

Gravensteen Castle

After the tour, we made our way to Gravensteen Castle, the landmark also serves as a torture museum and we were really pumped to check it out. We received a headset with what we assumed would provide an audio tour to the history behind the castle. Not so much. What played was a bizarre video of actors recreating the peak time period of the castle tied in with a modern day love story with the leading actors in the film. It was odd, I gave up on in two rooms in, Tom listened the whole way through and confirmed it did nothing to enhance knowledge or experience. The castle itself was interesting and the displays were well labeled to tell you the order in which to view them.

We ate lunch along the canal before making our way to the shopping district. Zara Home seriously caught my eye. I love decor, plush towels, and luxurious soaps and resisting the urge to purchase half the store required a serious amount of will power. I gave in though while looking at the Leonidas chocolate shop. I selected 15 truffles for six euros! It's like they were giving it away! That logic isn't quite true, but I stand by my delicious decision.

St. Nicholas Church

The street in front of our hotel had all of the historical churches. The above one, St. Nicholas, was also the church we drove in front of as we were lost Friday night. St. Nicholas was constructed in the 13th century, they were working to preserve and restore the front when we were there, a nearly constant process. We were there in the evening and the soft daylight filtered through the stained glass perfectly.

Afterward, we picked up a chocolate smothered waffle from a street vendor and visited the smallest bar in Ghent for a drink. The bar was along the canal and did indeed have a very small outdoor seating area, but it was a great place to relax for awhile before moving on with our night. Dinner was at a barbecue restaurant just north of us, the guys opted for all you can eat ribs and beer while us girls stuck to our water and single slab. Admittedly, we did have a few ribs from the boys' second order. The honey ribs were delicious. 

If I ever return to Belgium, I will definitely be staying in Ghent. Sadly, we left early the following morning, grabbing a pastry from a nearby bakery on our way out. We all had a long drive ahead of us, but we also wanted to briefly hit up the capital, Brussels before going home.