The Best

Since I last blogged, I've had the best week. Tuesday and Wednesday we had our last classes which were a joke. Anna and I wrote a six page paper on mayonnaise for our major grade in our culture class. We spent the afternoons visiting chocolate shops we had missed during our month here and enjoying the city. Thursday we had our final for our culture class. Anna and I ate at our favorite lunch place, Made in Salad, one last time. We also got some chocolate and a new favorite cookie the macaron. I am on a mission to make the perfect macarons when I get home and back to my kitchen. I have had awesome flavors over the last two weeks including: rose, cherry, caramel, champagne, violet, raspberry, chocolate, and vanilla. They are the most wonderful melt in your mouth little cookies. I already bought a cookbook and have been studying up on how to create them.
Most of the group left on Friday so we had one last meal all together on Thursday night. It was a great dinner at a place called Ommergang right off the Grand Place. We also watched the light show in the Grand Place. It was a great last night all together. Most of the group left early Friday morning. Anna, Sarah, and I slept late and then finished packing up our things. Sarah's flight was today so she stayed at the hotel with us for one night. We checked in and love our hotel. It is so nice to have a little mini vacation at the end of our trip. It is also nice to be out of the house we were staying in. No more long tram rides to the suburbs or dogs barking in the middle of the night. Our hotel is right off a main metro stop. The location is perfect.
I researched what people said were the best frites in Brussels. Maison Antoine was what I found on all the websites I read. It just happened to be about a three minute walk from our hotel. Of course we ate them with mayonnaise for lunch. I agree with all the websites. They were amazing. Double fried perfection! Sarah wanted to go to the automobile museum so we split up with her for the afternoon. Anna and I put on our tennis shoes in preparation for our marathon afternoon of shopping. We have tried ALL the chocolate shops in Brussels to find the best chocolate to bring back to our families. Dad-no worries, I've done great research and found the best for you. Anna had on her Auburn sweatshirt and right as we walked into the shopping area we got a War Eagle. So nice! We went to tons of chocolate stores all over the city. People were giving us the strangest looks as we took the metro home. Anna says her arm is hurting from carrying our bags yesterday. I'm calling it the tragic shopping injury. We had so much fun at the stores. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. For dinner, Sarah joined us and we went back to our favorite place from our first weekend in Brussels. I had steak with frites. Then we had chocolate mousse for dessert. A great last meal for Sarah. We all really enjoyed it. It was for sure one of the BEST days we've had in Brussels.
Sarah left early this morning. Anna and I slept until eleven. It is so nice to be able to sleep late for the first time all summer. We got ready and took the train to Antwerp. We had heard that the train station was the nicest part of the city. It was absoultely gorgeous. Antwerp is home to a huge fashion school and many clothing stores. It is also the place to buy diamonds. We visited the clothing stores but diamonds were a little out of the budget. We had a nice late lunch and shopped around in all the stores. Then we headed home to Brussels.
For dinner we had frites and mayonnaise while we discussed our eating healthy diet we are going on once we are back in Auburn. We also went to Delirium for our last time. It was a great last Saturday in this wonderful city! Tomorrow is our last full day here and then we are headed home on Monday. I cannot believe how fast time has gone by this summer. I also cannot believe that I will be back in Auburn on Thursday. I am so excited to see all my friends and family and to be headed back to the Plains!