MIKE AND JESS' TRAVEL DIARY
Belgium Trip
Day 4 - December 5 2017
For our third day in Belgium, we decided to head out to Liege, home of the liege waffle (the more dense, cakey sister of what we know as the airy Belgian waffle). It’s a very long, narrow city following the Meuse river and felt like a must-visit. We knew we were in for a day of a lot of walking, since the trek from the train station to the furthest stop on our map was an hour walk, without stopping or wandering. As soon as we stepped out of the station, we noticed that the city felt much more modern than Ghent or Bruges. The train station itself is new and modern, with sleek steel awnings and walls. The city was much busier, too, though it very much felt like it was primarily locals walking around.
We made sure to stop and get a Liege waffle. Warm, cakey, with crystallized sugar on the top. There’s plenty of stands and small shops selling these treats. I’m sorry to say this one was a small disappointment. From the window of the stand, I saw them pull out an already-made waffle and put it in a warmer (aka microwave). It was a bit dry and crumbly. Oh, well, better luck next time!
We hiked up to the Belvédère Liège observation deck to see the city from above.
The walk takes you down through the 374-step staircase called Montagne de Bueren. Lining the steps are homes (imagine having to walk 250 steps up your “driveway” every time with groceries, shopping, etc!) with brightly colored doors and shuttered windows, it was a very cool “walk.”
Now that we worked up an appetite, we made our way to the Christmas Village. We hit a food stall selling a dish with scalloped potatoes, bacon and green onions all in a cheese and cream sauce. It was super delicious. Of course, we had to top it off with some poutine and local pints.
After finishing up at the market, we turned the corner and hit the Une Gaufrette Saperlipopette bakery I had read about. I waited patiently in the line out the door and had a slight panic when I did not hear a lick of English from others ordering…I wondered if a game of charades would be necessary? Of course not, this is Europe where schools ensure all students speak at least two languages fluently prior to graduation, unlike in the US where I graduated with a D in Spanish. I digress…
The staff were so sweet and even threw in some free cookies! The box full of fun candies and cookies were decorated so cute and were very tasty.
Along our walk back to the train station we sampled some local Peket, a fruit brandy that originated here, at La Maison Du Peket.
Before we made it to the station, we filled our bellies at a cute restaurant that served their meals in cast-iron pots, ladled out onto your plate. With, of course, a side of frites.
We enjoyed Liege. We heard much more French being spoken than anywhere else we traveled in Belgium. It was a huge city and we barely scratched the surface. It doesn’t have the same old European city feel, but it had plenty of character and was worth a visit.