During my last few days in Belgium, I took a trip to the South of the country, to the town of Namur. It was fairly quiet when we arrived around lunch time and strolled through the city center, which was aptly decorated for the holidays and equipped with its very own, charmingly small christmas market in the center square. After having a small, unnoteworthy lunch at a cafe near by, I wandered over the canal and up the steps to the Citadel, home to the remains of the old world city of Namur. The stone ruins and structures provide a beautiful setting and allow for exploring while one makes their way to the top for a perfect panoramic view of the city. Namur is a recommendable little day trip from Antwerp and a nice place to discover the Wallonion culture a bit more and to brush up on some French... Mais Oui!
Then the answer is: Yes! For one of the most authentic holiday experiences in Europe, I suggest hopping on a train to Köln, (Cologne), Germany. A quick hour and forty-five minute train ride, from Brussels Midi, deposits you at the Hauptbanhof in Cologne, right at the base of the stunning Cathedral. Prepare to be enchanted. In total, Cologne has seven markets scattered throughout the city, but if you plan well you can stumble between them all, balancing a mug of whatever warming elixir you choose, quite easily. On my day trip this past weekend, we managed to make it to three (the best three, in my opinion) of the markets which are all located within a close proximity to the central station.
Finally, to get to the the main point of all of this... Schupfnudeln, basically the german version of gnocchi, sometimes called Fingernudel, is the perfect way to get your German potato fix at the Christmas markets. There is a Schupfnudeln stand tucked in one of the rows of the market am Dom and there, true comfort food is served. Bowls of steaming hot dumplings, sautéed with sauerkraut and onion, serves with a dollop of crème frâiche and sprinkled with fresh parsley is undoubtedly the absolute answer to any question. And you are at your own free will to liberally shake krauter salz all over the top prior to consumption... highly recommended. Paired with a mug of hot, mulled glühwein and Guten Appetit! Christmas Markets are basically the holly grail of winter wonderlands in Europe! Belgium, although small, boasts some notable markets throughout the country. Both the Plaisirs d'Hiver in Brussels and the Kerstmarkt in Antwerp were on my list this year. I made my way to Brussels one evening last week to enjoy the crisp, holiday filled air. The main christmas market in Brussels is a bit farther north than the city center, where the square is lined with stalls offering all sorts of treats, including candied nuts, chocolates, gluhwein (hot, spiced red wine), belgian sausages, crepes and much more. Jenever is a holiday speciality in Belgium, which is a liquor offered in all sorts of flavors (think cactus, apple, chocolate, amaretto... the list goes on and gets progressively more... interesting) that is served as shots offered up on long wooden paddles. For the perfect night cap, make your way over to the ice skating rink situated in front of the beautiful opera house. Its the best place to burn off some of the holiday indulgences! Antwerp kicked off its festivities on December 5th, with its markets located in the center of the city, near the cathedral and the Groenplaats. Antwerp offers a less tourist focused market experience but the central location is beautiful and the A-town night life culture is omni-present when the evening arrives, the remarkable square lights up and the glasses are filled to the top with steaming wine and cold, crisp Belgian beer. When I am not studying (which I am serious, rarely happens) I try to make my way to some of the culinary establishments that A-Town so proudly boasts. Although I wish my list was more extensive, I do have a few recommendations for places to enjoy a nice meal.
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