Belgium

"Mort Sublite" translates as "Sublime Death". What a way to go. Of course I bought one. At the small local supermarket in Chastre

La Chouffe is from a small brewery in Achouffe in the Belgian Ardennes. I knew La Chouffe (their most famous) and wuickly got to know McChouffe, then Houblon Chouffe, and see they have "Chouffe Soleil", "Cherry Chouffe" and probably other beers. At the small local supermarket in Chastre

Another shot of just a small selection at the small local supermarket in Chastre

A range of fruit beers: raspberry, peach and apple. Not apple cider, apple beer. At the small local supermarket in Chastre

I have had Hoegaarden before, but just their usual "white" beer. I was looking for a raspberry beer to try (it's not a modern thing - they make a lot of fruit beers here) and was surprised to see this one. It was very, very delicious indeed. Most fruit beers are lambic, but this is a white beer too. "Witbier, white beer, bière blanche, or simply witte is a barley/wheat, top-fermented beer brewed mainly in Belgium and the Netherlands. It gets its name due to suspended yeast and wheat proteins which cause the beer to look hazy, or white, when cold." and "The beers have a somewhat sour taste due to the presence of lactic acid or acetic acid, much more pronounced in the past than today."

Mort Sublite translates as "sublime death". This is a sweet, cherry flavoured beer, but not cherries as we know them in Australia - they use sour Morello cherries. It was nice, but not my favourite.

Remy and me have become mates. He likes to follow me around, watch me crap in the compost heap (the toilet was blocked), and sit on my lap and drool. Today he brought me a gift. It didn't look quite like a mouse. I googled it and I think it is a Common Vole (Microtus arvalis)

Remy and me have become mates. He likes to follow me around, watch me crap in the compost heap (the toilet was blocked), and sit on my lap and drool. Today he brought me a gift. It didn't look quite like a mouse. I googled it and I think it is a Common Vole (Microtus arvalis)

Remy is a fat lap cat. At Marie & Denis' in Chastres

Remy is a fat lap cat. At Marie & Denis' in Chastres

They disapprove of selfie sticks (who doesn't) but we used mine anyway so we could finally get a group photo. Marie, Denis and me, at their home in Chastre

They disapprove of selfie sticks (who doesn't) but we used mine anyway so we could finally get a group photo. Marie, Denis and me, at their home in Chastre

They disapprove of selfie sticks (who doesn't) but we used mine anyway so we could finally get a group photo. Marie, Denis and me, at their home in Chastre

They disapprove of selfie sticks (who doesn't) but we used mine anyway so we could finally get a group photo. Marie, Denis and me, at their home in Chastre

I took the train form Chastre to Brussels. I was a bit proud of myself for managing to get a ticket from the machine all in French. Thought there would be an option to do it in Dutch or maybe even English, but if it was possible, I couldn't find it. On the train a conductor came along with a peaked cap and date stamped my ticket with a proper metal punch. Haven't seen one in years. This was not my conductor, but this is the uniform they wear (except this one has added a jaunty scarf) At Ottignies railway station.

entrance to Brussels Central Station

Comic books are incredibly popular in Belgium, and they are not just for kids. From Wikipedia: "Belgian comics are a distinct subgroup in the comics history, and played a major role in the development of European comics, alongside France with whom they share a long common history." and "As one of the few arts where Belgium has had an international and enduring impact in the 20th century, comics are known to be "an integral part of Belgian culture".

buildings along Rue de la Madeleine, with spring blossom