The third day of the trip, and quite possibly the easiest so far. Considering the major mistake I did on Day 2, today was more about enjoying Brussels and Leuven in a relaxed state-of-mind instead of the neck-breaking "squeeze everything in 1 day" like the day before. A word of advice to all who are reading my texted words, pace yourselves, cuz even a seasoned traveler like myself can really get caught off-guard due to the hectic atmosphere that is "visiting another country and trying all their beers" and before ya know it, smashed out of your mind".
Before going to my first stop, the Mannekin Pis was not done with me yet.
Leuven, a town for college students. Just like Tallahassee in my state (Florida), life evolves around the educational institutions, and with the kiddies going to school you got the bars that aren't too far away to drink away the stress that comes with learning a new trait. Alcohol is the pupils coolant, without it, their brains will overheat and explode. On a related note, and why I am not surprised (in a good way) I saw this sign considering the town I just described (plus the country where the town is located).
The town hall of Leuven, majestic would be the first word to describe it as the nearest town hall where I live is as boring as a library.
Care to take a seat? De Kotmadam is a statue paying homage to the ladies taking care of the students who lived together in a building while going to school. Gratefulness achieved.
Had to grab some chow, and considering my obsession over the doner kebabs, it was only a matter of time before I encountered one and slammed it down like a shark on a seal.
With the doner kebab consumed, I noticed a mob of people and the curiosity got the better me.
Luckily, I managed to arrive before the beginning of the race, as I did not know this event was happening prior to my arrival.
The inevitable video opportunity.
It was time to head off to the primary purpose of Leueven's Leg of the Tour.
The bar just opened as I made my way in, being the first customer of the day.
Inorducing Het Rockcafe, the most Metal part of Leuven \m/
And like with the recent visit to another Metal Bar, this bar had a beer within its ranks that was personally delivered by the Nectar Gods on the Metallic side. The beer in question was from the Wolf Brewery, and the offering was Wolf 8 Dark Beer. At 8.5% ABV, it delivered a bite of great taste, and the beer had a slight sweetness considering it is a dark ale. The Metal credentials? The Wolf being the face of not only the beer in question, but the brewery as well. Talk about a Wolfheart \m/
After a couple of hours chatting away with the good company the bar had to offer, it was time to bid my farewell and head back to Brussels to wrap up the day and what better way to end the visit than to go to the center of the beer universe, Delirium Cafe.
This would be my 2nd time coming to Delirium (the first being in 2009), and this time I was better prepared to contend with what lay ahead of me.
Before mentioning the most Metal offerings, a proper introduction of this cafe is in order. What makes Delirium Cafe one of Belgium's best known attraction is the armada of beers they have. They can have on any given day well over 2000 different beers to launch into the stomachs of the patrons that dare venture into its bowels. With the selection of beers it means only one thing, the few who dare to try all of them will meet certain defeat, but will go down with a fight.
The holy bible of beer \m/
The holy bible of beer \m/
Another cliffnote regarding my visit to Delirium, A LOT of beers were consumed than what will be shown, but keep in mind as the saying goes of how this blog is handled, it is primarily focusing on the Metal aspects of the trip, and while I can sit and type away about all the beers I drank, this would be impossible due to time constraints and the sheer volume of photos I have to go through. It is time to present the most Metal beers Delirium Cafe has \m/
Forestinne Gothika Beer. A Brown Beer with 7.5% ABV. This has got to be one of the most unusual Brown/Dark Beers I have drank as it has a unique sweetness which I can only describe as being heavy licorice. This is the closest description I can provide as I can't think of anything else that would be close to it. Its Metal qualifications? How many times have Goths gone to Metal Concerts and Metalheads have gone to Gothic Night Clubs? Need more proof, think Moonspell. Gotcha \m/
Satan Gold. Standing at 8% ABV, a Belgian Stong Pale Ale, fruity with a touch of spice. I think the qualifications for this beverage entry to the ranks of Metal Beers far surpass any test that can be thrown at it. Than again, all the Metal bands that preach their loyalty to Satan (especially of the Black Metal variety) can vouch for this beverage creds \m/
Vikking Beer. This Blond Ale at 8.5% ABVis definitely the heaviest of the batch, and what makes this Metal is not the obvious (being named after the most Metal species of humans that existed), but rather the not-so-obvious. How many times have you gone to a concert/house party/football game/etc and some random guy wears the viking helmet? The guy in the picture is probably someone you have seen in the aforementioned predicament many times over and he looks exactly like that, acting very Metal just by putting on the helmet \m/
With my visit to Delirium Cafe now in the history books, and the huge ratio of alcohol to food (alcohol holding favor in the odds by a wide margin), I needed something to absorb the payload of beer that lays within my stomach. I noticed a bunch of Quick restaurants, and in case your wondering, these are Europe's equivalence of McDonalds and Burger King.
Which food item was drafted to satiate my appetite? The Super Bacon.
The burger itself was really good, especially the sauces giving it a tangy kick.
With the burger from another planet now consumed and the curiosity of a overgrown cat satisfied, it was time to catch the train to go back to the hotel. This would be the last full day in Brussels as the next chapter begins a new adventure in a city never before visited in my travels. I will say this, coming back to Brussels with a new determination was very fulfilling and compared to my last visit, I managed to explore more of a City that holds a special place in my life, and with Antwerpen and Leuven explored as well, the trip has so far provided a broad experience. Many thanks to everybody I encountered along the way who made my trip better than what it could have been \m/
No comments:
Post a Comment