Fun and food in Mons, Belgium

We had heard about this charming little castle in Le Havre and went to check it out and on that day there was a big Civil War reenactment right next to the castle. We could not believe our eyes and tried getting some info but nobody spoke English and then finally we found a person who spoke some English and found out they do this every year and it’s for charity. I admit I had fun watching them, even though I am not into this kind of stuff. Their costumes and props are extensive and elaborate and really put a lot of heart into it. And yes the castle is fabulous too :)

It’s cold and miserable but how can one say no to this? It’s happening this weekend, 23-24 March in Grand Place of Mons. Go there only if you are not on a diet because you will want to try EVERYTHING :)

One of my favorite things in this world is to go to Le Topaz restaurant in Maisières-Mons. It is like going to relatives house. It’s a small mom and pop place run by the nicest family I have ever met in my life. You go there and Mr. Dennis greats you with the warmest welcome. He never forgets a name or a nickname given to people. He named my husband Rambo, due to his large muscles, from the first day he saw him, 2 years ago, and he still calls him Rambo today. He loves his customers and treats them with respect but he loves to joke too. He loves kids and every time we go he gives ours 2 large tubs of toys to keep them entertained which is great, we all eat in peace. The food, oh the food, is incredible. Almost always we order “Pacha Meze” for a starter - an assortment of veggies with different sauces, salmon mousse, rice, eggplant, enough for 2. My favorite starter is the scampi in oil. I would buy the oil by the bottle if I could. It tastes incredible with the Turkish bread. The main courses are very meaty. We love their meat plates, the lamb chops, the beef is fantastic. We always finish with either mint tea or Turkish tea served with 3 types of sugar, to your liking, or with delicious baklava served with ice cream and fruit - soooo good. It is a wonderful, wonderful restaurant, great food and wonderful owners.

A friterie is to a Belgian is what McDonalds is to an American! Scattered around the country you often come across these friteries which sell as they main item “frites”. They’re also called “pommes frites” since they are made of potatoes. Just about everything that you order in a friterie is automatically thrown into a great big fryer. So your frites, your hamburgers, your chicken nuggets are deep fried. The frites are actually cooked twice. With the frites, the main “saus” is mayonnaise! No kidding! This tastes nothing like Hellmann’s or your typical mayo, but has a more unique, perhaps a bit sweeter flavor. If you’re not into mayo, then you can have ketchup or one of many other sauces - saus americain, sambal, picante, pita, etc. Usually accompanying this meal is of course a Belgian beer. Stella Artois and Jupiler are the mainstream lagers. Sure, this place sounds like a recipe for a coronary but in moderation it will not kill you.

One of the things we found out about Mons, is that the town has a strange little tradition revolving around a small iron statue of a monkey outside of the City Hall. Its origin is not really known, but it dates back several centuries. The superstition is that if you rub the monkey’s head with your left hand while you think of a wish, it will be granted to you and it’s also thought to grant you good luck. This might sound very silly but people do it allot and the proof is in the fact that it’s head is allot shinier than the rest of the little statue’s body.

We have lived overseas for many years, around different American bases but no matter where we are we can always enjoy a good fireworks show on the 4th of July. This time it was at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) that we got to see them. What is really great about this is that people from all the NATO countries got to enjoy them too, families and friends included. We were sitting on the grass and around us were people speaking so many languages and all celebrating America’s most special day. It was pretty neat. *SHAPE is not in Soignies but Casteau. I choose Casteau and then Soignies appears in the location. Not sure why.

When we moved to Belgium we lived, for three weeks, right next to the Waux-Hall park in downtown Mons. Designed by landscape architect Louis Fuchs, the park Waux-Hall hosts a remarkable plant collection and massive old trees, it features lawns where 100,000 bulbs bloom in the spring to provide an enchanting spectacle. Five acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, Waux Hall is populated with outdoor sculptures (from the XIX and XX centuries) which gives it a unique romantic look. It’s the perfect place for a walk, for a rest, for reading a book, have a picnic and unwinding from the day to day life. There is a large pond inside where Canadian geese and swans live. And yes, it’s allowed to feed them. Across form the pond, it the center of the park, there is a large patch of grass with a massive playground on it. It’s really the perfect family place.