Belgium: The List

Here it is. 


All the beers we had during our week in Belgium. 


We know some of these aren't the most exclusive, hard-to-find beers in the world. Several of them are available in America. But when you live in Istanbul, you take a "no beer left behind" approach. 


Katie's favorite: The Pere Noel from De Ranke. 


Joe's favorite: Tsjeeses Reserva Port Barrel 2012 from Struisse.




                        Brewery Beer / Establishment / City

1. Cantillon 1 Year Lambic / Cantillon Brouwerij / Brussels
2. Cantillon 2013 Gueuze / Cantillon Brouwerij / Brussels
   
3. Cantillon 2013 Kriek / Cantillon Brouwerij / Brussels
4. Cantillon Iris / Cantillon Brouwerij / Brussels
5. Cantillon 50'N 4'E / Cantillon Brouwerij / Brussels
6. Cantillon Zwanze / Cantillon Brouwerij / Brussels
7. Orval Trappist Ale / Publico / Brussels
8. Karmeliet Tripel / Publico / Brussels
9. Sainte Helene La Grognarde / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
10. Verhaege Barbe d'Or / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
11. Floreffe Prima Melior Brune / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
12. Dupont Bon Voeux 2 Ans / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
13. Grimbergen Brune / A la Mort Subite  / Brussels
14. Bush De Noel 12 / A la Mort Subite / Brussels
15. Mort Subite Lamic Blanche / A la Mort Subite / Brussels
16. Mort Subite Gueuze / A la Mort Subite / Brussels
17. Mort Subite Framboise / A la Mort Subite / Brussels
18. De Dolle Stille Nacht / Poechenellkelder / Brussels
19. Brasserie de la Senne Zinnebir Christmas / Poechenellkelder / Brussels
20. De Ranke Pere Noel / Poechenellkelder / Brussels
21. Brugs Biere Blanche / Greenwich Taverne / Brussels
22. Rochefort 8 / Greenwich Taverne / Brussels
23. Maes Cristal Alken / Monk / Brussels
24. Bersalis Tripel / Monk / Brussels
25. LeFebvre Moeder Overste / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
26. Huyghe Floris Cactus / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
27. Duvel Vedett / Balls & Glory / Bruges
28. Zwoefbier Blonde / Marjan's B&B / Bruges
29. De Struise Tsjeeses Reserva Port Barrel 2012 / Brugs Beertje / Bruges
30. Proefbrouwerij Viven Porter / Brugs Beertje / Bruges
31. Les 3 Fourquets Lupulus Hibernatus / Brugs Beertje / Bruges
32. Du Bocq Gauloise Christmas / Cambrinus / Bruges
33. Ellezelloise Hercule Stout / Poatersgat / Bruges
34. Troubadour Magma / Poatersgat / Bruges
35. Bon Secours Biere Vivante!! / Cambrinus / Bruges
36. De Dolle Oerbier / Cambrinus / Bruges
37. de Halve Maan Brouwerij Brugse Zot Blonde / de Halve Maan Brouwerij / Bruges
38. de Halve Maan Brouwerij Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel / de Halve Maan Brouwerij / Bruges
39. Silly Villee / 2be / Bruges
40. Delirium Noel / 2be / Bruges
41. Maredsous 8 / Marjan's BnB / Bruges
42. Grimbergen Blonde / In't Nieuw Museum / Bruges
43. Chimay Tripel / In't Nieuw Museum / Bruges
44. De Struise Pannepot / Brugs Beertje / Bruges
45. Kaiser Karel Charles Quint Rouge / Brugs Beertje / Bruges
46. Chimay Speciale Cent Quintenaire / Rose Red Cafe / Bruges
47. De Glazen Toren Cuvee Angelique / Rose Red Cafe / Bruges
48. Rodenbach 2010 Vintage Oak Aged / Rose Red Cafe / Bruges
49. Kasteel Tripel / Comptoir des Arts / Bruges
50. Prearis Quadrupel / Comptoir des Arts / Bruges
51. Stella Artois Vieux Temps / Comptoir des Arts / Bruges
52. Urthel Saisonierre / Comptoir des Arts / Bruges
53. Hoegaarden Verboden Vrucht / Comptoir des Arts / Bruges
54. Zwoefbier Brune / Marjan's B&B / Bruges
55. St. Bernardus 12 / Marjan's B&B / Bruges
56. Van Steenberge Gentse Tripel / Dulle Griet / Ghent
57. Westmalle Dubbel / Dulle Griet / Ghent
58. Kaiser Karel Blonde / Galgenhuisje / Ghent
59. Tongerlo Blond / Galgenhuisje / Ghent
60. Primus Pils / Galgenhuisje / Ghent
61. Haacht Witbier / Galgenhuisje / Ghent
62. La Chouffe Blonde / Waterhuis / Ghent
63. La Trappe Jubilaris / Waterhuis / Ghent
64. Van Steenberge Klokke Roeland / Waterhuis / Ghent
65. Proefbrouwerij Gandavum Dry Hopping / Waterhuis / Ghent
66. Rodenbach Classic / Waterhuis / Ghent
67. Van Hounsebrouck Bacchus / Waterhuis / Ghent
68. Chimay Rood / Dulle Griet / Ghent
69. Achel Donker/ Dulle Griet / Ghent
70. Caracole Nostradamus / Poechenellkelder / Brussels
71. Het Sas Christmas Leroy / Poechenellkelder / Brussels
72. Bink Winterkoninkse / Poechenellkelder / Brussels
73. De Ranke Li P'tite Gayoule / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
74. Popperings Hommelbier / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
75. Chimay Tripel / Delirium Cafe / Brussels
76. Huyghe Guillotine Bitter / Delirium Cafe / Brussels

Brussels // Cantillon

The Belgian vacation started off in the capital city of Brussels. There was lots of excitement thanks to our experience with Belgian beers back home, tips from friends who had visited, and lots of research into the best beer bars the country had to offer.

It was fast and easy to travel between the airport and the city by train, and when we arrived with our luggage, the first stop was the nearby Cantillon Brewery. The brewery specializes in lambic beers, which are made via a unique fermentation process. Rather than adding controlled amounts of yeast during the brewing process, Cantillon takes advantage of spontaneous wild yeast living in the air to create a complex and often sour flavor. They add fruit to some of their beers during the brewing process, but don`t be fooled: these are not sweet beers. Brasserie V in Madison had gotten their hands on a few of these beers, but typically they are hard to find beyond the brewery, and if you do find them they're usually quite expensive.  

The brewery offers a 5-minute guided introduction to the process and history, then patrons are free to wander the facility with a brochure explaining what each machine does and what happens in each room. As soon as we walked in, we were hit with that familiar malty brewery aroma that brought back memories of trips to New Glarus, Lake Louie Brewery, and Central Waters (not Minhas). I think we were giddy for the entire time, staring at the antique machines used for boiling the wort, crushing the grains, and the notorious room-size shallow tub on the top level where the beer cools and the wild yeast is introduced. You are free to take non-flash photography throughout the facility, and lighting makes it tricky unless you have a decent camera.

After the self-guided tour, we couldn't take the anticipation any longer and redeemed out drink tickets good for 1 fresh(er) lambic and 1 kriek (cherry) or gueuze. The lambic has a carbonation-less texture, a funky aroma, and a mild, sour taste. The kriek is very floral, as its color suggests, with lots of sourness on the tongue. The gueuze, which is a mix of different aged lambics, has a heavier sourness felt more in the back of the mouth. All are served much warmer than beer typically is--if lambics and gueuze are too cold they are overwhelmingly bitter and their complex flavors are lost. As the small tasting room started to fill with locals and travelers alike before the closing time of 5:00, we shared one more bottle at our table: Iris. Iris was slightly less acidic and sour than the Gueuze with a little more malt to it.

As we were about to call it quits, a group of Americans entered the brewery, and we invited them to join us. Turns out, they are a beer connoisseur family from the Bay Area, and they`ve made an annual trip to Belgium for the last 6 years, visiting different breweries, cities, and attractions. We shared some Iris, and they were generous to share from their bottles of Cantillon's 50'4" and Zwanze beers: both special edition gueuzes from the brewery. We chatted about Belgium, Turkey, what we are missing in the States, and shared opinions on the beers. They remarked that the Cantillon Brewery was a stop on the first annual trip they made, and the tasting room was virtually empty the entire visit. On this occasion, the tables were all occupied with at least another 30-40 standing around as the 5:00 bell rang.

We visited Cantillon one more time the night before we flew out of Brussels and brought back a Grand Cru to Turkey. Here's hoping the bottle survives a Transatlantic flight!

I'll have the left side

"I'll have the left side."

Katie and I ventured to a newer restaurant in Kadıköy that her keen eyes noticed while exploring the neighborhood. It features Aegean specialties (ege gıda). Neither of us had had Greek food since Plaka in Madison, and the appearance of the cozy dining room through the windows offered promise. 

The restaurant is situated in the heart of Moda, near Moda Cadessı on Sarraf Alı Sk. The menu is featured on a large chalkboard and lists all of the different homemade mezzes (mezeler). We only recognized the words we could have guessed would be on a Greek/Turkish menu that happen to be close to English: hummus, baba gannuş, so we left our fate to the proprietor who recommended six of his favorites.

Dolma close-up

Even when plate after plate arrived, we couldn't guess which dish corresponded to which menu item, and a number of the plates that were somewhat familiar were done a bit foreign to what we were used to.


The hummus was drier than the typical spread-like consistency of American grocery store hummus. It was closer to hummus that I have made (read: failed at making) at home. However, the balance of dry-ness and flavor was great, and it was also served warm, which was uncommon for us. 


The baba gannuş was also an unexpected interpretation. Rather than a creamy spread, this plate was more like a slaw of eggplant, oil, garlic, pepper seasonings, and covered with sesame. 

Katie's favorite was the fava beans which were mashed into a paste, mixed with red onion, plenty of garlic, and olive oil. 

My favorite was girit ezme (Crete dip). It was a mix of crumbled beyaz peynir, garlic, bean, tons of spice flavor (coriander? cumin? paprika?) and tomato paste to give it an orange/red hue.

Other than the attempts at American food, we hadn't ventured much into international fare, but this restaurant is definitely worth the return.

Fava beans, girit ezme, baba gannuş, pita (not pictured).

Bosporus Cruise

Anadolu Kavağı

The last weekend of September we decided to take a cruise up the Bosporus. The cruise takes about 90 minutes each way, and there’s also a 90 minute layover in Anadolu Kavağı, the last village on the Asian side of the strait, so passengers can hike up to the remains of Yoros Castle, a Byzantine fortress, and eat in one of the popular fish restaurants.

One of the most surprising things about the cruise is seeing the sprawl of modern Istanbul. There have been towns and villages all along the Bosporus for thousands of years, but only recently have they all become part of the city. The growth of modern Istanbul has connected the once scattered villages into the far-reaching veins of a mega city. 

Yoros Castle

Fortunately, Anadolu Kavağı retains some of its fishing village roots. The Asian side of Istanbul is not quite so expansive and thus Anadolu Kavağı is still isolated, except for the daily boatload of tourists. Even so, once past the touristy restaurants at the ferry stop, the town is quite quaint. We walked up the hill to see the castle before lunch. It’s about a 20 minute walk, but quite steep. On the the upper third of the walk the way switches from road to serpentine path twisting through restaurants that have sprouted up to serve weary tourists and offer spectacular views. We trekked on and were rewarded at the top with unparalleled views of the Black Sea, the Bosporus, and downtown Istanbul. Yoros Castle was also interesting, but has been closed to tourists in the past few years so there wasn’t much to see. After soaking up the views, we tried to find a recommended back alley fish restaurant which Russian sea captains supposedly frequent to eat and drink Rakı—more on Rakı in another post—but alas we couldn’t find it. Not finding recommended restaurants is a theme of our time here so far.

The Black Sea

[Aside: The over enthusiastic host/waiter syndrome is rampant here, as it was when I was in Italy. In the tourist-heavy parts of Rome we learned to avoid those restaurants like the plague because their food just wasn’t up to par. Here it’s a little different. In some neighborhoods in Istanbul there’s a street or a few streets full of restaurants and all the proprietors try to get you to sit, whether you’re a tourist or a local. But--and here’s the hard part--some of them are wonderful restaurants and some of them are awful. There’s not a good way to gauge which are which. We try to avoid these restaurants completely because we dislike the behavior, but sometimes it’s a choice between that and large chains (like Burger King—they have Burger King here! whyyyy). So if we’re in the situation that we’re stuck in a “restaurant zone” we usually look for a spot where locals are (or people that look like locals), and that the customers are eating more than just fries (the most common bar snack). Okay, aside over.]

Istanbul in the distance

On the ferry, Asia at our backs

After lunch we still had some time to kill before the ferry left so we walked around the village a little and found a small pier/boat launch. The sun was shining, the weather pleasant, and the sea traffic engaging. We watched some large freighters making their way north to the Black Sea, as well as some local fishing ships hauling in their nets. We saw one of these ships again when we were sitting on the ferry waiting to leave. The ship, about a 50 footer I think, steered prow first strait toward the jetty and glided right in to unload its catch. Diners were eating not 10 feet away. That’s some fresh fish.

The Biggest Football Fan in Ataşehir

Trying to watch Notre Dame football games while living in Istanbul is an unpredictable, online mess. First there’s the time difference, which means the prime time games start around 2:30 or 3 in the morning. Then there is the question of: “Who is feeling generous enough to run a program that broadcasts this event to strangers for free and doesn’t expect me to download some adware?” Then once those two problems have been solved, there’s the personal dilemma of: where in Ataşehir will an establishment welcome a foreigner to cheer and make faces at a computer screen in the middle of the night for several hours while making minimal purchases? 

This weekend, the answer was the Pasha Sports Bar and Cafe and later the Şampiyon Kokoreç. Pasha is hidden in the back corner of the lengthy strip mall that parallels Ataşehir Bulvarı. If it weren’t for the live traditional Turkish folk guitar music, it would be unnoticeable. Fortunately, the bar serves the usual Efes, Bomonti, and Miller as well as cocktails past 4 am. Unfortunately, they (and the North Shield) have cornered the market on draft beer which means a 50 cl Efes runs 10 lira (versus 7 or 8 lira in Moda). But Pasha’s hospitality at least meets the Istanbul standard: quick service, company from the staff, if you like, and a bowl of mixed salted nuts. The owner spoke with me about his infatuation with American Football, especially the New York Giants, while a group of Gen X-ers sang along to Turkish tunes from a performer inside the lounge.

It was time to pack up at half time with the Irish up by one point and find a 24/7 WiFi destination with the Pasha closing up shop. Options went from few to fewer, but Şampiyon Kokoreç still had its grill running and the lights on. It is a franchise that specializes in the regional delicacy of lamb intestines, served either as a platter with fries, tomatoes, and salad, or more popularly for this time of night, as a sandwich. And if you can’t smell the booze on someone when they walk in, they’re probably just getting tea. But even though I felt stone cold sober, the smell of the kokoreç was starting to get to my stomach, especially since it had been 8 hours since dinner at this point. 

The kokoreç are cooked on a skewer so the meat is stretched out and cooked thoroughly. Then the meat is mashed up and fried a bit more. Diced tomato and oregano are added, a panini grill bun is pressed to the grill to warm it up and voila: a perfect late night snack to soak up some of the alcohol from earlier in the evening (or to fit in around here). The flavor is great in the meat and seasonings, and texture is like a sloppy Joe. The sandwich only costs 5 lira, making it a no-brainer compared to other possibilities.

As 5 am rolled around, the restaurant filled up more and more with twentysomethings who were making their last stop before turning in. The mood of the conversations seemed like typical nostalgia of “the night that was” around the restaurant. I was content to take in the rest of the Irish victory before heading home. I wouldn’t expect to eat many of these sandwiches for lunch or dinner, but for 5 in the morning it was just right.

Topkapı Palace

Our second venture to Sultanahmet (first to come later) included a stop at Topkapı Palace (yup, that's an i without a dot!). The Palace is a beautiful site with breathtaking views of the Bosphorus and it features quite a few buildings, several of which house historical treasures and relics.

Joe, the strait, and two continents

The palace (saray [sah-rye] in Turkish) is close to the Aya Sofya, accessed through a large gated wall. Some of the grounds you are free to wander through. They offer tall trees, open green space and one small view of the strait. We saw a bridal party here, so I bet this is a common place to have wedding pictures taken.

Beyond the ticket counter, the grounds have the feel of a really old, prestigious college campus. Walkways zig-zag to connect the columned buildings on the perimeter. The colonnades provide shade (great in the blazing summer sun!). Enormous ancient trees dot the lawns and many people get their picture taken standing inside them.

We saw a few types of rooms in the palace, but didn’t really learn much about their use(s).

1. Rooms where the jewels/sacred treasures are now displayed. These rooms are made of mortared stone and decorated with alcoves, carvings, and the ceilings/moldings were plaster (I think) outlined in blue and red paint, which was quite beautiful. We weren’t allowed to take pictures in these rooms, but we saw lots of gilded and jeweled objects, including water flasks, aigrettes, swords, thrones, a crib, etc. Also on display are some fine kaftans worn by the Sultans. Most of these pieces are hundreds of years old and are very well-preserved. The patterns are absolutely beautiful.

TILES

2. Tiled rooms - Beyond the stone rooms there are many tiled rooms that seem more like living spaces and that aren’t as old as the other rooms. One room was a library, one was a room for eating sorbet (?), and another was a ceremonial circumcision room. But most of the rooms look the same and there aren’t many placards or brochures to read about them. The tiled rooms are gorgeous but a bit overwhelming since, in that section at least, there are tiles EVERYWHERE.

Though the rooms of treasures were crowded, the views from the gardens looking over the water and out to both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul are stunning. It's no surprise the Sultans chose this location.

Sorry, didn't get a picture of Muhammed's hair, so here's Joe by a building

The sacred relics were another attraction that is unique to Topkapi. In glass cases, they feature many objects from Mecca. (We think. The line for this room was long and very pushy. We didn’t get to read much about the objects and we quickly grew bored with it‑-and annoyed by many aggressive tourists.) Included in the sacred relics room is Moses' staff, David’s sword, somebody’s arm, Muhammed’s hair, etc. No comment.

The section of the museum that featured the kitchens was closed, and we overheard a guide say renovations have been conducted there for more than 2 years now. The guide also said he usually spends 2 hours in the kitchens because they’re so interesting. Welcome to Turkey.

Didn’t see the Harem‑-that’s another ticket and will be a different trip for us.

There were also some small buildings on the grounds that looked to be inspired by French architecture, but again, no placards or information about these things.

In sum: We enjoyed our visit to Topkapı Palace, but we wished there were more information provided. There are many tour guides plying their trade there, but I know from my time in Rome that often certified guides don’t really know what they’re talking about. 

Check out more pictures under the Photos tab!

Görüşürüz! (See 'ya later!)

Istanbul: known for loads of complex and rich history, the Grand Bazaar, where East meets West, Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya), and where Liam Neeson's family gets Taken (2).

This is our home now. We live in a busy suburbanish neighborhood called Ataşehir on the Anatolian side of the city. I am working for an English language publisher and taking Turkish language classes, and Joe is a primary/middle school English teacher at a nearby private school. More on all that to come.

As lifetime residents of the Midwest, there have been several adjustments to deal with, mainly living in a global city and not being able to speak the native language. This blog is the place where we will share our adventures in this enormous city... our joys, our discoveries, and our opinions. There will also be occasional pieces on teaching ESL for the first time in a foreign land—the challenges, the learning moments, and the successes with young learners.

Join us as we explore the traditional, unique, and alternative things Istanbul has to offer. Be prepared for the occasional rant here and there as well. We also plan to share photos and details of our trips around Europe.

Hoş geldiniz! (Welcome!)