Still not a very touristy post

[petronia]

But here's the thing: it's not so much that you cannot get good beer from a depanneur in Montreal, as long as you know what you're getting (that Cheval Blanc thing Justin drinks is comparable to any Belgian brew), it's that there is no bad beer here. The Labatt Blue cannot-be-drunk-warm-or-it-tastes-like-piss level doesn't exist. The chocolate situation is analogous. Even Mars bars (which I've never actually seen in stores here, only on TV) are fancy-schmancy and pralinated. Except back home I might buy and eat a convenience store chocolate bar under certain circumstances, whereas here I would just, like, go into the next dedicated praline store and buy ten pralines that are completely different from the praline selection in the last praline store I passed in the street five minutes ago. They're much less sweet too - I can actually eat the ganache ones, unlike North American ones which are like icing sugar.

Also, they play music videos for STUFF I LIKE on TV. Like Royksopp or the Arcade Fire. Goldfrapp. Franz Ferdinand. THERE IS A TOTAL LACK OF CREED. The downside is that now I may be forced to purchase the Pussycat Dolls single. (Is it just me or does only one of them actually sing?)

Though I probably wouldn't be able to live here; the lack of cheap good Asian food would get to me after a while.

Possibly the National Gallery in London has ruined me a bit for all other museums ever. Our Lady of Antwerp ruined me a bit for other cathedrals right off the bat, I think.

Old Belgian towns all have market squares. Around the market square there are typically: a town hall, a basilica or chapel, and then guild houses cozied-up wall-to-wall on the other two-and-a-half sides with no space between them. The armorers, the haberdashers, the shipwights, the greengrocers, the coal-sellers, you name it. Possibly a fountain in the middle.

You know, EXACTLY LIKE TOWNS IN FINAL FANTASY.

At times it's almost creepy. Parts of Bruges look quite like Nibelheim, for instance. Vincent is probably under the Basilica of the Sacred Blood, 19th-century neo-Gothic additions and all.

(Aiya did this poor boy priest just start off by quoting Paul the Apostle's thoughts on t3h fl3sh, clearly he has no idea what sort of yomikiri he's in yet.)

Comments

[bell]

You know, EXACTLY LIKE TOWNS IN FINAL FANTASY.

If word gets out, those towns are going to be suddenly filled with nerd-tourists. XD

[petronia.livejournal.com]

If they're not filled with Miyazaki nerd-tourists already. This probably says nothing flattering about me but while staring at Bruges' main market square I finally realised that that was what had been subliminally niggling at me: FF-verse doesn't just look like Europe, it is Europe. I mean, you also ride trains from one town to another, and there are random little plaques everywhere that tell you interesting scraps of information.

[pere-chan.livejournal.com]

If they're not filled with Miyazaki nerd-tourists already

That is VERBATIM what I thought when I saw that comment.

#>_< # <----Miyazaki nerd-tourist

[moderntime.livejournal.com]

You know, EXACTLY LIKE TOWNS IN FINAL FANTASY.

LMFAO. So true.

[worldserpent.livejournal.com]

XD Oh dear, so Europe isn't too far from Japanese kitsch-Europe?

(Have never visited Belgium, BTW) What, I thought in Canada you guys were more Euro and so there were palatable chocolates?

[tsutanai.livejournal.com]

You know, I feel much better about not having travelled the continent now. I've gotten the essentials from living in Japan already! XDD

[worldserpent.livejournal.com]

Yes, but it doesn't prepare you for the chocolates. :D~~~

[tsutanai.livejournal.com]

Eh, actually, I'm not completely in love with the Eurochoco. Maybe it's because I've given over to the less-sweet side of the force. Or maybe it's because my family makes 'em just as good or better damn it. XD (No, I will not have this verified by an unbiased third party. It's an article of truth and faith you heathen. XDDDDDDD)

[fantabulous.livejournal.com]

Re the beer ... hehe, that scares me. Not that I don't drink, but I always try to go easy on booze. It's a fairly easy feat here in the States, because ... well ... domestic beer. :-P It appears that it might NOT be so easy in Europe, then. ;-) I'll make a note of that for if/when I ever go! ahaha!

[dipping_sauce]

... Bring me back some chocolate?

*puppy eyes*

[nem0.livejournal.com]

Goldfrapp! <3

[tongari.livejournal.com]

Vincent is probably under the Basilica of the Sacred Blood, 19th-century neo-Gothic additions and all.

HAHAHA bring him home if you manage to dig him up!

there is not much Creed on asian MTV (or during the hours I watch, anyway) but the Continent definitely wins in the departments of good beer.

yes, only one of them sings.

[cis.livejournal.com]

Dollet is actually a small town just outside Ghent. I think I've been there.

(you can't get decent bitter in mainland europe, mind. well, you can't get any bitter.)

I keep thinking of more places you should have gone to while here! gah. XD

Is you!

[(Anonymous)]

I discovered I was getting blog hits from Europe. So you are the one upping my blog Creed with transnational visits. Awesome. And awesome use of the word Creed... If you're using it in the sense I think you are. Or maybe you're talking about the band. Are you?