It’s true, Rob and I are back in the States!

The last weeks of traveling are easy to sum up – excessive amounts of beer (Belgium) and chocolate (Belgium and Paris)… 

We traveled to Brussels and met family friends and a friend of a friend who all showed us a wonderful time between the time we spent at Belgium beer bars and chocolate shops.  In Ghent we couchsurfed with a lovely couple who shared with us some of the best beers in the world and introduced us to really excellent Belgian food.  We took a day trip to Brugges and that was enough to see the town’s brewery and visit one great beer bar. 

Our last stop in Belgium was the Orval Abbey, where one of the world’s seven trappist beers is made by monks.  (Well, technically the operation is overseen by one monk and staffed by locals).  We stayed for a couple days as retreatants, accompanying the monks for their chanting.  One of the mornings we were very lucky to be whisked through the brewery for a tour.  Tours are reserved for beer professionals only, so I had an in.

We rode the high speed train into Paris.  It was Rob’s first visit, so in between the seventeen chocolate shops, we saw the city’s landmarks – the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, Georges Pompidou, etc.  Paris has incredible chocolates.  My favorites were Patrick Rogier, Jacques Genin and Pralus (for bars) if you’re ever in town.  

After five chocolate-filled days, we made our way home via a long long layover at Chicago O’Hare to Arkansas where we’ll spend the next couple weeks catching up with family and friends.  Then it’s on to Boulder, Colorado where we both plan on following our dreams of beer and chocolate.  More on that soon, under new blogs and with a whole new world of adventures.

So this is it.  Now that we’re home, keeping a blog titled ‘from the other side of the world’ seems a little insincere.  I’ll post twice more – once with photos of Mongolia through Europe and once with an update on the new chocolate blog address. 

Thanks so much to everyone who’s kept up with us over the past year.  I’m really looking forward to seeing you in person soon…

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