The North Atlantic Treaty Organization sponsors a charity event each year. NATO countries and supporters set up booths where they sell items from their own country to raise money for charity. My sister and brother-in-law took me to this year’s event which was packed! Lots and lots of families wandered through the halls examining the wares from each country. We aren’t allowed to take pictures within the building, so I gave my sister my phone and we set off.

Photo ban at the NATO Charity Bazaar. 

We saw reindeer hides from Finland (which my sister’s Swedish friends told us make sitting outside in the winter OK), drinking horns from Georgia, and pottery from Poland (another item my sister’s friends highly recommended). As soon as we walked in we saw the Polish stand. While we were looking at the pottery, they convinced us to buy a raffle ticket because every ticket was a winner. I won two different tubs of cosmetics. I don’t read Polish so I have no idea what they do. Cyndi won fish. Three tins of fish.

I picked up a few Christmas gifts for some friends back home which I won’t list here on the off chance that any of them follow this blog (looking at you Bob and Angel!) Canada was my favorite stand because they were passing out shots of my new favorite drink, maple whisky.

In the cafeteria there were stands with native foods. We saw a giant pan of paella passing through on its way to the Spanish stand. The French were making racklette sandwiches. I got a hot dog from Denmark because my brother in law said they were highly recommended (he was right!) I also tried the Moose Milk. This was from the Canadians and it was the Moose Milk that convinced me Canada might be my new favorite country.

After picking up a few more items from Slovenia and Turkey we couldn’t carry much more so we headed home.

Of course I picked up some maple whisky and Glögg

Cyndi and Gil decided to take me out to dinner at their favorite restaurant Balls and Glory. We hopped on the Metro and rode to Central Station. Then we walked past the Grand Place.

Friday night the Christmas Markets open which I guess is when they light the tree because it wasn’t lit yet. 

Balls and Glory is a meatball shop, but they are meatballs like you’ve never had before. They flash freeze various sauces and insert them into the center of the meatball. Then it is baked (never fried) and served with a stump (a mash of potatoes, carrots and the vegetable of the day) and a salad. We decided to order multiple meatballs so we could try one of each.

I was the only one who thought the chicken was the best. Everyone else like the tikka masala better.

After dinner we walked over the St Catherine’s Cathedral.

Waffle trucks! Too bad we ate too many meatballs…

And then we walked through the Gallery to peek in all the windows of the chocolate shops.

So much chocolate…

On our way back to the Metro we passed the Smurf museum. I had been the Smurf Assistant when I worked at Hardees in high school so I insisted we stop for a photo.

Nice hat!

My first weekend in Brussels was fantastic. Next week we will explore more of the city as well as Ghent and Bruges!