A sad day for Liège.

Yes, Liège made the world news this past Tuesday the 13th when someone decided to take a gun and to randomly spray fire into the crowds of people in Place St. Lambert, one of our most frequented public squares this time of year.

We wish it were for a happier reason that the worlds attention was drawn here, but sadly it wasn't.

People here are understandably shaken.  To the memory of the Liègois, this kind of crime has never happened here before.

We would like to express our sincere condolences to the families of those killed in Place St. Lambert, and to the families of those who are suffering injuries as a result of this horrible happening.  We like many Liègois and Belgians share your grief.

Students of Liège: St. Nicholas

Have you recently been approached by someone wearing a lab coat, asking your for money?  Allow us to explain...

Photo credit: ULg

There are several institutions of higher-learning based in Liège.  It is a popular destination for Erasmus students because it is known as a city that embraces students with open arms, meaning even if you don't speak much French as a student arriving here on exchange... you'll probably still be invited to the parties.  Of which there are MANY.

Photo credit: micheldelamotte.be

Every autumn many students attempt to get 'in' to various student 'fraternities'; they can be seen this time of year throughout the city wearing their white lab coats complete with decorations of fresh marker drawings and scrawls.

Photo credit: ULg

These lab coats quickly become not so fresh and white as the students participate in various hazing rituals and parties.  We have been told by more than one old 'fraternity' member that a student is never supposed to wash the lab coat no matter what has happened to it, no matter what has been spilled (or thrown) upon it.

Photo credit: bruxelloise.be

Older citizens of Liège mostly smile and remember their student-days when they catch sight of a group of youngsters involved in one of the many rituals and celebrations, which brings us to the students and St. Nicholas.

Photo credit: ULg

Traditionally December 6th is the day children in Belgium are treated with gifts for the day of St. Nicholas.  Around the beginning of December, the lab coated students can be seen in public places asking for pocket-change.  The change the students collect will be used to help subsidize their last bit of partying party before the end of semester examination period begins, and so this ritual of asking for change is a students way of asking the public to spoil them a little for St. Nicholas, too.

Photo credit: ULg

Tchantches and I have the personal philosophy that if someone is entertaining while remaining friendly and polite, we will give a little change.  If they are particularly witty in their banter or if they are highly entertaining, we give extra.  After all, it's important to know how to ask nicely for what you want in life.  And knowing how to do so with finesse isn't something the schools always teach!

Columbus Café

(Note: Columbus Café has closed down at this location, and we are presently unaware if there is/will be another in Liège.  We will leave this article in the archives however.)

Columbus Café, we have been told, is Starbucks' biggest competitor in France and other parts of Europe.  As Liège does not yet have a Starbucks, (a fact the anglophone half of our duo routinely laments,) we decided to go and see what we've been told is "the next best thing."

Located just across the way from the Palace Cinema in Lièges centre, the café certainly does have location working for it.  Though the interior isn't quite as luxe as some Starbucks, there are comfortable seats to be had, and the deco is somewhere in between Subway Sandwiches, and Starbucks (if that makes sense to you.)  We'll take more pictures to cover this next time.

Our visit was full of surprises.  The first of which was a cappuccino that came topped with steamed milk!  This is a rarity in Liège where sweetened whipped cream is more often the foam atop a 'cappuccino'.  Was the coffee good?  Yes.  We both agree that it was good, though not spectacularly good.  The coffee itself could be a little more full-bodied, and the layer of foam should ideally have been a little thicker.  A decent cappuccino is hard to find here in Liège though, so we don't consider this evaluation a complaint.  We only know of one other place that routinely serves steamed milk atop their cappuccino, and here at Columbus Café, the cappuccinos are better.

Second surprise: very good customer service.  Our barista was chipper as he answered our questions while taking pastries out of boxes and setting the store up for the day (we arrived right at opening time.)  He told us to make ourselves comfortable and fetched our coffees, muffins and Orange Juice without delay, and even offered us a piece of fruit-tart at no charge as he explained to us it was aesthetically damaged, and would otherwise have to be thrown out since he couldn't place it in the display.  We decided to be kind and help the poor guy out.  (The tart, by the way, was very tasty.)

just a few of the tasty treats on offer

The muffins were correct, which is to say they weren't too fluffy, had a denser quality, enough so to be dipped in coffee without falling apart.  As for taste, they were pretty good (probably some of the better muffins we've had in Liège.)  In fact, all the pastry we tried lived up to its looks or tasted even better than it looked.  (For comparison - we often find Starbucks pastries look much better than they taste.)  We'll pass by for lunch next time, as the sandwiches and salads looked appetizing.

Tchantches' orange juice was labelled on the menu as "freshly pressed", but when it arrived at our table, it didn't seem to be in appearance or taste.  It wasn't bad juice, but buyer beware here if you're the sort to pay a premium price for "freshly pressed" juice.  Other beverages on offer in addition to coffee-based beverages and juices included teas, smoothies, hot chocolate and an array of cold bottled beverages.  Given that Columbus Café caters to the same sort of clients as Starbucks, prices run in a similar range between the two.

Third Surpise: Free wifi!  This isn't widespread in Liège, but we are certainly happy to see the idea gaining ground here.

Our only true concerns about Columbus Café, at this point, are that it seems to have less seating than it needs.  It's hard to feel like you can "take time for yourself" (the company slogan,) when people who come in keep eyeing your seating area like they wish you'd gulp your coffee down and move on.  It's a tricky thing in the space they have though, as it's a long room with the stairwell leading down to the restrooms, meaning the entire space gets traffic flow moving through.  There are only one or two seating spaces a little more sheltered from this, and they are obviously the preferred places.

This brings us to our other concern, and 4th surprise: While our experience with the service was otherwise positive we must ask... who maintains the restrooms?

There are things we do expect in any public restroom, certainly.  Not everyone wipes up after the mess they make... but we came at the very start of the day, which left us wondering not only who maintains the restroom, but how often are they maintained?  Like it or not, restauranteurs of Liège, restrooms are part of the customer experience too!  Who is responsible for placing the roll of toilet-paper on the dirty floor, rather than in the toilet-roll-dispenser?  Even if the dispenser was broken (it didn't seem to be,) we'd expect a solution that keeps the toilet roll off the floor.  We were a little taken aback by this.

While we definitely advise you to pay them a visit if you find yourself in Liège craving a decent cappuccino or specialty coffee... we'll also warn you that using the facilities might not be as comfortable as the rest of the experience!

Located at: 20 Rue pont d'Avroy.

Open: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat & Sun 10am-6pm

La Rentrée

It is that time here in Belgium, known as "La Rentrée".  The time we all buckle down and return from our lazy vacation mentalities.

And so here we are, Tchantches and I, sorting through the potential material gathered over the months of Summer adventures.  You didn't think we'd abandoned ship, did you?  No, no.  Just vacationing and enjoying the odd day of sunshine here or there when it occurred, that's all.

With any luck, by next summer those visiting this site will have many more ideas on where to eat, what to do and see, not to mention the scoop on many more of the annual celebrations that occur in the area.  And there you have it.  Your roving reporters have returned.

Breakfast at Hema... One serious bargain!

Can I tell you something?  Tchantches and I are guilty of snobbery.

We have often walked by this sign, just outside of Hema, (a quirky and democratically priced store of Dutch origin,) located in the Galleries St. Lambert.

Between 9am (when they open) and 10am, the breakfast pictured above is 1 Euro in the Hema café.

We chuckled to ourselves, saying it must be a marvelous job in food photography, to show something that looked that good when the reality was probably something rather different.  We giggled because normally even just a coffee by itself (let alone a freshly ground rainforest-alliance-certified one) will run you between 1.50 and 2 euro here in Liège.  We asked ourselves if the whole breakfast might not be incredibly tiny in size...

The other day we found ourselves in the Place St. Lambert, and it was before 10am.  As we were in the right place at the right time, (and empty-bellied to boot,) we finally allowed our curiosity to overcome our snobbery.  In we went, walking to the bistro-buffet/café situated in the rear of the store.  We had to know: How good could a complete breakfast for just 1 measly euro be?

Pretty darn good, actually.  See for yourself just below here how the real thing measures up to the advertising.

Seriously.  I gave the cashier just one Euro and walked away with this.

Croissant: One pretty standard croissant for size, taste and texture.  Baguette: between a quarter and a fifth of a baguette size, which is normal.  The bacon in the sandwich is a proper full sized slice.  The omelette was fluffy and somewhere between 1 and 2 eggs worth (we both agree it's closer to 2.)  The coffee was good, though not the best that can be had in Liège, and the added blessing here for both of our sleepy heads was that it wasn't a small coffee.  I was delighted to actually receive more than what is pictured on the sign outside the store, because everyone could take a speculoos cookie to go along with their coffee at no additional charge that day.

Jams (strawberry and apricot) were the choices available for fruit-spreads and we spotted a rarer option in these parts, (peanut butter,) in an adjacent basket.  The strawberry jam wasn't fabulous, so next time I believe I'll be reaching for the peanut butter, and Tchantches will likely test-drive the apricot.  In any case, the croissant and sandwich were good enough that I had no real use for my packet of jam, but the option is always nice.

Language is not really an issue here, as the café functions in a buffet format: you take a tray, plate and utensils, and select your croissant and omelette sandwich yourself from the buffet-cases and baskets.  Just beware that if you want to take advantage of this deal, you need to take it exactly as it is. Tchantches added a chocolate croissant to his tray, and paid €1.25 extra for it.

You can bet with an unbeatable deal like this that we'll be going back when next the stars align and we find ourselves hungry and near the Place St. Lambert before 10am.

EDIT ***We have since been back to Hema, though this time it was much closer to 10.  I tried the peanut butter, and it was disappointingly off the mark as most peanut butters in Belgium seem to be.  The apricot jam is better than the strawberry according to Tchantches, but it's not great either, so there you have it.  On the second visit, there were no cookies by the register to go with the coffee, and our sandwiches were a little less fresh.  We figure this was because it was almost 10am when we showed up, and perhaps they'd been sitting in the buffet for almost an hour at that point.  Lessons learned?  If you want the very best of this deal, we'd say try to be there closer to their opening at 9.

The Hema in the Galleries St. Lambert is open from Monday - Saturday, 9am to 6:30pm.

Hotel discounts: Spend an extra night in Liège

From June through October 2011 the City of Liège and several of its hotels have come together and created a deal designed to entice those wanting to discover or rediscover the Cité Ardente.

In these hotels (which range between 3 to 5 star accomodations,) you will receive your second nights stay free, with breakfast included.

A welcome kit will also be given to you as part of this offer and will permit you to visit Liège under the best of conditions: It contains a City pass with which you can enter (free of charge) 13 museums, a discount for the Meuse-cruise as well as for the Tourist-tram, and provides you with a map of the city and the catelogue of the Grand Curtius Museum.

The participating hotels and the price at which they offer this package (2 nights with breakfasts and welcome pack included) are:

Crowne Plaza Liège (5 star): €215

Ramada Plaza Liège (4 star): €120

Hotel Mercure Liège Centre (4 star): €120

Husa de la Couronne (3 star): €99

Best Western Hotel Univers (3 star): €99

Ibis Liège Centre Opera (3 star): €99

To view the conditions of this offer and/or to make a reservation, visit here: http://www.liege.be/tourisme/campagne-promotionnelle-de-la-ville-de-liege-1/campagne-promotionnelle-de-la-ville-de-liege-en

La fête de la musique

What could be better than a celebration of music?  How about a city-wide celebration of music with free concerts?

Annually in the month of June, "La fête de la musique" happens in Liège.  For several days free concerts may be found all about the city, including a wide variety of bands and musical genres.  Most performances are on outdoor stages, though there are a few indoor venues used during the fête, where space may be limited.

The listings for concerts are numerous, and so we're at a loss regarding how to cover them.  The website for the fête is fairly navigable though, and offers up listings that can be sorted by music type, or venue, or by date, whichever works best for you.  It is a French site, but poking around and finding what you're looking for is still relatively simple.

http://www.fetedelamusiqueliege.be

Local Public Transit (the TEC)

In Wallonia, the local public transit is referred to as the "TEC".

photo: Aron de Jong

If the TEC is running, it will probably be running on time, and will do a satisfactory job of taking you where you were hoping to go.  If you are an "English-only" visitor to Liège, you will be able to use the TEC website to determine how to get from point A to point B using the "Itineraries" tab.

A single fare in Liège is €1.60.  We recommend that if you are planning to take several trips that you purchase either a single-day pass (unlimited trips in one day for €3.20), a three-day pass (unlimited trips over three consecutive days for €6.40).  The same sort of unlimited-travel pass is also available to cover trips anywhere in the Walloon region, with the single-day ticket costing €7.00 and the 3-day ticket €14.00

One problem with the TEC however, is that if you are an "English only" user you might not know when they are on strike.

illustration: Stephan Pire

In theory, the TEC is supposed to run every day of the year, starting around 5am and finishing around midnight daily.  The problem is that the TEC often go on strike here in Liège.  In the past 6 months, Liège has seen 7 TEC strikes, many of them lasting more than one day, and several being illegal strikes without advance notice to the public (who rely on them to get to and from work and school, among other things!)

It is not an easy bit of information to find on the TEC website even in French, to see if there is a strike.  If you're using the English version of the site, you'll simply see "under construction" on the page where this information should be present.  So, how to find out if the buses are running?  One must select the "Group TEC" tab on the site, and then choose the appropriate sub-tabs of "votre TEC régional" and then "TEC Liège-Verviers" to see about any service disruptions.  (To my English mind it seems a little like the administrations embarrassment; tucking this important information away in the corner like that.)  If you're on your own and don't speak French, click the link we've posted just above, and look for the words "grève" (strike) or "perturbations de reseau" (disruptions to service), while hoping the site has been updated quickly to reflect the strike, particularly if it is of the impromptu variety.

We'd like to take this moment to point out to the TEC (as clearly they have someone who handles their English communications,) that this sort of thing can ruin a tourists experience of Liège.  It's not just that visitors to the city can't get around so easily, but there is also the greater potential that a transit strike could cause someone to miss their train or plane, putting in absolute disarray their return home, their flight connections, or their hotel reservations elsewhere.  It does no good for business in Liège either if people can't get to their meetings and conferences on time, and in the end it does little good for the TEC, since every day the busses don't move, thousands of dollars in revenue for the TEC itself are lost.

As you may have guessed, Tchantches and I are not fans of the TEC.

I was ok with them until they stopped working.  Tchantches informs me that though it is particularly ridiculous right now, the TEC has been disfunctional for as long as he can remember.

We feel strikes like these are not only pointless, but that it's extremely disrespectful to the inhabitants of Liège, the visitors to the city, and the businesses that power its economy that such internal troubles in the TEC organization are publicly aired in a way that hurts the rest of the city.  Commentary in local newspapers show that much of the population in and around Liège is quite upset with the situation.

We rate the TEC to be a poor-value service, as its primary function is to have the buses rolling, with regularity, and on time.  Clearly, regularity of service is a concern.  We'd love to suggest that the TEC do what many other transit systems of the world do when expressing grievances with their management: strike by refusing to collect riders fares.  This is a tactic that I'd assume draws much more concern from management than the tactic of holding the public hostage.  The public is more likely to support you in your labour action if you don't anger them by mucking up their work/school lives or travels.

If the TEC functioned as it ought to, which is to say daily, with minimal disruptions in service for good reason (such as heavy snow,) we would say it was ordinary and satisfactory, as transit systems go.  But for the time-being it isn't, and so we feel it fair to warn you.  Due to all the disruptions in service over the past months, we've taken quite a shine to using our bikes or a car when needed, and we recommend that when coming to Liège you have a "plan B" tucked up your sleeve, too, just in case.  By doing this you can assure yourself a "bon voyage".

Les Grignoux (where to see an English-language film, in English.)

Tchantchès and I are firm believers that it's best to see a film in its original language, that is to say that we feel what an actor does with their voice is a big part of acting, and we prefer to hear the real voice of the actor onscreen as opposed to a voice dubbed in.  Fortunately there is a group of cinemas in Liège that allows us to indulge this preference, as they routinely present films in their "version-originale" or "V.O.".  This group of 3 movie houses is called "Les Grignoux", and they present a variety of films ranging from mainstream to art-house and festival flicks, almost always in their original version (with French subtitles, of course.)

Because the English-language film industry is one of the largest in the world, a great number of current Anglo-films play at these 3 cinemas throughout the year.  The only trick to finding a film you may hope to see here is to remember that it is common for English films to be given a different name in order to make the title as enticing as possible to the French audience.  Although the films may be presented in V.O. at Les Grignoux, the names given on the listings of film times and locations will likely be the French name.

"A Beautiful Mind" = "Un Homme D'Exception"

Handily, the Grignoux's website is well constructed, and by clicking on the name of a film (you can do so directly from their opening page,) you will be directed to an information page for the film which shows the films poster art, a brief synopsis of the premise, language, and runtime, and quite often an embedded video window will allow you to view a cinematic trailer (which will also be in the original language of the film.)  If you've very little French, it takes a tiny bit of clicking about the site to figure out what films you may be interested in seeing, but it's pretty easy.

To Note: Release dates for films can at times, vary greatly between places.  Les Grignoux is respectful of the laws concerning release dates, and therefore will not play a film before it is legal to do so in Belgium, even if the film may have been released weeks before in other parts of the world.  It is common for those of us in Liège to have to wait a few additional weeks for the release into cinemas of an English film.

A weekend, holiday, or evening viewing (after 6pm) at Les Grignoux costs 6 euro.  If, however, you are seeing a film that starts before 6pm on a weekday (one which is not a holiday,) you can expect to pay a reduced ticket price that ranges between 4 (for films with noon-hour starts) and just less than 5 euro (for films starting after 2pm but before 6pm.)  As well, those with official identification proving they are not yet 21 years of age may receive a reduction in their ticket price.

If you happen to be spending a longer period of time in Liège and enjoy the cinema or if you live in Liège, Les Grignoux also sell a 10-movie pass, which costs 45 euro, has no expiry date, and which allows the pass-holder to use more than one of the "10 films" at the same time (meaning you can bring a date/friend(s) to a film with you by using up another spot(s) on your pass.)

There is also a member card for Les Grignoux, which costs 3 euro and reduces the price of each evening seance you attend to 5 euro from the normal 6, provided you present the card when purchasing your ticket.

Two of the cinemas (The Churchill and The Sauvenière,) are located in the downtown area of the city, with the last (The Parc) being located a little further out from the downtown in the area known as Liège-Droixhe.

To reach the website for Les Grignoux (which includes film times and locations,) click here.

The Muguets of May Day.

Like in many countries of Europe, Belgians have a day off on May 1st, this being recognized as a labour holiday.

But there is another annual event strongly linked to May 1st here in Belgium, and that has to do with "les muguets":

otherwise known as "Lily of the Valley" to you and I.

If you find yourself here on May 1st, you will see people all over the city with baskets or buckets of Lilies of the Valley, offering to sell you a small bouquet that includes a few sprigs and a rose (usually for around 2 Euro) or a simple sprig or two (un brin) for one Euro or less.  It is tradition here to offer Lilies of the Valley on May 1st to those in your life that you wish happiness and good luck.

This dates back to 1561, the year when King Charles the 9th decided to offer Lilies of the Valley to all the ladies of his court.  The gesture was passed among members of the court, and became an annual tradition where the flowers came to be the symbolic bringer of good spirit, good wishes, and good luck.

In French, something that embodies these sentiments is called a "porte-bonheur", (a bringer of good things.)  While we feel they are dainty and smell lovely, Nanesse does find it a little peculiar that they are seen as a "porte-bonheur" since the flowers, leaves and stems of the plant are toxic if ingested, (which would not make them a bringer of good things if given to very small children or pets!)

If you are visiting at this time of year, why not take part in this tradition and offer a "brin" (small bouquet) to a friend or family member?

The Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Do you like cycling?  Are you a fan?

We aren't.  BUT, we know that we are in the minority here in Belgium, where cycling is one of the preferred sports.  People go nuts for it here, and tomorrow is the Liège-Bastogne-Liège, which is apparently one of THE BIG races of the European cycling calendar, happening every year at the end of April.

Tchantchès tells me that it is considered to be one of the last big ones before the start of the Tour de France, so people are already frothing at the mouth with speculation over the Tour, along with their regular excitement at attending a very old and established race in the world of cycling.  Today the excitement was visible and audible in Liège, with people decked out in racing jerseys on their own bikes, and accents from around the world speaking about tomorrow's race.

A world famous cycling race in my own backyard...who knew?  Not me.  But if you've arrived here because you Googled it, you probably did.

Unfortunately I can't tell you much about the race, other than to say that I (now) know that though the race is already known to be quite hilly and a true test of stamina, there is a section of the race that is known for it's difficult series of 5 hills that all fall within the same 30 kilometre stretch (close to the end of the race, to boot,) and that though one of those hills was missing last year (due to needed road-work) it has been put back in this year.  Before I make myself look like any more of a ninny, I'll direct you to Wikipedia if you want historical information about the race, and to The Tour de France organization's coverage of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège, which helpfully provides those wanting to check the race out with a detailed course-map and the approximate times the race ought to be passing by given locations during the race.

Le Perron

The Perron is a piece of living history in Liège, situated in the Place du Marché.  But what exactly is it?

This pillar originally served as a symbol of the prince-bishop of Liège, and its image has been found on money used in the region, dated as early as the 12th Century.  In the 15th Century the Perron was placed on Lièges coat-of-arms, and the image of it has stayed there to this day.

Coin dated to the 16th Century featuring The Perron prominently

City of Liège coat of arms

To the Liègeois, The Perron represented justice.  Liège lived under a communal charter, established under the prince-bishop, and the site of The Perron was used as a place where declarations were made to and concerning the public including judicial rulings and the dispensation of justice, along with changes or amendments to the law.  No law could be put into effect without being read aloud in front of The Perron.

In 1468 Liège was seized by Charles Le Téméraire (Charles The Bold.)  Upon seizure of the city, the new ruler had the Perron removed.  This gesture matched the imposition of harsher rule over the people of Liège.  Charles Le Téméraire wanted to destroy the Liègeois' previously held notions of justice and public liberties.  To make this perfectly clear to the people of Liège Charles left them a message.  After removing the Perron and transporting it to Bruges where it served as a trophy, words to this effect were inscribed on the base where the Perron once stood:

"Don't look anymore to the sky,
By my fall, learn that nothing lasts forever.
A symbol of courage and glory at one time
I protected a people invincible to war.
I tell you today I was mistaken, I am a cheap toy
which Charles has taken and broken!"


Fortunately for the people of Liège, Charles The Bold died 9 years later, and the person who took his place (The prince-bishop Louis de Bourbon,) had better relations with the people of Liège.  He made use of his connections in Bruges and in July of 1478 after 10 years of absence the Perron was returned to Liège to much fanfare.

Scene depicting the re-erection of The Perron, artist unknown

A new inscription (this time in Latin,) was made when The Perron was re-erected.  This time the words acknowledged the taking of the Perron and its exile:

"The Perron, seen by Liège with pride as a sacred emblem of the fatherland, was replaced on this pedestal the 10 July 1478.  Liège where the arts live, Liège the new Athens, Charles had ruined you and covered you with chains!  Far from you, exiled by his order to Bruges, where I stayed ten years overpowered with insults.  But these times of bitter servitude have passed: Here I am again against your breast, oh my mother."

This "putting right" of the wrong that was committed has only added to the historic value given by the Liègois to the Perron, a symbol representing justice and fairness, values the Liègois hold dear.

Parc de la Boverie

We've been having uncharacteristically blue skies, and sunny, warm weather here of late.  It seems that mother nature has forgotten it's April, and that this is Belgium.  Of course, we're absolutely in favour of her lapse of memory, and we've been taking full advantage of the lovely weather.

A week like this is the perfect time to introduce to you the French expression: "Profiter du soleil."  It means "Take advantage of the sunshine."  As you might imagine, in a country where the sky is often covered in grey cloud, this activity is taken quite seriously.

One place that the residents of Liège favour for soaking up a little sunshine is the Parc de la Boverie.  Located about 1km from the Guillemins train station, and about 1.5 - 2 kilometres from the centre, this park has an idillic setting at the southern tip of the island that sits in the river Meuse.  The southernmost tip of the park is easily identifiable by the jet of water and sculpture situated there.

To help with location: the bridge in the background is the Pont de Fragnée.

The park is large enough to contain the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, a rowing club, a junior-elementary school, landscaped lawns, and several ponds inhabited by a variety of geese and ducks, along with a small collection of more exotic fowl.  The prevalence of trees, winding paths, and waterfront views make the park a popular place for joggers, cyclists, those out for a stroll, or those who'd rather roll out a blanket and soak in the relaxed ambiance.  If you find yourself in Liège and the weather is favourable, we highly recommend you visit this verdant oasis in the city.  It is one of the citys quiet riches.

The Touristram - a spin through Liège.

The other day while we were out walking the Touristram rolled by, reminding me that I'd planned to make an entry about it.  Tchantches and I decided to "value test" the Touristram for you the following evening, and fortunately we were just in time to catch the last one of the day.  We each forked over 5 Euro, piled on-board, and away we went...

A few things to note about the Touristram:

---Though several interesting places in Liège can be seen while on the tram, many receive no mention in the commentary, and for those sights discussed in the commentary very little history is given.
---The tram is not a "hop on, hop off" affair.  We'd like to suggest to the City of Liège that if this were changed, it would instantly make the Touristram a better value for tourists.  This way if they found the brief descriptions offered on-board intriguing, they could always get off the tram and explore a sight.
---Announcements are not in English, only in French followed by Dutch.
---Announcements are not always well timed - you may have rolled passed the site being commented on already, or not have yet arrived at it when the announcements tell you where it is and what it is you are supposed to be seeing.
---Whenever something is "directly in front of the tram", you cannot see it, because the roof of the tram (which is mostly wood with only a tiny sunroof) blocks the view.  One realizes once inside the tram that they are not the best vehicle for sightseeing... more windows and less wood would be ideal.
---Be warned if you don't have much posterior cushioning of your own... it's a bumpy ride.

---The music played on the tram while moving between sights varies from traditional classical to booming and moody Wagner.

---Note that if the local traffic is cooperative, the ride will be a good half-hour shorter than the 1 and a quarter hours advertised as the length of the tour.  Our general sentiment at the end of the ride was "That's it?"

We did learn a thing or two about Liège that we hadn't known previously, but we'd say that at $5 a pop, you might as well get a map or guide-book, and walk or bike about visiting the sites that interest you most in Liège.  It's not that the Touristram couldn't be good (with a few changes made,) it's just that right now, it isn't a great value.

Adults = 5 Euro
65 and up = 4.5 Euro
4-12 yrs = 3.5 Euro
0-4 yrs = Free
(There is supposed to be a discounted fare for those in possession of the Liège City Pass, but when we asked the Touristram driver/ticket-vendor about this, he knew nothing of it...)

The Touristram departs from Place Saint-Lambert (pictured above) Tuesday through Sunday at:
12 noon, 1:30pm, 3pm, 4:30pm.

Breakfast at Le Matin Liègois

Tchantchès and I enjoy a breakfast out now and then.  We'd heard about "Le Matin Liègois" and decided to check them out.  Before going we agreed to put them to the English-test (meaning we'd speak English while there to see how those without French-language skills might be served,) and away we went.

It would be fairly easy to miss this place from the outside, given the low-key sign.

A flashy sign isn't necessary for business here, though.  Le Matin Liègois is known to locals who stop by for breakfast, to pick up bread or a freshly-made sandwich for their day, or who might settle in at some point in the day for a pastry with coffee or tea.

Situated in La Place du Marché, (which is an elgongation off the Place St. Lambert,) it is an easy walk from most places in the centre of Liège.

 Place St. Lambert

 Place du Marché

Le Matin Liègois is a few buildings further walking in this direction, on this side of the street.

A friendly woman behind the counter greeted us, and when asked, answered that yes she was able to speak English.  When we arrived the downstairs was rather busy and so we asked if we could sit upstairs to take breakfast.  We were given a cheerful yes and made our way up a wooden spiral staircase at the back, discovering a quaint and quiet space upstairs with red walls and coloured glass windows.

Menus were already placed at most tables and as we settled down our waiter joined us.  We asked and found that he did not speak English, but he indicated that if we showed him what we wanted on the menu he should be able to help us.  As we hadn't looked over the menu just yet, Tchantchès asked for a coffee (€1.70) and I asked about teas.  I was brought a tea-menu, which showed the restaurant carries a variety of Lipton teas and infusions.  As I'm not partial to the brand, I asked for a cappuccino (€2.00) to everyones confusion I think, but mine.

One note about cappuccinos here: I have yet to find one that comes with steamed milk atop.

Ordering a cappuccino in Liège will often result in the receipt of something like this:

(an espresso topped with sweetened whipped cream and cinnamon.)

Tchantchès pointed to the "complet" (€8.00), which is a breakfast consisting of a regular croissant, a chocolate croissant, a white-bread roll, slices of cheese (a middle-of-the-road gouda in this case,) butter, a selection of spreads including honey, jam, nutella, and sirop de Liège, a soft-boiled egg and an accompanying coffee or tea.

I pointed to the "2 oeufs sur le plat" breakfast combination (€5.00), which includes 2 sunny-side-up eggs, buttered bread, and a coffee or tea.  At least it should have.  When our waiter brought our meals, he presented Tchantchès with his plates and coffee, and then placed one tiny plate in front of me.  A single sunny-side-up egg.

I apologized and explained to the waiter that my breakfast was supposed to have 2 eggs, and pointed again to my desired meal on the menu.  He apologized explaining in French that his colleague had misunderstood that I'd wanted just one egg, and said he'd get right to fixing it.  Another egg was quickly brought to me, and at this point I had to try again and explain that I'd really wanted the full meal pointing to the bread and coffee in the meal description.

Fortunately another couple were eating upstairs with us and when I said "toast" one of them tossed a "pain grillé" to the waiter, at which point he realized I was still missing part of my meal.  I never did get my bread, but Tchantchès had actually been given an extra roll along with his soft-boiled egg, so he gave it to me and we called it even after the waiter returned with my coffee.

Overall we felt the quality of the food was good, but not outstanding.  Tchantchès has a taste for fine pastries and thought the croissants weren't bad, but were also nothing special.  The bread roll was reasonably fresh, though rather tasteless.  My eggs were correctly cooked and well seasoned, tasting lightly of butter, salt and pepper, though Tchantchès' soft-boiled egg was bizarrely overcooked in one part while being completely undercooked with a transparent white in another part.  We noted as well that the spreads provided with his breakfast were likely placed in their pots the night before or possibly even earlier, judging by the skin that had developed on the (normally semi-fluid) sirop de Liège.

Part of Tchantchès' breakfast.  (Hungry bugger had already eaten his croissant and soft-boiled egg before I'd gotten my camera out!)

Despite the wrinkle in service, everyone was unfalteringly friendly, tried their best to get things right even with the language difference, and service was fairly quick.  The woman minding the counter downstairs seemed eager to practice her English as she rang us up, making small talk with us and wishing us a good stay in Liège on our way out.

Le Matin Liègois

Place du Marché, #20

Open 7am - 6pm Monday - Saturday, 9am - 12pm Sunday.

Sláinte! Guinness in Liège

It's true, it is St. Patrick's Day as we're posting this, but we know we can't possibly be the only ones who (no matter the date,) like to know where in a city we might be able to find a good pint of Guinness.

There are several restaurants and pubs in Liège that offer Guinness, but most of them serve it from the can.  If you're looking for Guinness on-tap, here are a few places we've found it:


---The Shamrock - Located at the intersection of Rue St. Gilles and Rue Louvrex (about 5 minute walk from the Pont D'Avroy.)

---The Celtic - After a lengthy closure for renovations, this pub has just re-opened.  Located at 143-145 Blvd. de la Sauvenière (at the Pont D'Avroy.)

---Mad Murphy's - Located at 21Rue St.-Jean-en-Isle (in the Carré.)


Please do let us know if you've found another pub pouring Guinness in Liège, and we'll add the listing here!

Artefum

We passed by Artefum the other day, and felt it only right to mention them here.  Yes, Artefum is rather unimpressive on the outside...

They receive mention here, however, because this little shop, (located at #1 Place St. Lambert,) carries Liège-specific souvenirs, such as shot-glasses, scarves, postcards and even Tchantchès and Nanesse dolls.  As well, there is a selection of "Belgium" souvenirs and the typical "Brussels" and Mannekin Pis paraphernalia.  They manage to pack a lot into a little space.

Being a "Tabac", Artefum also carries a variety of tobacco products, as well as gum and candies, magazines and newspapers.

Next time we pass by, we'll try to get the store-hours to put here.

Cucinella

Fine Italian fare with a modern influence.  Situated on rue de la Casquette, on the edge of "the Carré", this restaurant is one we love.  Judging by the full room the past few times we've visited, we're guessing the word has spread on Cucinella, and how could it not with food like theirs?

Salads, scallops, tartars, and carpaccios are handled with great skill - we feel it's one of the best places in Liège for these.  The "salade folle" is a delicious showcase for the chefs talent with these items.

Cooked fish and meats are well handled, though occasionally left 20 seconds too long on the grill or in the pan.

We've yet to meet a pasta we don't like here.

Deserts are house-made, and finely executed.  (We try to save a little extra-room for them!)

We've always found the service to be warm and professional - They leave you time to talk and enjoy the meal without needless interruptions, but they never leave you for very long with an empty glass or waiting for your next course.  We know that at least some of the servers are comfortable working in English; we've never seen an anglophone table experience difficulty making their order known nor have we observed a different standard of service for English speakers.

The restaurant's web-site includes a map, contact information, listing of the (prix fixe) menu for the day as well as the full carte for food.  Sadly the wine list and cocktail menus are not presented, and French is the sole language of the site at the moment.  The site is relatively new however, so hopefully these small oversights will be corrected.

The restaurant is a stone's throw from the Hotel Mercure as well as the Crowne Plaza and the Ibis Opera Hotel for those out of towners craving a good meal close to their 'base of operations'.  In any case, if you find yourself on the Boulevard de la Sauveniere craving an excellent meal, this is a safe bet.

Cucinella, Liège.

Guillemins

Unless you've taken a taxi or driven in, your first contact with Liège is likely to involve the Liège Guillemins train-station.

The new Guillemins station, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, was inaugerated on September 18th, 2009 with a multimedia spectacle by Franco Dragone (the designer of many Cirque du Soliel performances.)  The new station was built on the site of the old, and the civic replanning of the surrounding area to accommodate the larger building and architects vision has helped to improve the quarter.  Slowly, we see more upscale offerings moving into the area.

Immediately accessible within the station concourse (situated one level below the train-platforms) you will find:

The Maison Tourisme - Here there are maps and pamphlets for various attractions in the region, and there is a multilingual person on-hand to advise tourists.  As well, the TEC (local public transport) provides information and sells transport fares here.
A Vending Nook - This area contains several food and beverage vending machines as well as photo-booths and automated banking-machines.
L'espress "oh" Juice - Here you can find made-to-order juices and smoothies, coffees and a small selection of hand-prepared snacks.
Crocantine - This small shop offers pre-packaged snacks, beverages and a selection of candies.
Leonidas - A boutique offering Leonidas brand chocolates and other small gift items.
Victoria - A wide variety of stylish accessories for both men and women are sold here, including Guess, DKNY, Diesel, Storm, Swatch, Esprit, and Fossil, among others.
Les Jardins D'Iris - A design-focussed florist offering flowers, plants, and decorative gifts.
Point Chaud - A chain-café in Belgium offering sandwiches made to order, coffee, croissants, and other pastries.
Relay - A newsstand selling magazines, books, chocolates, potato crisps, stuffed toys, stationary supplies and small souvenirs.
Cucina - A resto-café boasting an excelsior espresso machine, Harney & Sons teas, and a large pastry case offering a variety of sweet and savory snacks as possible accompaniments to your beverage.
Pharmacie - Pharmacies here normally have a small selection of items in the store-area in front of the counter, though they actually offer a much wider selection of products than can be seen.  It will be necessary to speak to the Pharmacist if you do not see what you are looking for in front of the counter.  Even if what you seek is not a medication, it may still be stored behind the counter!  Closed Sundays, limited morning hours on Saturdays.
Café de la Grande Gare  - A newly opened upscale-brasserie offering attractive seating, a good selection of beer and wine, champagne, a menu that includes meals, snacks, desserts and local specialities, as well as several kinds of tea or coffee.

Louis Delhaize.  A smallish grocery store with reasonable pricing considering the location.  Though it is situated in the station, there is currently no point of entry from inside the main concourse, so you must exit the station and enter via their separate entrance, to the side of the main station entrance.  Here you can find fresh produce, dry grocery staples, pet food, alcohols, DVDs, pre-packaged meals (fresh and frozen), sandwiches, candies, personal care items and grooming products.  It is possible to purchase postage stamps and to post items at the cash register.

Station facilities:  Currently there are 500 spaces available in the on-site car-park, with 300 more due to open soon.  There is a luggage-locker area where bags may be secured for 24 hours at a time, and these facilities are surveyed by CCTV.  Attached is a bike-parking/lockup area (locking up your bike here is free, but we recommend you do yourself and your bike a favour by using a good lock.)  Next door to the luggage lockers and bike lockup part of the station is the "Maison du Cyclisme", where a variety of bikes (electric, folding, normal) can be rented or serviced for repair, and where cycling maps for the area are found.  The external entrance to these facilities is located just next to the Louis Delhaize.

Should you have any comments to make concerning the station or the surrounding area, Eurogare, the consultancy responsible for revitalization and development of rail-properties in Belgium would be happy to hear from you.