Tuesday may the 24, 2005.

Main impression:
Liège visit.

Odor:
Liège waffles. I smelled but did not take the time to taste. Do you know the difference between Liège and Brussell's waffles? Those from Liège have a sweeter dough and are good to eat natures while those from Brussels are generaly covered with whipped cream and/or chocolate and fruits.

Color:
The grey of the Meuse under a cloudy day.

Flavor:
The mussels from restaurant "Le duc d'Anjou", mussels that come from Canada. Think of it, make all that trip to come eat mussels and realising once you are here that they come from where you started!
Also the "Salade Liègoise".

Sound:
The particuliar accent of the Liège Wallon (french dialect).

Texture/sentation:
I wonder if you get used to walk on stone pavement. My feet, ankles and knees are starting to complain!

Day summary:
Arriving in Liège I got a bit lost (with streets turning in all directions and the gray sky it's easy to loose your orientation) before finally getting to "Tchantchès et Nanesse" tavern. They where closing for the afternoon but since I was coming from far away they let me order anyway. I choose a "Salade Liègoise" as recommanded by Anne-Marie. It's not, as I guessed, a cold salad but a mix of green beans, potatoes with a bit of vinegar served with thick bacon pieces and saucages. All going down with Tchantchès et Nanessea brown beer (I don't know who is the brewer). Enough to fill the stomac of a touriste who plan to walk true part of the town!

The afternoon, I walked in the "Outremeuse" sector where lived Georges Simenon in his youth. I then took a boat tour with a group who seemed to be either flemish, neerlandish or german senior citizen, my linguistic knowledge didn't allow me to hear the difference.

After the boat tour, I crossed the Meuse on the pedestrian bridge and I walked a while in "le carré", a square of few streets reserved for pedestrians filled with cafés, shops and restaurants.

Finally, return to the train station with a stop at restaurant "Le duc d'Anjou". Bernard Blier (a french actor) came to Liège specially to try their mussles on the recomendation of Lino Ventura (another french actor), this give you an idea of their kitchen reputation... So go figure but their mussles come from Canada! I took curry mussles, very good, followed by a "café Liègois" who is more a dessert than a coffee.