Today, Sunday 13, 2010, is election day for Belgians. It is also Father's Day. Most Belgians seem pretty apathetic about voting because they do it so frequently. I hope Belgians care more about their fathers than who become Prime Minister. Since I can't vote, all I really care about is that buses run on time and the garbage gets picked up.
We spent the day in Antwerp. Antwerp is a really lovely city on the water. The Grand Place reminds me of Brussels but it seems that Antwerp had more life. People were enjoying the lovely weather and after casting their vote, went to enjoy some beer. It's Belgian, people here love their beer!
One of my favorite beers is La Chouffee. I reviewed it in a previous post and despite the hundreds of beers one can drink in Belgian, I always come back to this one. It is a fun little elf/troll always brings a smile to my face. However, with my lunch, I enjoyed a brown Leffe on tap. I am usually not a big dark beer fan but the Leffe bruin was quite enjoyable. It had a nice foam head with a slight bitter aftertaste. I also like the fact that it was not thick or heavy like some brown brews can be.
On the way home from Antwerp, my husband and I like to make fun of some of the towns we pass. One town in particular was Boom. Yes, there is a Boom, Belgium. Sounds comical? Imagine telling people you are from Boom. Would people joke and say, "do you hear big booms over there?" I decided that I would look into this little town so I can at least be a little educated about small Belgian towns and sound like an intelligent expat when someone mentions the town of Boom.
According to Wikipedia, Boom is located a municipality in Flanders with a population of 16,096 (as of 2006). The area is known for its clay open pits and brick factories. The founder of Bobbejaanland theme park hails from Boom. I wonder if this is Belgium's answer to Disneyland? Personally, Boom does not sound very exciting and it is not a town I am planning on visiting anytime soon.
One other town I would like to mention is Asse. This charming sounding town used to be spelled Assche is a Belgian province in Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises of Asse proper, Bekkerzeel, Kobbegem, Mollem, Relegem and Zellik (all towns that ARE not mentioned in my Belgium guide book). As of 2006, Asse had a population of 29,191. Asse never really developed into anything important (take out the violin) but the town did have some brewing and local hop production.
Boom and Asse probably got more coverage in my blog than it has gotten in years. Some people yearn for the hustle and bustle of Brussels or Antwerp and others seek the calm life that Asse and Boom could offer.
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