Alone again, naturally and naturally. This time out, we planned a four-week trip around Belgium, so this is part one for your viewing pleasure. We spent some time in “nature, naturally” and rough it…well, almost, except for my gourmet cooking in the wild!
My best translation and impression of Lutz’s message are below!
We left Maasbracht following the Julianna Canal and the Maas Canal upstream to Lattich (Liege), then to Huy and Namar. The first stop was in an artificial sea made for recreation. We landed on a beautiful shaded island in the middle of the ocean. We were all alone with nature and no electricity. The next day, we headed for a MEGA lock 14 meters high (thank goodness I do the driving and Lutz does the ropes, yuck). We arrived at Luttich (Liege) for a wonderful city visit with a bus tour. The rebuilt homes after the war were run-down houses from the 60s, but the old downtown was beautiful. One picture shows over 374 steps that lead to a hilltop panorama view of the city and the canal (no, I did not walk them!). On the way to Huy, you could see the remains of many abandoned industries along the canals. Huy was once a little city and has been there since prehistoric people. Once inhabited by the Romans, Belgium was then taken over by the SS as a prison. Heading upstream to Namar was a better view of quaint homes and beautiful scenery. Once again, we discovered that the castle here also served as an SS prison camp during WWII.
Here are two super recipes we enjoyed a lot! The grilled basil chicken is marinated in my B&B Pesto all day! The Rustic Pasta is amazingly creamy and flavorful. You can use gluten-free pasta or zucchini noodles! I whipped up these Luscious Lemon Coconut Bars using my Cassava Butter Cookie recipe as the crust. Holy moly, it’s so easy and great on a hot day!
Grilled Basil Chicken & Rustic Pasta
Luscious Lemon Coconut Bars
I'm Melinda Stevens and living the life of a beach bum was inevitable since my father was a lifeguard for the city of Los Angeles. My memories of growing up on John Street in Manhattan Beach, California were filled with joy, excitement and adventures; until my world, as I knew it, fell apart when we moved to Del Mar, California. My father was offered the position as Captain of the lifeguards and we started the slow migration to the small deserted stretch of beach in 1963. At twelve years old, this seemed like the end of my life. Remember, I’m writing with clear hindsight now, ok somewhat clearer… Little did I know this would be the beginning of a new journey and give a bit more clarity to many of the events that led me to this new cooking adventure.