In the picture, I see a sort of a viking hamlet split in two by a long river, where there is a longship called Drakkar such as similar to an Axterix comic. On In the background of the image, there are mountains, volcanoes and a lot of forests. Into the sky there are also two parts: on one side the moon and the sun on the other. In front the foreground, I see a castle with a red roof and a telescope in coming out of the window, a lot of small houses and a tower with a clock
Nearly half the
chocolate consumed in the world is savored in Europe, and Belgium — with
per-capita consumption of 14.99
pounds a year —certainly devours its fair share. While Brussels , the country’s
capital, is home to hundreds of chocolatiers, what makes a visit imperative, at
least from a chocophile’s perspective, is the rich heritage of artisanal
chocolate-makers.
And none epitomizes the
nation’s devotion to craft and quality more than Mary
Delluc established her business in 1919 on the Rue Royale, the route the king
took to the Royal
Palace each day. In 1942
she achieved her goal of becoming the chocolate purveyor to the royal family,
an honor that was bestowed on the brand three more times, most recently in
2013.
Royale BRUSSELS
CreditMary
While Mary has retained a presence on Rue for 95 years, it has changed address three times, the most recent (Rue Royale 73) undergoing an overhaul in 2010.
“We went back
to the roots of Mary,” the managing director, Olivier Borgerhoff, said, noting
the return to the original white-and-gold color scheme and prominence of the
oblong logo. As for the chocolate, it might as well be the 20th century. “We
don’t change the types of chocolates often,” Mr. Borgerhoff said. “We try to
improve the choices we have.” That means sourcing top-quality ingredients and
eschewing preservatives and unnatural additives of the dozens of caramel,
marzipan, mousse, ganache and cream-filled bonbons that are stacked in neat
rows down a long central counter, along with glass bowls of hand-rolled
truffles, flaked with almonds and dusted in powdered sugar. A 250-gram box is
17 euros ($21).
Another
chocolatier, is decidedly more
whimsical. The small chain, established in 1983 by Marc Debailleul, produces
bonbons and ballotins, or boxes, that are so refined and beautiful, it’s almost
— almost — a shame to indulge. The options are limited: traditional pralines
and creamy ganaches, many hand-painted with cupids, the letter “D” or other
flourishes, and vanilla, coffee and caramel-flavored truffles. Visit the
factory store (Rue de Ganshoren 27-39). It will be as if you’ve discovered
secret treasures of the chocolate capital.
AMY M. THOMAS