Spring is in the air.
I can smell her sweet fragrant flowers and hear her winged companions serenading
melodies through my doorway. The pale
shades of grey that accompany winter are being replaced with vibrant colors
competing for attention. Everything is blossoming, including Mons, Belgium!
On a recent family outing to downtown Mons, I was showered
with rose petals that fell from the sky, as our family accidentally walked into a
Moroccan wedding procession. On the
steps outside the Hotel de Ville we witnessed a bride, groom, their family and
friends break into a lively celebration dance.
We were enchanted by the exotic music and merriment. We could have easily continued to ride the
coat tails of this happy event, but our stomach rumbles rivaled those of the
Moroccan drums. We were there to eat!
Over the Christmas
break our family found ourselves cold and hungry while roaming around the back
streets of Mons. As we headed back up a
side street from the Grand Place, there was a narrow alley with a soft glow
from a window. Over the door was a sign,
Le Tivoli. As we opened the door, we were greeted by the
warmth of the pizza ovens and the smell of rising dough. The bar is the focal point, not because of liquid
libations, but because of the two pizza ovens. The space feels like a familiar
friend’s dining room. We quickly made ourselves at home and ordered a carafe of
house red wine and soft drinks for our girls.
To my delight, I watched a woman roll up her sleeves and begin rolling
our pizza dough. After adding our
toppings, they were quickly popped into the oven. Mere minutes later they’re done and ready to
be consumed. And to our delight our pizzas were delivered to our table with a
genuine smile, were just as delicious as the aroma drifting overhead, and when
the bill came I think I heard my wallet say thank you.
Now, for a little sweet talk. If you’re looking to bribe the kids to behave
or possibly reward yourself for all the money you saved eating at Le Tivoli, I
have a candy shop I would like to introduce you to. Our girls know a visit to
Mons isn’t complete unless they fill up a few coned shaped bags with sweets
from Le Bonbon Frivole. What the
store lacks in chocolate, they make up for in their rainbow assortment of sugar
coated goodness. This place is especially
rewarding on a rainy day (The colors inside practically spill onto the
streets), as it exudes one word, happy.
Whether you’re in Mons morning, noon, or early evening, you
should know there is a place to refuel your energy in the form of coffee. Le Pain Quotidien (The Daily Bread). Walking in your nose is greeted by the aroma
of fresh roasted coffee and banquettes.
Dare I say, it feels like a Parisian café! Beautiful pastries are waiting behind
sparkling glass cases. Behind the
pastries you’ll find a wall lined with multiple shelves of fresh baked bread
and apron clad employees. Truly, this
place deserves to be noticed, one of the few cafes I’ve found where you can
either sit and sip for hours or grab a coffee and pastry to go. It’s not unusual to see tortoise rimmed spectacles
peering behind newspapers, writers typing behind their laptops, or university
students taking a break from class. This
place exudes rustic charm. And it just
so happens they have really good coffee too!
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