The exhibit I had to miss

It opened today, November 6, but this was a friends-and-family kind of day and in the morning I decided rest and sleep and not rushing were in order, especially since there was going to be much socializing later on. A good choice, but here is what I missed: the new exhibit on the Phoenicians (the seafaring merchants who brought you the alphabet) at the Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute), which fortunately I have already been to but where a return visit would have been nice. Next time. And I want to learn more about the Phoenicians, whom I have always found interesting but who did not leave a lot of written records, alphabet or no alphabet.

The length of the foodie report I plan to write is growing in my head, but I must get some sleep. I leave for Brussels in the a.m. and my subway ride to the station is nearly as long as the Paris-to-Brussels Thalys ride. Thalys is one of the rapid trains, specifically the France-Belgium-Netherlands-Cologne (Germany) one. Would that we had these in the U.S. I will not go on a rant about U.S. [lack of] rail transportation planning and technology and the attendant [lack of] political will, because I had a very nice black-currant sorbet (again, but this time with whole currants in it) on top of an Italian meal with an excellent Montepulciano d'Abruzzo with three very dear old friends and I do not want to ruin either my digestion or my sleep.

Yes, I have had chocolate mousse. Homemade and not fattening at all. I got the recipe, too.

A good thing people are feeding me because the dollar is dropping against the Euro, more each day; another big dip today. I am not sure how much we are on our own for the meals at the conference (beyond the bed and breakfast and a final banquet for which we must pay in Euros) but it could be a lean rest of the week.

More from Belgium if I can. Not sure what the technology will be like where I am staying. Are Flemish Benedictine monks wired for internet? Stay tuned.

Jane, Girl Reporter