The Horse Sausage Rivalry

PART 0: BELGIAN DETOUR (Optional but Recommended)

If taking the sea route OR detouring before Kiel Canal:

Belgium is small (you can sail the coast in 2 days), but the food justifies the detour.

🇧🇪 BELGIAN ESSENTIALS: MUSSELS & BROODJES

Mussels (Moules / Mosselen):

Belgium's national dish. Steamed mussels in white wine, garlic, herbs. Served with fries (moules-frites). Every Belgian coastal town has this. Order a kilo per person (minimum). Dip fries in mayo (not ketchup—Belgians will judge you).

Best places:

Oostende, Nieuwpoort, Blankenberge (any harbor restaurant)
€15-25 per person
Pair with Belgian beer (Duvel, Westmalle, local options)

Broodjes (Belgian Sandwiches):

Belgium perfected the sandwich. Fresh baguette or soft white roll, generous fillings, simple perfection.

Three essential broodjes:

Broodje Martino [Personal favorite]
- Raw beef (steak tartare style)
- Worcestershire sauce, mayo, pickles, onions
- Sounds weird, tastes incredible
- €5-8
Broodje Smos [The classic]
- Ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, hard-boiled egg, mayo
- Messy, satisfying, everywhere
- €4-7
Broodje Prepare [The fancy one]
- Chicken or shrimp salad with mayo, curry, pineapple
- Belgian-Indonesian fusion legacy
- €5-8

Where to find: Any frituur (fry shop), bakery, or sandwich shop. They're ubiquitous.

OOSTENDE, BELGIUM [QR-095]

Coordinates: 51°14'N, 2°55'E

Marina: Royal Belgian Sailing Club (Koninklijke Yacht Club)

Berth Cost: €40-60/night

Character: Beach resort, fishing port, ferry terminal, mussel heaven

Oostende is where Belgium meets the North Sea.

Ferry port (England), fishing fleet, long beach, and restaurants serving mussels by the ton.

WWII History: Oostende was besieged for 3 years (1601-1604) during the Eighty Years' War (Spain vs Dutch/Flemish). The city held out. Barely.

Dining:

🍴 Savarin [QR-096]

Seafood, mussels, waterfront
€30-50

🍴 't Kroegentje [QR-097]

Traditional Flemish, waterzooi (fish stew)
€25-45

🍴 For broodjes:
Any local bakery or frituur

Stay 1-2 nights

NIEUWPOORT, BELGIUM [QR-098]

Coordinates: 51°08'N, 2°44'E

Marina: Royal Yacht Club Nieuwpoort

Berth Cost: €35-55/night

Character: Yacht harbor, quieter than Oostende, WWI flooded plains history

WWI significance: In 1914, Belgian forces flooded the plains around Nieuwpoort by opening sluice gates, stopping the German advance. Entire region became marshland. Germans couldn't pass. The Western Front stabilized here.

Memorial: King Albert I Monument [QR-099]

Dining:

🍴 Novelle Cuisine [QR-100]

Modern Flemish
€40-65

🍴 Moules everywhere - Any harbor restaurant

Stay 1 night

ANTWERP, BELGIUM (If taking Scheldt River route) [QR-101]

Coordinates: 51°13'N, 4°24'E

Marina: Willemdok Marina

Berth Cost: €50-70/night

Character: Major port city, diamonds, Rubens, chocolate, broodje paradise

Antwerp is Belgium's second city—historic, wealthy, art-filled, chocolate-obsessed.

Grote Markt [QR-102] - Central square, guild houses, gorgeous
Cathedral of Our Lady [QR-103] - Rubens paintings inside
Diamond District [QR-104] - 80% of world's rough diamonds trade here

Provisioning: Excellent—large city, everything available.

Dining:

🍴 The Jane [QR-105]

2 Michelin stars
Former military hospital chapel (stunning)
€150-250
Book months ahead

🍴 Domestic [QR-106]

Casual, excellent, modern Flemish
€40-70

🍴 For broodjes:
Balls & Glory [QR-107] - Meatball sandwiches, creative
Any bakery - Martino, smos, prepare everywhere

Belgian chocolate:
Leonidas, Neuhaus, Godiva (touristy but good)

Stay 2-3 nights