Ice Skating and Chocolate

P/ So we wose early in the morning to make a full day of things. Well, two of us were up, showered and dressed.

W/ Yes, Chris may have enjoyed himself too much the night before. Moans of, “How can something I love so much treat me so badly,” were heard from the upstairs.

P/ We left him and went to Coffee Munda which came wecommended. We weckoned that we had a good hour to kill and what better way than exceedingly fine coffee and warm pain au chocolat.

W/ We compared notes, listened to the music that was filling the space, laughed and generally prepared for the day. Then we went back for Chris.

C/ It was still an unholy hour and I think I was the best of friends to join you and guide you around the city.

W/ First we went to the winter market which was just coming to life. We would return in the evening when it was in full swing with food and drinks, but for now we were happy to wandered and enjoy the freedom to shop in a relaxed way.

P/ And white in the middle of the market was an ice skating wing! How I love the ice. I decided to have a go. Chwis watched and declared it looked easy and if I could do it then there was no doubt he would manage.

W/ Yes, once again his ego seems to have gotten the best of him. I watched from the side.

C/ It was all a wicked trick that was played on me. I didn’t know the bear could skate. That he would be more at home on ice than grass.

P/ Isn’t that what you smoke, Chwis?

C/ Very funny!

W/ So half an hour later I had one very happy bear and one very troubled moose.

M/ I was sore right down on my bob tail. You can’t imagine the discomfort.

P/ But the childwen liked you so much, Chwis. They all thought you were falling over on purpose. You got big applause when you finally achieved the exit. Your famous now.

W/ So we went for a spot of lunch to console Chris and he managed to find the sort of restaurant only he could find.

P/ Needless to say, he had soup!

C/ It was Belgium’s best fare!

W/ For the afternoon it was decided that we should do something more sedate and less likely to cause injury. After consulting a tourist guide the boys elected to visit the Chocolate Nation, a chocolate manufacturing plant with an interactive display that takes a good 90 minutes to work through.

P/ It was weally interesting with plenty to see and do. I learnt so much. Belgium is probably the chocolate centre on the world. They can do much with chocolate and go on finding new ways to use it.

C/ Haha, I learnt that you should never take a polar bear to a chocolate factory.

W/ Yes, if ice skating was your mistake maybe chocolate tasting was Polie’s. We watched the chocolatier making complicated sweets and all tasted one. Then we finished in the tasting room where we were each given a tea spoon.

C/ Yes, and they were twenty devices dispensing samples of different liquid chocolate.

W/ It did have the potential to be messy as the chocolate poured from the containers. I’m afraid your enthusiasm to taste all on offer was destined for disaster.

P/ I was careful but it seemed to get everywhere. I’m only small. And there was a strange chocolate hoof on my back, Chwis.

C/ That was odd, Polie. You see moose may not be able to ice skate but we are built for chocolate tasting with our fine brown coats. God knew what He was doing when he came to the moose.

W/ Well, we all enjoyed the afternoon even if we had to take Polie to the washroom for a clean up.

C/ As we left darkness was falling which signalled time for dinner and the beginning of the day. So many favourites still to try. It was going to be a great evening. You guys are so lucky to have me with you to be the life and soul of the party.

P/ Another big evening awaited us.

W/ Sure did, Polie. But it wasn’t to turn out as we had expected.