National Geographic: Asian-Inspired Chocolate in Brussels

March 25, 2013

I spent a morning with chocolatier Laurent Gerbaud in Brussels and got to indulge all my fantasies of opening a chocolate shop in the wonderful country of Belgium. Here's more on National Geographic Urban Insider.

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The beautiful Sunken Garden! @kensingtonroyal

Happy 10 months to our girl: she smiles at literally everyone (unless she’s tired - then it’s stone cold fox), she is so curious, she’ll try any food (and loves nibbling on lemon slices), she loves just sitting in the park and talking to everyone, she hates hand dryers (cries every time!), she sleeps 7pm-6:30am, and her opinions are growing stronger every day! We celebrated with some coronation chicken and scones at @fortnums, The Parlour. ❤️❤️

The first thing I did after seeing the masses of humans streaming into the Natural History Museum was buy a membership. The member lounge and cafe on the second floor is a total oasis! Plus, there’s a baby changer and it’s just a stress-free zone in one of London’s busiest attractions.

Weekend walking after the wonderful Maltby Street Market!

Some “old” London favorites: Harry Morgan because I missed NYC and it feels like a good NY-style deli (since 1948!) and then I wandered through Panzer’s, down through Regent’s Park, and into Daunt Books and La Fromagerie to pick up dinner. London in the sun ❤️❤️

A BIG reason why we’re excited to be in London! My sister @maggie.fitzsimmons #auntbit #floppybit

She loves Kix as much as I do. (Working on the anchovies.)

Zermatt has become a little temporary home while we are in between homes, with its cacophony of suitcase wheels down the Bahnhofstrasse, cute shops and restaurants, the goat parade every day at 9 a.m. & 4:30 p.m., the gorgeous mountain scenery and long walks, a chalet flat 3x bigger than the Brooklyn apartment we left...we’ve found a little rhythm and will be sad to leave.

This is the view approaching Klein Matterhorn by gondola, the highest point in Europe that you reach without climbing! It felt like a helicopter ride over the gorgeous (melting) glaciers. (If you have any fear of heights, this isn’t for you! The gondolas sometimes pause and sway in the wind.) The experience is in the ride - it is stunning. You can ski year-round up here, though! I wouldn’t eat up here - ride up, then take the gondola down to Furi and walk to Zum See, a wonderful family-run restaurant set in an old village.

Visiting our friend @petra_ellmeier at the amazing @montcervinpalace - funny how I now 100% care about hotel kids’ clubs. #wheressophie

@anniefitzsimmons

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