Today is the day of the year when we remember the birth of Ernest Hemingway.

So naturally I want to talk about something else.
But mostly ’cause I heard ’bout the other thing first, before I learned it was Papa’s special day.

Today, it seems, is also the Belgium’s national day, or birthday, if you will.

I offer for you consideration, the get on your feet and clap, stomp around and just in general a good ol’ boot-scootin’ shindig… the Belgian National anthem.

How about that, sports fans…?

You’ll know today is their national day if you go to an IHOP, and attempt to order a Belgian Waffle.
You will undoubtedly be informed, in a mixture of French, Dutch and German, (or Belgish…) that there are no  waffles available today.
Anywhere.

All the waffles are off somewhere smoking tasteless cigarettes, drinking tasteless beer with stale bits of fruit in it, and ingesting massive amounts of something called “pomme frites”; which really aren’t anything other than french fries boiled in Dutch Edam cheese and then topped with sauerkraut and (shudder) mayonnaise…

The waffles will then finish their repast with a two gallon bucket of Belgian chocolates, which really are quite the thing, and the leading cause of complexion problems and obesity throughout Europe.

Today is also the anniversary of some dude named Leopold becoming King of…

You guessed it… Belgium!

There is no record I could find in all my imaginary searching that states whether or not Leopold liked Belgian chocolates… although it would be good for his country’s exports if he could at least toe the party line in public.

Today is also the anniversary of the beginning of the first Battle of Bull Run, during the American Civil War; which took place not in Pamplona, Spain, as you might expect, but actually occurred in Belgium.

Somewhere near Lint, I presume…

And as I said, it is Papa’s birthday…

He was born in Antwerp, by the way…

 

 

 

Image found here.