Belgium

Belgium is a multilingual country, with speakers of primarily Walloon French and the Flemish variant of Dutch. It has great beer and mussels with fries…and what else? Diamonds are big business in Antwerp. Flat countries in the middle of Europe are great for cycling. Great architecture and galleries abound. Check out the Magritte Museum in Brussels.

At the beginning of a meal, you can dig into a tomate-crevette (shrimp and mayo stuffed in a tomato) or a boterhammen or open-face sandwich, something like quark cheese and radishes on rustic bread. Salade Li├®geoise prominently features green beans. Waterzooi is a creamy stew containing vegetables, eggs, and fish or chicken. You can go to macrobiotic, vegetarian, organic, and fair trade-conscious eateries in Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, or Antwerp. Some of them serve Indian, Middle Eastern, or kosher food. Smaller towns will generally have a few particularly health-conscious options.