A chocolate escape

Went to the city of Namur this morning to get my hair cut and have a mosey around. It started to rain very hard and I ran inside Chocolatier Galler to escape the worst of it. Galler is one of my favourite chocolate shops in Belgium, and therefore the world. Over the years I have spent a small fortune there.

What did this half-soaked woman do to feel less bedraggled? I treated myself to a warm Gaufre au praliné. You'll see 4 examples of it in the centre of this photo, tucked between the orange pots of mousse au chocolat noir and the vanilla and chocolate Misérables. To the right are the tartelettes au chocolat au lait and the tartelettes au citron, and to the left are some of the famous Galler chocolates.

This wondrous waffle is a rectangular piece of heaven made out of softer pastry than the traditional Belgian waffle. It's filled with chocolate praliné and cooked in a waffle iron. The crust, when you bite into it, is at first crispy then tender, and yields its molten chocolate goodness to your tastebuds. At about the same time, happy endorphins start dancing wantonly in your brain, urging you to order another, while your conscience, miserable wet blanket that it is, says, "Don't you dare, you're too fat already!"

I suppose I have achieved a small measure of maturity - after all, I turn 50 tomorrow - because I had just the one.