When you come right down to it, all of Sherlockiana is a celebration of Sherlock Holmes.

Sure, some of us may attach more importance to that singular acquisition for the collection, that scholarly research on Conan Doyle, or that perpetuation of fine old scion traditions, but at the heart of it all, even the serious stuff, is waving the banner of the best and wisest man Dr. Watson ever knew, Sherlock Holmes. Of course, the grand, classic, resume-worthy accomplishment isn’t the only way to celebrate the master detective. This weekend, I went to IHOP in his honor.

It all started when Mary from Virginia e-mailed me about Reichenbach Day, May 4. Around that time, I was also discussing potential Sherlockian activities for the weekend with the inestimable John Holliday. John’s got a great idea about finding a place with a legend of Hound of the Baskerville’s fearsomeness and paying it a visit, checking out the local spooks. Finding such a place will be the trick, but in the meantime, I needed something to write a column about for this weekend, so I went back to “The Final Problem.”

As one of the best-dated cases on the Canon, “The Final Problem” clearly takes place from April 24 to May 4. And as the day of the duel atop Reichenbach Falls, May 4 – the day usually commemorated by Sherlockians – was some days off, I backtracked to see what it was that Holmes and Watson were doing on this particular weekend. What were they doing, you ask? (And if you don’t ask because you already know, wow! I’m impressed.)

On April 26 and 27, Holmes and Watson were spending two days in Brussels. That’s the capital of Belgium, for those of you whose geography is a bit rusty. What were they doing in Brussels for two days? Well, in The Hound of the Baskervilles, they went to a gallery to see the work of some Belgian masters, so they could have been checking out art. The could have made a side trip to Bruges, but as I couldn’t find a place where the over-advertised, under-booked movie In Bruges was playing, I’m not sure what that tourist town had to offer. The one thing I know they had to do there, somewhere in the course of two days, was eat.

And what do you eat when in Brussels? Darned if I know.

But Wikipedia tells me that what we in America call “the Belgian waffle” is known elsewhere as the Brussels waffle. And surely, when in Brussels, Holmes and Watson would have taken some time out of their two days to eat a Brussels waffle. What’s not to like there?

So this afternoon, the good Carter and I repaired to the local International House of Pancakes for a Belgian waffle and some vegetable crepes (to keep the meal properly Continental) to celebrate the time Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson spent in Brussels. Were we of a more moneyed class, perhaps we could have taken a little jaunt to the place itself – ah, that would be the Sherlockian to be, eh? But for two Peorians on a lazy Sunday, I think we did it just right.

Your humble correspondent,

Brad Keefauver