Tuesday, March 8, 2011

In Bruges


Props to a good friend, Lori Martin, that filled me in on a great town in Belgium about 12 years ago. Bruges. Or Brugge. Depends on the mood - feeling French or Flemmish? Either way works. I had mentioned to her that I wanted to see Brussels one day and she told me to skip Brussels and go to Brugge. Great advice!

Brugge is supposedly one of the most well-preserved medieval towns in Europe. I would have to agree, and it was evident when we were there. Our trip was during an off-peak month, and the extensive amount of preservation that they do during those times was everywhere. But, not enough that it ruined sightseeing for us. Mostly the roads is where the work was being done. All cobblestone and all still laid by hand. It is very much a pedestrian town - in fact in a lot of areas it's hard to distinguish the sidewalk from the street. Of course, you could always travel the Belgian way and hop on a bike. You would be in company with most of the city.

On this trip, we decided to take the Eurostar from London. After this trip, this is now my numero uno form of travel. We took this train directly to Brussels with a few short stops in between. It was fast, fairly smooth and the staff are courteous.
Once we arrived at Brussels, we were to take another train to Brugge. This is where we hit a couple of snags. We found the correct platform but somehow ended up on the wrong train. We got on a local train - meaning it stops at every single stop. Luckily it was going in the right direction and we were able to get off in Ghent and switch to what we thought was the right train... only to discover later that it was the local train from Ghent to Brugge. So, what was supposed to be a 45-minute train ride became a 2-hour ordeal. I will say that these trains gave me a not so great first impression of Belgium. The trains felt very soviet - and the people didn't look happy, so that added to the feeling.

Here's one other thing that made me go, "Hmmmmm..." The Belgians have made the stations very handicap accessible. Lifts at every single platform. Great for us, because we had a stroller to get up to the platform. However, unlike England, the trains are several steep steps above the platform. So, the ease of getting on the train just flew out the window. Also, the train cars are not stroller friendly. Basically, you have to take you baby out and fold your stroller and leave it in the boarding area before entering the car. Things that never would have crossed my mind a year ago, but irritate me now. Oh, and just to let you know... we did catch the right train on our return home. That train is much nicer and only has ONE stop at Ghent. So, if you go to Brugge - and it looks like your about to board the rundown train. Stop. You're on the wrong one. Just ask someone, most people speak English and speak it very well.

Our hotel was fantastic. Small, newly updated, personal service and friendly staff. I highly recommend Hotel Prinsenhof.

So, our first EVENING in Brugge (I say it like that because it was evening when we finally arrived) was spent walking the main square and finding a place to have dinner.
Most restaurants all serve the same menu. The fluctuate very little. I'm sure because this is a tourist area of the city, but we found one and had a little bit of the Flemmish cuisine. A bit pricey, I thought... but, again it was vacation. Still, it was delicious and the Belgian beer was tasty. And a medium beer is really big. I thought only in the US were portion sizes out of control. Of course, generous portions only applies to beer, the food was normal portions.

Day Two included more walking and hitting all the spots on the map. Also did the river tour, which I recommend. It's worth getting up early to do this as Brugge is a spot for Day Trippers. They seem to start arriving around noon. When they started filtering in, we decided to stroll the back streets and take in the hidden parts of the city. Also, I'll mention that we were close enough to our hotel at all times (it's not that large of a place) so that we could run back there for diaper changes and feeds versus trying to find a family bathroom or cafes with highchairs.

Our meal that evening was at a "snack" place. I saw a few of these around town and we decided to give it a try. Plus, Scott was determined to have fries while in Belgium. I got an assortment of fried things that could all be top contenders at the Texas State Fair. The number one thing was what tasted like a sopapilla stuffed with cheese, breaded and then deep fried. It was DELICIOUS! Drew, forget our other ideas... this is the winner! ;) I'll also mention that the waffles are amazing and of course the chocolate stores are everywhere. If I could suggest a chocolate store it would have to be B by B. Michelin chef turned confectioner. He has some amazing flavor combinations that we are still enjoying.

We wrapped up our evening early as we had a teething baby with us and headed back to our hotel. The next morning was a nice breakfast in the hotel and then a cab to the station.

Bruge, a charming place that I hope to visit again, one day. And I hope you'll put it on your list of places in Europe to see.


Handy links:

B by B Chocolate
http://www.bbyb.be/

Hotel Prinsenhof
http://www.prinsenhof.com/


Oh! And I guess if you never get to Bruges, but still want to see it AND if you enjoy dark comedy. Be sure to rent the movie "In Bruges." Great flick.


1 comment:

  1. Hi Angela, So glad you went to Bruge; it's truly magical, isn't it. Since I believe you're interested in horticulture (since you went to the Chelsea Flower Show last year), you might be interested in Floriade. It's a horticultural expo held once every 10 years and this year from April to October at Venlo, Holland. Also, lots of people go to visit Keukenhof Gardens, also in Holland. I've never been but heard even non-gardeners think it's worth a visit. Now if we could just have some brighter weather, even cloudly old English would put on a show of spring flowers!
    Susan

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