Wandering

#10: The Weather: The umbrella, hat and mittens were packed for winter weather in Europe, but we only used one of the three on a regular basis (the mittens). Forty+ degree weather. The hats came out for our evening walks home from dinner. No umbrella. Sunglasses could have been used (had I packed them) twice. Everything is walkable in Bruges, so good weather made the trip that much better.

#9: Day-trip to Brussels: While our headquarters for the week were in Bruges, NATO and the EU have their headquarters in Brussels. We felt obligated to pay them a visit. The highlight of Brussels for most tourists is Grand Place, the geographic and historical heart of the city. I think people were beheaded here back in the day. It is a bustling market space; a large Christmas tree and nativity scene were on display at the time of our visit. The building pictured below was once the residence of ruling Spanish monarchs. It was first built in 1536 but resdesigned in 1873. Brussels is not a beautiful city, but it does have a few beautiful sites. We had a nice lunch at La Trappiste Cafe.

#8: Our Hotel: When we made our reservations, the hotel was owned by Sofitel – a favorite of Bill’s. It has since been bought by NH Hotels, a European chain. The hotel is a renovated 17th-century monastery. Some of the kindest hotel clerks I’ve ever encountered. The rooms were very comfortable and had a spacious bathroom. Nice pool, great location off t’Zand Square on the west side of Bruges. It was a 10-minute walk to Market Square from our hotel.

#7: Canals: Bruges is known as the Venice of the North. The network of canals is part of the charm of the city. The city escaped major damage in both world wars, and it was never heavy industrialized. The place is amazingly clean and safe. No beggers on the streets.

#6: Atomium: Natural beauty this is not. Built for the 1958 World Fair (in Brussels), the structure was meant to symbolize the new age of science and space travel. Some of the spheres are linked by escalators. You can take an elevator (after waiting in a long line) to the top and eat lunch at a buffet-style restaurant. The entrance fee was overpriced (9 euros), the description misleading (they make you think you can visit each sphere but you only see 5 of the 9) but an adventure nonetheless. We took the metro in Brussels to get there – it is north of the city.

#5: Grocery Store: What is a vacation without finding a favorite grocery store. We probably spent 20 Euros on bottled water by the end of our trip. We bought yummy yogurts for breakfast too.

#4: Beer and Brewery: I’m not a big drinker, but I averaged 2 beers a day in Belgium. We took a tour of De Halve Maan Brewery – the only working brewery in Bruges. It opened in 1856. The Bruges Zot was fabulous.

#3: Chocolate and Waffles: I now love Belgian chocolate. I now love Belgian waffles (though they vary greatly depending on the place, some crispier than others). The original Godiva chocolate shop is at Grand Place in Brussels. We found a fun shop that sold chocolates filled with “fun” ingredients: lemongrass, cola, ginger, cauliflower, lavendar, Havana cigar. Interesting. The best chocolate place in Bruges is Dumon Chocolate – a family-owned shop. We also found a great waffle place on the street corner – the waffles are not breakfast food in Belgium, they are desserts. This place made them real gooey – I tried waffles with Nutella and carmel. Wow.

#2: Bell Tower, New Years Eve: Bruges is described as an “unspoilt medieval town.” The Market Square sums this up nicely. The Belfort (bell tower) was built in the 13th century and holds the city’s medieval charter of rights. We climbed it on Day 2. Great views. An ice skating rink took up the center of the square. Shops and restaurants lined it. We brought in 2008 with Leffe Beer on the square, with probably a few hundred other folks, some of whom set off their own fireworks. The bell chimed for about 10 minutes straight after midnight. We were home by 1 a.m. We had to leave the hotel by 8:30 a.m. to catch the train out of Bruges, to catch our plane out of Brussels (12:10 p.m.)

#1: My husband: Bruges, Belgium would mean very little to me if it weren’t for the company of my husband who brings humor and perspective to any trip. He also took more pictures of me on this trip, so I no longer can refer to myself as Bill’s travel photographer. My presence on this trip has been documented.