Our stay in Bruges was a lot of fun.. We stayed at a real B&B just off the main square that was owned by a nice lady named Nicky.. she seemed like a cool lady who used to be a hippy back in the day. We arrived and she said there was a problem and she had accidentally made a double booking for the room where we had reserved, so she gave us this huuuge room just across the hall.. This upgraded room had a king size bed, a couple twin beds, some oversized beanbags, its own bathroom with a shower that had its own radio, and a coffee maker in it. The ceiling was really high and there were all these big old wooden rafters. It was probably the coolest place we have stayed so far, and I am so glad I cancelled the hotel room I got for cheap and decided to book up with Nicky. And there was free wifi. :)
Bruges is a city adorned with medieval architecture, cobblestone streets, and canals that cut through various points. I can see now why its named "The Venice of the North", because it is very laid back, romantic, and has canal boats with gondala boats.. definitely more our speed rather than he busy metropolis of Brussels. Unfortunately the price tag probably resembles Venice quite a bit, too, especially in the downtown touristy parts. Lucky for us, Nicky runs a restaurant out of her B&B on the weekends that serves up traditional food, pastas, and other dishes. There was also a Menu of the Day (which from our Peru experience was always the cheapest and best) that included a soup and an entree for 10 euros.. That was the cheapest meal we have had eating out in Europe so far! It was delcious too, a warm meal was much needed after eating cold food in our hotel room for 3 nights. She also put out a great spread in the morning for breakfast, with fruit, yogurt, breads, meats and cheeses, jams, coffee and juice. It filled us up nicely so we didn't have to buy a big lunch, which was helpful since most lunch menus are as expensive as dinner menus! The Euro is about 1.2 dollars so you really have to decide where you want to spend your money!
The first day in Bruges we walked around and explored, as they were getting the Christmas Markets set up. It gets dark at like 4:45 here now, so by the time we walked around for a couple hours and had dinner at the B&B, we just decided to go out and try some famous Belgian beverages and call it a day... traveling is really tiring!
On Monday we had an early start, and I went for a run along the canal. It was a really nice morning, and very quiet as the sun was rising over the city. So far I've ran in every country we have been to, and I still think it's one of the best ways to explore. I found a path that circles the city and had big towers, gates to the city, and windmills along the trail. Running around the world never gets old.. I don't think I will have a dull route for the next 7 months because it will be constantly changing!
We had our big breakfast and then decided to do some museums around Bruges. There was a Salvador Dali exhibit at the local art museum, so we checked it out. Man, that guy was a weird one. The exhibit had a lot of pieces and series, my favorite being the Alice in Wonderland series. The film he made, which was definitely avant-garde, also played on a loop. I can see how people got shocked by it back when it was released, because it was definitely strange and graphic for its time.
We then went to the Frite Museum, which is dedicated to all things "frite", or french fries. I guess the Belgians were the true french fry enthusiasts, even before the Dutch. It told the history of the potato, how french fries came to be, and how to make the best fries. They said to use beef and horse fat, I say yuck!! We tried some at the museum (i'm not sure what oil they were cooked in, but im hoping it was vegetable oil......) but don't think they were as good as the ones we had in Amsterdam. Paul thinks British Chips are the best ;) For those of you who dont know, the term Frencn Fry came from Americans mistaking French speaking Belgians for French. The soldiers gave the US military frites during WW2 :)
I'm guessing November 11 (Armistice Day) is the day when Belgium starts getting festive for the holidays because all day these guys were putting up little huts, lights, decorations, and a skating rink for the Christmas Markets. Bruges would be a really neat place to spend the holidays, it has such an old feel to it and they take pride in preserving it.. I bet it looks really pretty with all the lights. Luckily a lot of Europe is like that, once you get out of the big cities and into smaller towns and villages so I am sure we won't miss out on pretty Christmas stuff.
We had a good time in Belgium, and are going to be bound for Italy here soon. We will be spending 3 nights in Milan, 3 nights in Verona, and then 4 nights in Florence before catching a ferry to Croatia. I am excited to eat some good mediterranean food and stay in places that have kitchens in case it is as expensive as Belgium was! I am also excited to see my old friends Maja and Carlo in Verona.. It will be nice to see a familiar face again. :) Ciao!!!!
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