Bruges

While Brian was working (flying back to the US and then back to Brussels) I again choose to stay abroad and spend that time visiting a neighboring city. It was a short 1 ½ hour train ride to Bruges. It was the first time I had navigated the European rail system by myself. It wasn’t too hard but I’m not afraid to ask questions and risk being thought a dumb American. If Europeans only understood that we mid-western Americans simply don’t have much opportunity to use public transportation, maybe they wouldn’t think we are so dumb. I think I did pretty well in my limited experience.

Bruges was a beautiful little fairytale of a town. I stayed in a quaint B & B run by a sweet red-headed lady with a lovely brogue named Mary Stuart. Hmm, I wonder where she is from?
My instructions were to get on bus #2 and ask the bus driver to let me off at Jan Van Eck Plein. The bus driver must have took one look at me and decided today was not a good day for helping foreigners find their way, because he gave me some ambiguous directions to which I asked clarification. He then brushed me aside and I sat down confused yet determined to figure it out myself. I figured out I had passed my stop when we began heading out of town into the country side. We got to the end of the line in a residential area of a neighboring village, which is evidently where the driver stops to eat his bagged lunch. I was the only soul left on the bus. The driver never said a word to me. He quietly ate as villagers slowly boarded and waited for him to resume his route. Not deterred, I reasoned the bus would eventually go back to the train station and I would try again. On the way back thru town, however, the stop was more obvious and I exited the bus. On the way out the door, the bus driver asked in his nastiest tone (wish you could hear my impersonation), “You are American?” “I smiled my biggest smile and said, “Yes!”

This tiny, well preserved, medieval-leftover of a town, also called the ‘Venice of the North,’ was postcard perfect with its cobblestone streets, humpbacked bridges, out of the way nooks-and-crannies, and winding canals. The old town is the perfect size for walking, no transportation needed. Bruges was one of the world’s leading cities in the 13th and 14th centuries when it was a center for international commerce and had a population equivalent to London’s. Unfortunately, the city’s harbor silted up in the middle of the 15th century and Bruges lost its port status. Soon thereafter, it fell into decline and was surpassed in importance by Antwerp. The citizens of Bruges have worked hard to preserve the essence of the area's past and have created a “time capsule” ambiance.

After checking in at the B & B, Mary told me where to find the best hot chocolate in town. First, I visited the Memling Museum - St. John’s Hospital. The Memling highlights several masterpieces of Franz Memling and, at the same time, tells the story of one of the oldest surviving medieval hospitals in Europe (Old St. John's Hospital). I then headed to the chocolatier and sipped my warm cocoa with pleasure letting the perfectness of the place sink in.

The next morning I climbed the musical bell tower on the south end of Markt Square, all 366 winding steps. It took me a while and a few rest stops (one in the carillon room to hear the 47 bells up close) but I made it. Later, I met a personal friend of Mary's who did private tours. She was a very nice, retired history teacher and knew all the local, off-the-beaten-path places I find so interesting. I commented to her about how beautiful and perfect her little town was, like a little DisneyLand town, and she said, “A lot of people say that, in fact, one family asked me, ‘When does the park close?’”

After the tour, I visited the Groeningemuseum, an art museum featuring the Flemish masters. It is a modest, quality art collection but is not as interesting a museum as the Memling - St. John’s Hospital.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and would recommend the Stuart Inn to anyone.

Brussels

In my opinion, the best time to visit Brussels is just before Christmas. The Grand Place is beautifully lit with Christmas lights. It looked positively magical. We ate dinner both nights at Aux Paves de Bruxelles, right off the Grand Place. Their ribs are the best in the world!!! No kidding. I would love to get that recipe.

We visited the National Museum and it was quite impressive and, of course, we spent our fair share of time there. The other thing every tourist must do while in Brussels is buy plenty of chocolate. The chocolate shops are everywhere. Marcolini’s (which displays their chocolate more like jewelry than chocolate and their prices reflect that attitude), Leonidas, Godiva, etc., etc. but the locals know the best places and our favorite was Chocopolis. They were super nice and were well acquainted with several of the Delta pilots who visit routinely and give them a frequent buyer’s discount. They let you sample any of their chocolates before buying, in fact they encourage it. I had to keep telling Maria (the young lady that worked there) that I had had plenty, but she kept handing me chocolates saying, “Try this one.” What can you when chocolate ends up in your hand? It’s good thing we walked all over town because I would have put on 10 lbs otherwise.

We also visited the Cathedral of St. Michael. It was amazing. I never tire of these beautiful Europeans cathedrals.