Belgium: Bruges

Our journey from Amsterdam to Ghent was somewhat delayed after discovering our connecting train from Antwerp had been "ABOLISHED." Eventually though we were on our way to the land of chocolate, hot chips and waffles! The next day we headed for Bruges, a favourite of the four cities in Belgium we visited including Antwerp, Ghent, and Brussels. 

Bruges was perhaps the most quaint of the four cities with many original buildings still standing from the medieval period. The city is built over the canals and is often referred to as 'Venice of the North.' It's not hard to see why. The centre was bustling with people and connected by small bridges overlooking the water. Oh and if you're in the market for doilies then this is the place to be - the local shops all had pretty window displays of lace, hand-made children's clothing and vintage looking home-wares. 

The gentle breeze was the downfall of my two euro umbrella

We also discovered that Belgium is known for having pretty crazy weather patterns. It's apparently a lot like London with rain pretty much all year 'round ...and that, combined with the wind  is how my umbrella died.

Next we headed to The Beguinage. The Beguinage is a large garden in the city centre lined with beautiful old houses (now a monastery). Joe is standing in front of the gate where you enter. Although the gate was built in 1776 many of the houses are much older, some built in the 1500's. 

We noticed all four cities always have a large square in the middle of the city with rather grand looking buildings. Bruges, despite the weather was lovely. 

The Markt 'Market Square'

Eventually the rain forced us indoors and we found a very British pub to pass the time and have a beer. Belgium is a popular weekend destination for the Brits - it's always strange to hear other people speaking English. We're so used to traveling in our own language bubble. 

After buying a selection of chocolates we made our way back to Ghent. Onto Antwerp tomorrow! 

- Kate