One more guest blog post from Shawn. Getting to be quite prolific!
Our awesome, sweet friend Val Sartini suggested that Bruges would be a great short visit if we had time, and she was right! Bruges is a small town in Belgium with history, canals and some Harry Porter quaintness. When the ticket checker on the train learned we were going to Bruges he said, “ahhh, the outdoor museum”!
We checked into the Hotel De Castillion, a very cute boutique hotel in the heart of the old city. Highly recommended and so romantic. [http://de-castillion.hotel-in-bruges.com/en/]
We walked around and hit many of the highlights ending up at an iconic beer bar, 2 BE, [https://www.2-be.biz/en/home/%20photos] where you can enjoy a tasting of 6 local beers for 10 euros while watching the boats cruise by on one of the old canals.
We enjoyed cruising through the market square and seeing the famous Belfry Tower built in 1240, when Bruges was an important centre of the Flemish cloth industry. After a devastating fire in 1280, however, the tower was largely rebuilt.
We waited for almost an hour to climb the Belfry. However, we were told that they had to shut down because of the lightning and thunder storm that was blowing through town. We stepped into the Dali museum next door and were shocked to find that the temperature inside the museum was over 90 degrees even though outside was in the cool 70’s. Sometimes the best travel ideas just don’t work!
We ended up walking through the very quaint streets, enjoying our day. We finished it off with a really good dinner at a family operated steak restaurant called De Koetse. I don’t think this one is even listed on the internet. We had a great bottle of Bordeaux wine called Chateau Le Set. Super good.
Ready for our next trips – which happen to be the first time we are splitting up on our round-the-world adventure. I am going to San Sebastián to meet up with Linda Rosen and Keith is heading to Geneva for a few days of solo cycling!