Belgium is a very tiny country:
We took a train from Brussels, in the center, up to Brugges which is very close to the coast. It took about an hour with a few stops on the way.
Remember how I said before that Belgium has 2 primary languages, French and Dutch? The primary language changes where you are in the country. This affects the signage around the towns, in the train stations, etc. French is the primary language in Brussels, but Dutch is the primary language in Brugges. Therefore, everyone speaks English and signs are usually in 2 languages-primary language and English. While I am sure it must be frustrating to have your country divided on this sort of issue, it makes it a breeze to get around as an English speaking traveler. No worries about muddling about in a foreign language until someone offers to speak English; you can just start your conversation in English. Fabulous. :)
Brugges is a tourist destination because of it's unique quaintness. It is a major tourist destination and yes, it did feel a bit like that. However, it's adorable!
You know, people really do ride bikes EVERYWHERE in Belgium. This began because for a major part of the 20th century, Belgium was a very poor country. Major battles of both WWI and WWII took place here and the country and its people were just broke afterwards. Cars were too expensive and so people biked everywhere. It has remained a major form of transportation, particularly because Belgians also enjoy their beer and so would choose to bike rather than drive their cars after indulging. However, the country has begun to crack down on this form of "driving" while intoxicated and if caught biking while drunk, it is possible to lose your driver's license (your ACTUAL driver's license).
For some reason, I just fell in love with this house. It made me think of a childhood book about a little rag doll named Ivy who lived in a house covered with ivy. So sweet!
There are many things to do in Brugges. Churches, a belltower to climb, a beautiful Markt (market square), numerous shops, canals, bike tours, the list goes on and on. We did several of these activities as we could, including seeing a Michelangelo sculpture in one of these beautiful churches.
Here's the real deal about our time in Brugges. Up until we arrived in Europe, they had been having a very dry, very hot summer. The day we arrived, so did the rain and the cold. We did not take as many photos in Brugges as we did in other cities, since it was straight up pouring for most of the time. We did not go on the countryside bike tour we had planned. We did not do all the wandering we planned on doing. We went on a canal cruise, which rained for the entire time of it and our "view" largely consisted of the underside of our umbrella. We weren't able to enjoy a few of the cafes we wanted to because as soon as began raining, the tourists fled inside. Anywhere inside and not necessarily to eat or drink anything. Just to sit. Which meant that we, even as people who wanted to pay, couldn't even get seats. We were wet. I was cold. In other words, it was a great set up for a miserable start to our vacation and great way for me to get in an awful mood towards other people.
No worries, we powered through. :)
The upside of the rain did exist!
We got to wander in an almost deserted Brugges (at least, that's what it felt like) when it was raining, dry for the most part under our umbrella and good waterproof rain jackets.
I bought a very cute pair of boots, since my other shoes weren't as waterproof as I hoped.
We found other very cute cafes "off the beaten path" that were almost deserted, since the tourists didn't seem to want to venture that far in the rain.
We were able to wander the grounds of an old Benadictine nunnery in the rain.
While waiting to see if our bike tour would still be heading out, we met a charming British couple and chatted with them and then with our tour guide for the better part of an hour (in the downpour). We later had dinner with that couple after we wandered into the same amazing authentic Belgian restaurant that evening.
The point is, we still had an amazing time in Brugges, despite the weather. And, like our B&B host said, now we can say we experienced the real Brugges.
The view from the Belltower. You pay an entrance fee to go up, but you have to wait to buy your ticket and then ascend as they only allow a few people at a time (I want to say 75?) in the tower. When we heard this, I didn't understand. Then we began climbing to the top. It's a steep climb to the top, but I would have to say the climb is not the issue. The staircase itself is winding and NARROW. Going down was a thrill, I'll tell you that. Goodness.
I just loved wandering the streets.
It stopped raining on our canal ride for about 5 minutes. This was the only picture we took. Plus, the commentary on the ride was pretty blah. Not recommended to waste your money on.
One of the charming cafes we were able to duck into. Many of these places in pictures look "fake" authentic, but in real life, they are pretty "shabby" authentic.
Cafe Rose Red. So cute!
Begijnhof Nunnery. All who come here are supposed to be silent, but the foreign language tourists don't/can't read the signs and so are definitely not silent.
All in all, we had a great time in Belgium. It was the perfect place to start our trip and ease into the rest of the European continent, particularly with regards to language. The train system is as easy to figure out as the German rail (my standard for the best train system-love Deutsche Bahn!), the people were friendly, they had frites, and their cities were ridiculously walkable. While neither of us are sure that we would go back again, we are both very glad that we went!
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