In Bruges

After Paris, we spent two days in Bruges, a city that we have wanted to visit for a long time. And, while it is a very pretty old city, it did not really live up to our expectations. In part, this was because the city is so driven by tourism that every other store is selling either chocolate, waffles, fries, beer or sourveniers. I mean, Belgian chocolate is very good, but we have no idea how so many chocolate shops can even survive in a small city.

One of the other problems we had in Bruges was that the weather was rather bad including signifcant rain and a cold wind. This photo is a pretty good representation of our time there.

That said, the main square of Bruges, dominated by the 270-foot. 13th century Belfry, is quite beautiful and impressive.

Part of the appeal of Bruges is just walking around the historic center and taking in the cobblestone streets and old buildings and bridges, all UNESCO World Heritage designated.

The one museum we visited in Bruges, the Groeningemuseum, has a fairly small, but impressive collection, of art from Bruges-based artists through the centuries.

We did get a few brief breaks in the bad weather, and one of those gave us a very nice view of Gentpoort (Ghent Gate), one of the gates from when Bruges was a walled city.

We will say that we ate very well in Bruges, as tourism tends to drive a high-quality and varied food scene. Typical Flemish cooking includes rich beef stew that warms the soul on a cold day.

Finally, for those who missed the reference, the title of this post refers to the 2008 film of the same name starring Colin Farrel. While not one of our favorite movies, it does have its charms, especially the scenery of the city.

More from Belgium soon.

Jeff and Shana