Bruges, Belgium - Aug 25 to Aug 27, 2007

In order to have a complete record of our trips, we'll be posting about the trips we took before we started this blog. This is the first of several posts to come....

On our first trip out of the UK, Annie and I headed to Bruges, Belgium on August Bank Holiday weekend. We had hoped to take the Eurostar but by the time we got around to booking, it was ridiculously expensive, so we ended up flying into Brussels and then taking the train to Bruges.

3+

1. Bruges is a very well preserved (and possibly somewhat restored) medieval city. One of the greatest pleasures in Bruges is wandering around along the canals and through the ancient streets admiring the beautiful buildings.
2. The Food. The Belgians know how to eat: chocolate, beer, waffles, chips (aka fries) and mussels. Annie is trying to plan another trip just for the food!
3. We were lucky enough to be in town for the Pageant of the Golden Tree. It is basically a large, elaborate parade that happens once every five years. From what we gathered it recounts a wedding that took place between the House of Flanders and the House of York several hundred years ago. If you are in town the parade is not to be (and cannot be!) missed!

3-

1. Crowded. The city was packed with both tourists and locals. The crowds were no doubt magnified by the Pageant and the fact that it was Bank Holiday weekend in England. I'd bet every hotel room in the city was booked.
2. It is a major pain getting from Brussels airport to Bruges. We had to take take 2 trains and it is quite a hike from the train station to the center of Bruges.
3. We don't have a third minus for Bruges. It is an awesome city and is perfect for a weekend away.

Overall Grade: A+