Have you ever seen that movie "In Bruges"? Well...that's all the 'visual knowledge' I'd had of the city prior to visiting, and I don't think that a movie can give completely accurate depictions. I'd heard from some of my friends who had been there before that it would be amazing, so I was quite excited upon touching ground here.
We arrived late in the evening from Gent (see previous blog post) and headed straight to our rental flat. We quickly dropped our bags and then, famished, hit the streets to find food. Seriously, it was like a ghost town! We couldn't believe it. The area we were in was so quiet that we felt the need to whisper on our journey.
After a few twists and turns along the cobblestone streets we found "Ribs and Beer", a quaint restaurant that seemed to pop out of nowhere. Once entering the place we soon learned where all the people were, or at least a large majority of them. Between the food (unlimited barbeque baby back ribs), the atmosphere (fun and lively), the decor (reminded me of a pub out of a Disney movie) and the waiters (WOW! Can you say yummy!?!?) it was a lovely way to end our day. I don't know if I'll ever be able to have ribs again that were that slow cooked and fall-off-the-bone delicious.
The next morning we resumed our sightseeing with a lovely jaunt around the city, via Rick Steve's walking guide. Thanks Beth! ;) Unfortunately, the weather turned for us and we ended up gallivanting in the rain. The funny thing was that it seemed to suit the city just fine; actually made the everything seem cozy, albeit wet. Between the fall weather with the colourful leaves, the cool, crisp air and the stunning beauty of the buildings surrounding us it was a fantastic stroll with lots to see.
View of the city from our flat
Many carriages offering tours.
One of the original gates to shut the city off from invaders
In the afternoon we decided to take a river cruise which was a nice lazy way to explore parts of the city. Our tour guide of course gave us a few chuckles as we sat back and got to view some of the most amazing architecture and hear some of the history Bruges encompasses. I'd love to see this city again in the spring when everything is in bloom. :)
Ready for the tour!
If this was my sister's boat....lol
After the cruise, a couple of us decided to head to the infamous square in Bruges and climb the bell tower. Now for those of you who've seen the previously mentioned movie, you'd know that this was a must see for us as important parts take place here. ;)
After 330+ stairs, we reached the top and got to take in the marvellous views of the city. We had a 360 degree view, of course caged in just in case, and were actually there are the right time for the bells to ring upon us (quite loudly mind you).
Bell Tower
Here we go!
Sturdy?
The view from atop. Breathtaking!
At each window are cities and their distance/direction from the tower.
Looking down upon the square.
We ended our day on a note that we all needed: a little American/Canadian food (Pizza Hut pizza to go, or as they say here: take away), some bevies and a card game. Nice to have some down town with friends, especially considering all the walking/travelling we've done to date.
But the trip's not over yet! Early to bed as we're off to Amsterdam tomorrow. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment