The Most Magical Place on Earth

Bruges is like Disneyland for adults – the most magical place on earth. It is so picturesque that it almost doesn’t seem real. Sean and I got a late start to Bruges this morning because we got in so late last night. All the recommendations I saw online said that only a half day in Bruges is needed, so we weren’t really stressing about it. However, I call BS to that claim – I easily could have spent a few days in Bruges – there is no way I can imagine fitting everything in within a half day.

The first thing we did when we arrived was to head straight for the main square and buy some frites (fries) with mayonnaise – the traditional way of eating fries in Belgium. I had already splurged a bit and had a Belgian waffle at the train station, but Sean hadn’t eaten breakfast and was hungry. We sat in the main square and people watched, then headed towards the canals for a boat tour on the water. Seeing Bruges by boat is pretty special and somewhat mesmerizing. The water is calm, there are swans everywhere, and of course the view is beautiful. Our captain was really funny and kept everyone entertained with his knowledge and witty repertoire. After the canal cruise, we got in line to climb the bell tower, which provided amazing views of the small city.

Then came my favorite part – we stopped into the Chocolate Line, one of the Belgian chocolate shops that came highly recommended by Rick Steves. They have a huge assortment of chocolates and probably the most unique flavors found in Bruges (and possibly all of Belgium). As we stood in line reviewing our options, I heard someone in front of me ask for a chocolate that caught my attention – cannabis. I couldn’t help myself, I had to try it (don’t judge, curiosity got the best of me). It definitely ended up being my gateway chocolate – we purchased four more intriguing flavors (Havana, passion fruit, key lime, and apple hazelnut) and one traditional (caramel) for Sean’s sake – I didn’t want to overwhelm the poor guy. I loved the Havana, which is described as a Cuban cigar flavor because it is made with Cuban tobacco leaves (and thus technically illegal in the US). Sean’s favorite was the apple hazelnut. I loved the chocolates so much that I’m already looking into having some shipped home after we get back – they were that good.

Almost everything in Bruges closes around 5 or 6, so we hustled over to De Halve Maan Brewery for the guided brewery tour and beer tasting. De Halve Maan is the only brewery in Bruges and the tour was fascinating and incredibly informational – plus it smelled delicious inside, like fresh baked bread. After the tour we were each given a complimentary beer to enjoy. It is the only beer on tap that is unfiltered and unpasteurized, and therefore isn’t shipped like the other beers – it is only available in the brewery in Bruges. Because it was cold outside, Sean and I found a spot by the fireplace next to another couple to relax for a bit. We got into an engaging conversation with the other couple (I say couple because there were two of them – we never did figure out their actual relationship), and ended up spending an hour chatting and enjoying each other’s company. They recommended a small place on one of the back streets of Bruges for dinner, so we decided to give it a try. On our way I noticed that another chocolate shop recommended by Rick Steves was still open (Dumon Chocolates), so we stopped in to sample a few more. We got a large assortment, including a chocolate dipped orange slice and a liquor filled cherry. Because they were closing, the woman threw in a few freebies for us to try. She was very sweet and we enjoyed our visit to their store.

We made our way to the recommended restaurant with the intention of having a bite to eat. However, they weren’t serving dinner yet, so we had another beer and then decided we would attempt to catch the next train back to Belgium. We didn’t want to leave, but everything had pretty much closed down, with the exception of restaurants. We arrived back to our hotel around 9:00 pm and Sean cooked up some noodles that we had purchased while in Italy. After dining on fresh, homemade cuisine, the noodles were disappointing and we threw most of them away. We ended up dining on snacks and chocolates – not a bad meal if you ask me!