Beautiful Bruges

I told Dominic that with a running start I think I could jump across.
He did not believe me.

Halfway through our week in Brussels I decided it was time to go on an adventure. My family had recommended a day trip to Bruges (that's Brugge if you're Dutch), so off I went. I woke up early, headed to the train station, witnessed two fights along the the way (8:30 am) that made me happy to leave Brussels for the day, and reached the absolutely delightful little city that is Brugge.

With a map on hand for emergencies, I decided to make my way into the city center by taking as many small streets as possible. The little houses and winding streets were about as movie-perfect a scene as I've ever witnessed.

I think our Dupont apartment may have been bigger than this house.

The weather was beautiful, the streets were empty, and I was happy. I followed the tallest church steeple I could see to make my way to the city center, and stumbled upon the first of many canals that snaked through the city.

It was there that I noticed a fleet of boats standing ready to take tourists on canal tours throughout the city. I assumed this would be Venice-style expensive, but went ahead and asked anyway. Only 6 euros and I could leave right then - perfect! I was the first on the boat which meant I got the best seat in the house - up front right next to the driver/tour guide. Every other person that boarded the boat was part of a couple, which left us as...a couple. In between every historical spiel he gave (in English and French) we'd chit-chat - well, really, he'd tell me stories about the city, about his trips to Italy (his favorite other place - not surprising since he oozed Italian charm, even at 60), how much he disliked Brussels (not enough clean air! no friendliness!), and I'd listen, smiling, delighted to finally be wearing sunglasses after 6 months of sunless Berlin. As I disembarked, he kissed my hand and pointed me in the direction of the tallest tower in the city, open to tourists to climb for an incredible view.

It was then that I decided to face a fear and go for the climb. If you know me, you probably know that I have more than a hint of claustrophobia in my blood. Maybe it's the fact that I've been nearly 6' tall since I was in 5th grade, but I've never liked spots where I feel closed in. Climbing a narrow winding staircase would normally not be on my Top Ten list, but I decided to dare myself and see what happened. 338 steps later, I was at the top and loving it! Best of all, I noticed from the view that there was a huge outdoor market down below. Lunch plans then equaled = market picnic. Exercise DOES pay off!

Self-pic gone wrong. Trying to show what I'd accomplished - that's a lot of stairs (and you can't even see the top)!

I went to every stall in the market to assess my options and decided there could be no better lunch than cheese, bread, and strawberries. After our 9 cheese dinner earlier that week, I felt I'd even learned a thing or two about cheeses. I was preparing to order a cheese I'd enjoyed at the tasting when I stumbled upon this gem:

Now that's a high-class cheese! 16 euros a kg!

How exciting! I attempted to ask the cheese seller about the history of the name "Romig" on the cheese, but she had no new information for me. (On a trip through Eastern Europe, my brother stumbled upon a bottle of milk called "Romig" and was told it stood for "Top-Quality Milk") Guess we're blessed with dairy origins. No complaints on my end. And in case you're wondering, it was a mild, brie-like cheese. Delicious!

I walked my feast to the edge of a canal and sat down. I took my time enjoying my simple bounty - swinging my legs over the water and pondering my next move. The rest of the day was spent walking and exploring, in fact, I think I walked almost 7 hours that day (including the final hour I spent, lost, trying to get back to the train station). With some delicious chocolate to send me on my way, I headed back to Brussels and took another stab at finding the best waffle in the city.