Jane and I spent a few days in Belgium.  We had visited Antwerp several years ago and had been surprised at how much there had been to see and how interesting the city was.  We wanted to see a couple of different Belgian cities this time and to travel by train.  We booked the Eurostar to Brussels with an included ticket on to Ghent with the intention of also visiting Bruges.  Jane booked an impressive, centrally located hotel in a building with an interesting history; we were all set.

The UK train workers dispute disrupted our journey to London and we decided to drive to Jane’s sister in Teddington, and impose on her our need for a lift to the Tube.  Fortunately, the Eurostar was on time, comfortable and smooth.  The onward journey to Ghent in a double level carriage was especially comfortable as we accidentally sat in the first-class upper deck and had great views of the Belgian countryside.  Taxis seemed absent at the station but the tram into the centre of town was easy to navigate and a bit of a novelty.

We settled into our hotel room and then relaxed into Ghent’s late afternoon sunshine with a stroll around the northern bend of the River Leie and past the Castle of the Counts.  We ended up at a sunny, packed bar overlooking the river and indulged in our first taste of local Belgian beer. 

We also had our first taste of Belgian beef – I confess that I ate more beef in our three days in Belgium than I think I have in the last three years.  When in Belgium….. 

We made our way back to the hotel for an early night (very early given the UK-Belgium time difference) and resolved to make an early start for Bruges the following morning.

The rail journey to Bruges was again easy and comfortable.  Once in the city, we just walked around in lovely October sunshine for a while, just taking in the gorgeous juxtaposition of medieval architecture and the river and canal network.  Of course, there were hordes of tourists many of which were participating in large guided tours led by guides with little flag poles; not my cup of tea!

We shuffled out of the main flows of these tours into peaceful side streets and quiet corners.  Wherever we looked we saw pretty bridges, attractive buildings with the traditional stepped parapet walls, and an overall sense of cleanliness and history.

We walked north to a vegan café, Blackbird, that Jane had discovered online, for a well-earned brunch.  We had what turned out to be my favourite breakfast or our brief Belgian holiday; an acai bowl laden with fruit, yogurt and peanut butter accompanied by a wonderful cup of coffee.  I’m a nut butter convert now!

We continued to wander along the canal paths past stunning buildings and back to the city centre.  On our way we popped into the Bourgogne des Flandres Brewery for a local brew, a quick rest and a view of boats going up and down the waterways.  Then we pressed on to visit the 800-year old Belfort (Belfry) to learn more about the city and get a elevated panorama.  

The belfry dominates the main square of the city and required a 366-stair climb to get to its top.  On the way up is a Treasury with its artifacts and a lot of information about the city and, especially, the way the bells in the tower were used to signal peace or danger. 

Near the top we could enter a floor where the belfry carillon with its 47 bells sits.  It was installed in 1748 and has been repeatedly extended and restored.  It is like a huge musical box with a large cylinder with pins that cause the bells to ring in a particular sequence that can also be set by a keyboard.  We were able to see it working although the chiming of the bells is best heard from outside. 

At the very top floor of the belfry, the views were predictably spectacular. 

We resumed our wander through Bruges’s streets while skirting the densest crowds and made our way to Saint Saviour’s Cathedral, also known as Sint-Salvatorskathedraal.  This is a beautiful, airy space with a huge nave, impressive tapestries and remarkably vibrant stained glass. 

^{Saint Saviour’s Cathedral, Bruges}

As with several of the historic buildings we visited whilst in Belgium, there was a Treasury.  This one had several lovely pieces on show. 

By now we were beginning to think again about beer and food.  We walked back towards the north end of the city centre and found a delightful waterside bar (it was hard to know if the waterways were river or canal but here the water was flowing and not at all smelly).  The sky was cloudless and the temperature, view and atmosphere was so perfect that we settled down for a lengthy session of beer and more beef – a very nice steak and chips this time.

Replete, we decided we had had a lovely but sufficient Bruges experience.  Our phone batteries were low – I’d forgotten to bring my remote charger and Google Maps is such a battery suck.  Jane had to start asking passers-by for directions (I would rather use the position of the sun than ask anyone the way!)  Finally, a circuitous route took us back to the station, the return journey to Ghent and another early night in our hotel there to prepare us for a couple of days of Ghent sight-seeing.