When we went through passport control as we entered Belgium we were asked many questions about our plans. When we said we weren’t sure which city to visit one of the immigration agents transformed into a travel agent. He was so excited to tell us all about Ghent and its charms. He did mention at the end of his description that he was originally from Ghent and so might be slightly biased.
Our pre-trip planning included advice from many…and all agreed that Brugge (or Bruges) was the place to go. So, off we went. The trains in Brussels are easy to use and reasonably priced. The walk and tram ride from my cousin’s apartment to Brussels Midi Station was a very wet beginning and as we waited for the train it got even wetter. We were prepared with rain jackets and umbrella but were thrilled to find the rain almost stopped by the time we reached Brugge.
We took a bus into town, very reasonable price, and then started our day of walking. There is a beautiful bell tower on the central square which I’m sure Jeff would have like to climb, but I chose not to…let’s not push the new knee too hard so early in the trip. We wandered around looking at the beautiful buildings, admiring the street art, and just enjoying the improving weather. TIP: There are lots of canal boat cruises and they all seem to be the same, about 7 euros per person. The recorded narrations are in a few languages including English. This was a great way to get an overview of the city.
We went total tourist and had lunch in the Markt Square (that is not a typo). It was very expensive but very Brugge and we really enjoyed it. We watched a group arrive and take pictures in the square before their wedding in the Town Hall. We also stopped in to the Crowne Plaza to see the beautifully displayed early city ruins that were found when they were excavating for the construction of the hotel.
The rest of the afternoon was spent walking: saw my first wooden windmill! 4 of them along a high ridge on the edge of town.
We finally walked back to the train station for the return trip to Brussels…but on our return ride decided to get off in Ghent and see if the immigration agent was right. Coming next: a quick stop in Ghent.
So…