Chocolates and Trains

Yesterday, Lee and I returned from my birthday trip to Bruges. Last time I went to Bruges was on a high school trip years ago, and only for an afternoon. It was great to get a chance to go back there and decently explore the area. We arrived Monday evening after a long day of train going, from Amsterdam to Antwerp (where the station is completely being renovated and had no screens displaying train information), Antwerp to Ghent, Ghent to Bruges. The stop in Ghent was not planned, we had missed the proper train to Bruges due to the disarray of the Antwerp station. We got checked into the gorgeous Hotel Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce, which is right on a canal near the Markt in Brugge Centrum. It was a beautiful Medieval building, with nice details. Very pretty. We had a lovely birthday dinner at a nearby restaurant , where we were given complimentary snails. Lee and I both tried our best to eat them, both unsure of the right way, and what parts to eat. Strange. Also, Belgium is not too keen on dismantling seafood at restaurants. I asked if they could take the lobster apart for me (this was a nice restaurant mind you, in America this would be normal request) the waiter was confused and insisted it be served in the shell. Lee got the sole, and it was served practically whole, head and bones intact. Lee loved it despite this. We finished the evening with a stroll around the town. 

The next day after breakfast, we walked around a bit, and then went to a brewery tour at De Halvemaan . The tour showed the workings of the old brewery, and featured a spectacular view from the roof of the brewery. We sampled the Brugse Zot beer at the conclusion of the tour, and then wandered throughout the city going to chocolatiers and shopping at local shops. In the afternoon, we visited the Christmas Market going on in the Markt and Simonstevinplein. It was very festive, and all of Bruges is all decorated for the holidays. They had an ice skating rink, but it appeared slushy and suspect to us. We looked at the stalls and had frites instead. It took forever to find a good restaurant for dinner ( it seems all the restaurants serve the same items) and there was one waiter for the entire place. He was the most intense multitasker ever, he was doing everything in a timely fashion. It took us a while to notice that he was the only one doing all the serving, taking the orders, seating people, and clearing the tables. Intimidating. When I tried to order a waffle for dessert he informed me it would take too long because the kitchen was busy. Lame. I just wanted a waffle. 

Wednesday the epic quest to get a waffle was my final mission. I was turned down the night before, and got turned down again in the morning at a cafe, and as we left people were eating waffles. I guess she couldn't wait ten minutes to put my order in? Oh well. Lee and I found a better waffle place on the walk back to the hotel, where we were the only customers and we could have whatever we wanted. Crucial. 

The train ride home went from Bruges to Antwerp, where our Amsterdam train was running late, then the Amsterdam train terminated at Schiphol Airport instead of the central station and we had to get another train into Centraal. A tram ride, and we were home. 

I will post pictures when I return home to America on Saturday!