Weekend Excursion to Bruges, Belgium

August 22, 2017

Weekend Excursion to Bruges, Belgium

Betting on Bruges

After Pearce's first week in school, we knew we wanted to get away by train somewhere close by and new to both of us. We decided on Bruges, Belgium which is known to be one of the most charming towns in all of Europe due to almost all of its Medieval buildings, roads, bridges, etc still being completely intact. I thought it was also pretty great that its a UNESCO World Heritage site. What made this trip even more exciting is that our Canadian friends, Katelyn and Gordon we met on our Asia trip were going to meet us there. They are currently living in Rotterdam with their beautiful new baby, Margot.

Fact: this is the only train pic in which Pearce is not sleeping nor eating

It is a short jaunt from Maastricht only taking about 3 hours by train (with one connection in Liege, Belgium). We got in around 7pm and walked over to the cutest little Air BnB we rented, a 20 minute walk. During this walk, we inadvertently discovered that if we put one back pack in the back of the stroller where Lucille usually sat, she could sit on top straddling it like a horse. She got the biggest kick out of this.

The owner's sister met us at the house and couldn't have been nicer. She gave cookies to the kids and when Lucille asked for more, she gave he more gladly commenting on how cute her beautiful curls were. She also made sure to tell us we should take our time checking out since no one would be checking in later that day. The owner also set out a number of local beers for us to try. The place itself was beautiful, it had plenty of space with a room for us, the kids, and our friends. The best part of it though, was the roof top patio off the back. It overlooked the tiled rooftops and the nearby church steeple. It was highly enjoyable sitting back there in the evenings, which is what we did with our friends that first night- some yummy food and drink and lots of good conversations!

A view from the rental patio

The next day Pearce popped into the local bakery and brought back a sampling of local baked goods. We had a slow and relaxed morning, at least for parents with children. We headed out into the narrow streets with no specific destination, but headed towards one of the steeples we saw over the rooftops. On the way, Katelyn spotted a boat launch, an activity top on both of our lists, so we basically hopped right on the small boat (with about 20 other tourists). Sitting by the engine, I couldn't hear much, but I did enjoy all of the beautiful old buildings we passed while gliding along the canals Bruges is famous for.

So many beautiful buildings.....

After the boat trip, I noticed on the Maps.me map I pre-marked with tourist sites that one of the only two chocolate shops in Bruges that makes its own chocolate was nearby. Dumon had the most amazing selections of chocolates and luckily they took credit cards, because we ended up buying an obscene amount of chocolate. Also Pearce found a Bruges original candy called a cuberdon, for which he was obsessed. We also found a coffee shop and loaded up on caffeine in an attempt to keep up with our children.

A chocolate kitty for our little kitty

The rest of the day was spent leisurely walking around the old streets. Pearce went inside the Church of Our Lady Bruges with Lucille, we saw about 50 different Zaras (note for people like Pearce: this is a shoe store) and we crossed umpteen canals. We headed to a spot away from the main square for lunch just off one of those canals, to sample one of the local recommended dishes, mussels. They did not disappoint. While eating we got hit with a small hail storm.

Hail Storm

Our friends headed back to the place for their baby's nap and our family wandered the streets a bit to sight see some more. While Pearce visited the Basciliica of the Holy Blood and participated in a ceremony where he got to see Christ's (alleged) blood, the kids and I treated ourselves to the famous Belgian Waffle with ice cream. I am not sure who was more impressed, Pearce or me. After that we headed over to a local playground so they kids could play for a bit. Lucille had the chance to go down on one slide and then the sky opened up and started raining.

Basilica of the Holy Blood

Unknown to him, Pearce is being watched

We hurried back to the apartment to try to find cover. That evening the group headed out to grab dinner at one of the many cafes that lined the main square, the "Markt" Square (as appears in In Bruges). Before dinner we all went to one of the many famed bars. This one was called Yesterday's World and was known not only for its beer but also the setting since it doubles as an antique shop. Gordon and Pearce had a matching flight that was recommended by the bar keep. It was his favorite beer in Belgium. We ladies left the gentleman to finish their beer flight and went off with the children. They went to the Half Moon Brewery down the street while took a scenic stroll around town. We found a playground for the kids and found Gordon and Pearce at the Brewery. We then found the famous Wall of Beer - featuring literally 100's of Belgian beers.

Yesterday's World - a combination antique shop and beer bar. Mixing toddlers, alcohol and priceless antiques - what could go wrong?!?

Gordon's expression is a direct reaction to Pearce's

Belgium beer flight at Yesterday's World

Everyone loves Kate!

Second beer stop at the Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan (Brewery of the Half Moon)

Everyone loves Gordon!

The next morning Katelyn and Gordon made breakfast while we played with the kids and packed up. It was a nice treat to have "real" food for breakfast, not having a kitchen in our hotel room. After, we headed out and bought more chocolate, coffee and walked a bit further into the neighborhoods, before getting our stuff and heading to the train station.