A postcard from Bruges

Sorry for the cheesy title, but it had to be done, right? So I've decided to blog about myself and Adam's little holiday to Bruges. In short, it was amazing. 

We went down to London on the 20th July, and stayed over night in a hotel ready to catch the 07.58 Eurostar to Brussels. I thought it was rather cute that we got a continental breakfast included as part of our experience.Then, we caught our train from Brussels to Bruges. The journey here was about an hour or so. Luckily the cost of the journey was covered in the Eurostar ticket.

The hotel we chose to stay at was Hotel Navarra. I was enchanted by the fact it was a 16th century building. I also loved the fact it had a pool in the cellar and the central location. Our room was so spacious and the bed was huge so we were happy. We had breakfast included whilst we were there and there was such a variety. Needless to say, I ate possibly too many croissants. 

Adam outside hotel Navarra. 

We were lucky that Hotel Navarra was in such a central location, it was only a couple of streets away from the Main Square. This meant we could pop back and to as we pleased. Anyway, we were both in awe at how beautiful Bruges was. Every street, every corner, every building is truly medieval and is just spectacular. There are lots of places to explore. Also, as it's so small it's impossible to get lost. One of the best ways to explore is to take a boat on the canals that flow through Bruges. It saves tired legs and you really get to see a great deal of the city. The friendly Captain also gives a good running commentary of the history of Bruges and information on places of importance. It only costs 8 Euros too. There are also horse and carriage rides available if you'd prefer to travel that way. 

We mostly amused ourselves by being tourist geeks. There are plenty of museums to get an in depth look at the history of this gorgeous city. (charging 1 Euro entry for Under 25's). There are also lots of churches and a cathedral to visit. I love visiting old churches and religious buildings, as I find them really interesting. Also they were a welcome respite from the hot weather that we had. (We were both sun burnt) Arguably the most famous monument in Bruges is the Belfry tower, which dominates the skyline. If you're feeling brave you can climb up this huge tower. 

In a quaint tea shop: Victoria sponge.

Now, onto the most important subject... FOOD, Unsurprisingly we overindulged. Now, I'm going to be honest, if like me you only eat chicken/fish you're going to be limited on choice. I mostly had chicken and fries with a lovely creamy mushroom sauce, If you're a vegetarian there are basic options a lot of the time. And yes, it is true, Belgium does make gorgeously tasty chips and mayonnaise. The waffles are also amazing, I had mine with chocolate sauce and another lot glazed with sugar. You really must try some if you go. It's inspired me to buy a waffle iron ha. There are also hundreds of chocolate shops selling exquisite Belgian chocolates. Our favourite chocolate shop was Modeur Babolette. This was because they had great choice and seemed to offer great value for money. 

So to sum up, I would wholeheartedly recommend a trip to Bruges. I am absolutely in love with the place. I really must pay homage to the friendly locals, who are so polite, have an amazing grasp of English and can't do enough to help you out. It's great too, if like me you have mobility problems as it's largely flat to walk around and so small  that you can easily explore it all. I would quite happily visit this place again and again. I like to offer balanced reviews but I honestly don't have a negative word to say about Bruges. 

Much love,

Amy.