Brugge, Belgium

Well isn't this exciting... a GUEST writer on our blog?  When Jon accepted my "request" to write about Bruges, not only was I (Sarah) excited because it gave me a little break from writing, but because it's exciting to have a different perspective on our travels.  When he sent me what he wrote, I honestly laughed the whole way through.  Which really, didn't at all surprise me.  Zack and I both have been friends with Jon for years now and we always spend the majority of our time together laughing.  We were estatic when we found out he had booked a flight from Canada to visit us in England, as we knew it would just be like old times.  Aside from the fact that we never would have thought we would road trip from England to Belgium...  So, without further adieu, here's Jon (with a few comments from myself, which will be in italics):

Chocolate, Waffles and Beer.

I admit - before this trip I didn't know much about Belgium, or the city of Bruges in particular. I knew they made waffles, but other than that, I hear the chocolate is good and the beer is better, that is all.  So when Zack and Sarah suggested we go -- why not? Off to Belgium we go.

The adventure started with renting a car in Cambridge, a process that apparently takes 3 hours. Renting a car in Cambridge is probably what Anger Management instructors use to test their pupils to see how long it takes before they crack. Zack would have been given a B, later lowered to a C when he threw his water bottle at me(out of anger) because he missed the exit for the euro - tunnel to France. I had nothing to do with him driving past the exit, but I guess sleeping in the back wasn't exactly helping either.  Luckily Z + S pride themselves on owning water bottles that are glorified ziploc bags with a cap so it wasn't so bad. (Sarah: just to be clear on the water bottles, they seriously are great for travelling..  Ziploc bags have nothing on our foldable water bottles.  Also, on behalf of Zack.. sorry Jon for waking you from your beauty sleep.)

The euro-tunnel is what connects the UK to the rest of Europe, it's literally a tunnel underneath the English Channel. Unfortunately, riding in the tunnel is altogether unremarkable. It kind of feels like driving your car on to a subway, putting it in 'park' and then in 30 mins you're in France and driving on the right side of the road in a car made for the left. In the tunnel everyone is outside their car, letting their pets walk around and hanging out. I personally felt like this was a missed opportunity for an aquarium tunnel but I digress. 

We got through the tunnel, drove through the north tip of France and voila, Belgium.
Our camp site was just outside the city centre of Brugge, we quickly set up our 2-person tent for the 3 of us and headed in to the centre (Sarah: true, our tent is pretty small.  To be fair, we bought it thinking it'd be just the two of us travelling... but  now we know we can officially fit one guest!). Brugge is one of the most well-preserved cities in Europe, at one point considered to be the "Cultural Capital" of Europe and is a world heritage site.  The city centre had a large wall surrounding it as well as a plethora of canals inside that ultimately led to no where. As we headed toward the centre it didn't matter which street we took, they were all beautiful, narrow cobblestone streets. Every house was unique, in colour and style with numbers fashioned on the front of them showing the dates in which they were renovated to prevent fires. Most were around the 1800s with some dating much further back in the 16 and 1500s all with beautiful thatched roofs. In the centre of the city was a massive cathedral which made it easy to find (look up - walk towards that big building and you'll find your way to the massive centre square). Just make sure to dodge the horse drawn carriages and cars which take up the entire road.

We joined a free walking tour around the city to better acquaint ourselves with the  history of Brugge, which we learned... Wasn't much. The most talked about point was the movie "In Brugge" which was filmed in 2008. We also learned that Brugge used to be a major port for trade until the Vikings sailed down and began to invade. In response, they built a massive wall around the city and blocked the canals from entering the sea - thus making them lead no where and preventing the Vikings from invading. It also prevented Brugge from being a major port, stopped most trade, bankrupting the city and then they filmed "In Brugge" in 2008.

Historically, we weren't told much about Brugge but the beauty and depth of the city more than made up for it, not to mention the vast array of chocolate and waffle shops. As I third wheeled Zack and Sarah around the city we would stop in different stores and grab free samples, pretend to consider buying chocolate and move along.  We did however do a tour in Brugge's only brewery and continued to enjoy the beverage in a pub with a beer that was somewhere north of 11% Belgium treats its beer like we treat wine, they give you cheese, pair it with a meal and cut you off if you dare order a 4th and call an ambulance. 

11% acl. beer with cheese from Garre.

We bought our supper at a grocery store and enjoyed a bottle of wine as we watched the sun set over Brugge. We sat on a city bench near a statue of some sailor which overlooked a canal with cute restaurants and cafes along either side. Brugge is also one of the most romantic cities in Europe, there's even "kissing spots" on the map for especially beautiful spots around the city. I tried to encourage Z + S to do their thing by making cute remarks to really set a romantic tone but they never got the hint. I guess yelling "kissing spot" doesn't exactly set the mood. It turns out being pressed into a tent that was made to fit Zack and half a person doesn't set the mood either, much to my relief. Waking up with his shoulder to my chin really brought us all together though.

We set out in the morning in search of coffee only to find almost the entire city shut down for the sabbath. All except an adventure store which happened to give complimentary espressos to its shoppers. Zack and Sarah purchased some propane while a worker assembled and disassembled a bike which I assured her I wouldn't buy. We then set our sights on Belgium's waffles. Turns out there are 2 kinds, the Brussels and the Flemish. Brussels are meant to have all sorts of toppings whereas the Flemish is meant to be eaten plain. Ours were Flemish, however, I chose to add strawberries and Zack had some chocolate on his whereas Sarah ate hers nearly plain with only a hint of icing sugar on top, a point she mentioned at least 7 times while we ate them and 3 more times afterwards (Sarah: ahem Jon, I choose to do as the locals).  For lunch the only thing open was this terrible restaurant that was McDonalds rip off called 'Quick Burger'. Quick Burger charges you extra for condiments and I'm fairly certain sits on all their burgers before they serve you. It was a very cultural experience.

The way home was much less stressful than the way there (except for when the mean people wouldn't let Sarah pet their dog in the euro-tunnel, but who doesn't let people pet their dog? What is this world coming to? (Sarah: I am still trying to get over this heart breaking experience...).  We made it safely to Cambridge Sunday night no problem.

I've been away from Z + S for over a year and yet when I walked in to their apartment in Cambridge, it was like no time has passed. Our trip to Belgium was even more proof of that. It was easy. From choosing what pub to go to (the one down the narrowest street in Brugge!) to being yelled at by Belgian chocolate shop workers (Zack tried to eat a non-sample, tsk, tsk). I had an amazing time with them, not only in Brugge but also in their new (soon to be old) home as well. I'm excited for the next chapter in their journey in Thailand but I must admit, I truly miss my friends. We'll have to go punting in Thailand. 

- Jon

Above is the oldest bridge in Brugge.  Originally built from wood (like many of the houses) but then reconstructed with stone.