May 22, 2013

brugge

gruuthuse-museum-sign

Forbidden Photography – A Tale of Travel Temptation

I know I shouldn’t have done it but I couldn’t help myself. Climbing the old stone staircase to the second floor of the Gruuthuse Museum in Brugge, Belgium, I am struck by the sunlight streaming through the nearby stained glass window, landing on the steps in a cascade of color. In only a moment I am utterly entranced. I want… [Keep reading...]

 
Vitalgaufre waffle, Belgium

Belgium and My Waffle-a-Day Diet

Let’s hear it for the humble waffle. The delicacy, found on pretty much any street corner in the main tourist areas of Brussels, Antwerp, and Brugge, became a staple of my daily diet during the ten days I spent in Belgium.

 
Minnewater Park, Brugge, Belgium

Brugge Beyond the Grote Markt

Sure you can stay in the city center in and around the Grote Markt area, eat overpriced food, buy cheap trinkets from souvenir shops, and window shop for genitalia-shaped chocolates (yes, you can do that), but there’s so much more to Brugge. My first impressions of Brugge were less than stellar, and I almost ended up leaving the following morning,… [Keep reading...]

 
belgium-brugge-bruges-lace-museum

A Single Snapshot: Lacemaking Lives On in Brugge

If you enjoy history and craftsmanship, then no visit to Brugge is complete without a stop at the Kantcentrum, or Lace Center. It is, in my opinion, one of the best things to do in Brugge and was the highlight of my time in the city. I know what you’re thinking. Oh gawd. Lace? Hear me out. A bit off… [Keep reading...]

 
Brugge canal boat ride

A Single Snapshot: Missing the Boat in Brugge

Seeing the city by boat is one of the top things to do in Brugge, and one of the few things I absolutely wanted to try when I got there. In my mind’s eye I could see myself  cruising around the network of canals that traverse the city, past medieval structures and beneath lichen-covered bridges. I couldn’t think of a… [Keep reading...]

 
Tourists at the Grote Market in Brugge, Belgium

A Single Snapshot: Burnout in Brugge’s Grote Markt

Brugge can be overwhelming. Many of the guidebooks, web guides, and travel forums I consulted prior to my trip say you can spend one day in the city and see everything there is to see. I’m here to tell you that couldn’t be further from the truth. Although I didn’t like Brugge at first, I learned (eventually) that like any… [Keep reading...]

 
The yellow tour buses pulling up to the Stadhuis marred my view of Brugge

Dealing With Disappointment In Brugge

I knew I’d have a strong reaction to Brugge. As the single most visited city in Belgium, I had great expectations for Brugge as a destination and figured it would be a traveler’s wonderland. The scant research I’d done before my trip told me to expect one of Europe’s most well-preserved medieval cities. As a history and architecture buff, as… [Keep reading...]