Places visited: Brussels Airport - Grand Place Brussels
Brussels Airport
The bus was hot and smelly and took over an hour. Filled us with nausea. Little did we know we could have taken a 20 minute air conditioned train into the city instead for less money.
Grand Place Brussels
D & D rented a spot in Grand Place and invited us over for charcuterie and wine with a view. What a charming welcoming to the city of Brussels for all of us.
Places visited: Church of Notre-Dame de Bon Secours - Grand Place Brussels - Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert - St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral, Brussels - Grand Place Brussels
Church of Notre-Dame de Bon Secours
David dropped his phone in an Amsterdam canal minutes before catching a train out of the country. He was deemed a tablet baby the rest of the trip. We enjoyed a light breakfast at a cafe and stopped by a cathedral and maneken pis before parting ways. They went to Ghent and we thrift hopped while intermittently engulfing Belgian delicacies along the way.
Grand Place Brussels
Oh it’s grand alright.
Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert
Enjoying the finer things in life (tripel beers and Belgian pralines) on a gorgeously relaxing day.
St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral, Brussels
Had to stop and stare at this beauty. Choral opera music echoed through the church, making the architecture and art even more fantastic.
Grand Place Brussels
Worth a visit both day and night. Happy Ukrainian Independence Day! We enjoyed a liege waffle and met up with D & D for a fruity bier as they drunkenly told us about their adventure in Ghent.
Places visited: Gare Centrale - Antwerpen-Centraal - Antwerpen - Het Steen - De Peerdestal | Restaurant Antwerpen
Gare Centrale
Headed to Antwerp for the day, the birthplace of Audrey Hepburn. I am hardly able to mutter before coffee these days so it was a quiet ride there.
Antwerpen-Centraal
The station looks something like a Harry Potter scene.
Antwerpen
I couldn’t get over this pupper at the table over at our brunch spot. Afterwards, we stopped at a gothic pub littered with religious statues… I mean hundreds. How I did not take a photo I do not know. They kept playing the same 3 songs on repeat so eventually I had to say something. I think one of the workers really likes John Legend, as she was offended when I asked to change the music.
Het Steen
De Peerdestal | Restaurant Antwerpen
I just don’t understand it. They love American 80’s music and today’s American pop hits. Peculiar. Anywho, stopped at a pinup bar for some juice before walking through the red light district of Antwerp.
Day 4 Itinerary
Places visited: The Belgian Chocolate Makers - Poechenellekelder
The Belgian Chocolate Makers
Poechenellekelder
Shared one last beer together before parting ways. Had a great time with these two.
Day 5 Itinerary
Places visited: Café Capitale - Rock Classic
Café Capitale
We looked at the upcoming weather in Austria and it’s nothing but rain. We’ll be on the hunt for coats today at the thrift shop.
Rock Classic
Went to a Joy Division tribute concert at a dive bar that never closes across the street from our bnb. It was damp and our beer was served in thick plastic cups, but it was a blast. By the end, we were all dancing together in front of the stage.
Places visited: Gent-Sint-Pieters - Ghent - Boat tours - Stael - Canal Central - Bruges - Sint-Janshuismolen - Lamme Goedzak Terminal - Noorweegse Kaai - Schellemolen - Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk - Proeflab - Damme - Burg Quarter - Monumento a Maurits Sabbe - Ghent
Gent-Sint-Pieters
Off to Ghent and Bruges today. Played poker while sipping our morning to-go coffees on the train. We didn’t have chips to play with, so tiny balled up napkin scraps sufficed lol. We sat in first class and got caught. Oops
Ghent
A sea of bicycles greeted us at the station. We got off the train and realized we were running pretty behind in the day and it was a 30 min walk to the center of Ghent. Between “borrowing” a few bikes and getting back on the train right then, we settled on taking a stroll around a nearby block before heading off to Bruges.
Boat tours - Stael
WOW Bruges is CHARMING. We had to do the little boat tours here through the ancient canals. Our guide was filled with witty humor and knew no less than 6 languages.
Canal Central
The tour was just long enough at 30 minutes and left us with just enough time to grab a bite before meeting a local. Her name will be crawling through Bruges and the neighboring town of Daam via bike for the greater hours of the afternoon.
Bruges
Sint-Janshuismolen
One of the first stops her name showed us: the oldest windmill of Bruge still in use today. It’s a tiny museum now and grinds up grains for livestock to eat. The food is then sold to local farmers to help support the maintenance of the windmills.
Lamme Goedzak Terminal
Waving goodbye to the cruisers headed to Damme by boat. They thought we were waving hello and backed the boat back up to the dock for us to board… oops.
Noorweegse Kaai
The beautiful trails that led us to Damme, a town known for their storks, book shops, and patios. Cars are allowed on the path, but must yield to the bikers who take first priority on this trail. All the houses we passed were superbly kept, ready for their debut in Architectural Digest at any moment. The countryside is different here. The farms are small, the farmers drive range rovers, and the houses are fancy.
Schellemolen
Stopped at another windmill, but went inside this time. The stairs were more like ladders and two met inside lounged on the mid level speaking French, one of the 3 official languages of Belgium, among Dutch and German.
Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk
The oldest church in Damme with the nicest pup (Sienna) out back. She was a very sweet girl. Someone was getting married here, so the aisles were filled with baby’s breath.
Proeflab
Her name took us to a pop up bar in an old abandoned hospital’s garden for some Damme beers before heading back to Bruges.
Damme
One last look at Damme before hitting the bumpy cobblestone out of town.
Burg Quarter
Back in Bruge on bridges. It’s almost golden hour so everything is on the verge of taking on a new light.
Monumento a Maurits Sabbe
The final viewpoint her name takes us to as we say farewell. She was a lovely woman to show us the city.
Ghent
Riding back home to Brussels. Golden hour is here.
Sint Jacobs
We finished the night off with some more poker. Had to phone a friend to see who won a tricky hand. When it comes to poker, Alex always knows.
Day 7 Itinerary
Places visited: Atomium - Brussel - Château Moderne
Atomium
The Atomium. Built for the world art expo in the 60s, now it’s a museum, filled the history of the structure as well as new art exhibits. My favorite one being an immersive light show. Rooms were filled with bars lighting up to space music playing at levels that rumbled. It was thrilling.
Brussel
Château Moderne
Finished our day with frites at Monte de Artes. The rest of the day will include figuring out how to do laundry at the nearby laundromat. We had to wear our one clothing item that wasn’t dirty which meant for me that I was wearing my fancy black dress to the laundromat. I’ve never dealt with a less straightforward washing machine experience in my life.