Brugge

Brugge is perfect--quaint and picturesque are words that keep coming to mind. I arrived around noon and wandered slowly through the town to the hostel that I'm staying in. Many people refer to Brugge as the Venice of the north--there are canals running throughout the city. The architecture is ancient and well-maintained, built on a small scale--nothing over three stories. Today is Monday; the museums were closed but the churches and shops were open. The Church of the Holy Blood was particularly impressive; quite small but richly decorated. Every surface was stenciled or painted.

The highlight of my day was a brewery tour. The guide was animated and well-versed in the subject. I met two Canadians on the tour, Alex and Sandra, who had gotten engaged about an hour before and were slightly dazed but in high spirits. He had traveled extensively throughout Northern Europe, and she knew Italy quite well. They were wonderful to talk to--we ended up having several drinks.

I've made a point of eating the regional food in all of the places I've traveled. In a few cases this has really paid off (gnocchi in Italy is nothing like the gnocchi at home), but I wasn't wowed here. Brugge is known for mussels and french fries. The fries were just okay (I tried them twice, at different recommended locations), the mussels unremarkable. I don't actually like mussels, and the ones here are quite similar to those I've had before. I do give major points for quantity, however--I was served a 2-quart pot of them.

I'm thinking about trying to make it back here in June. It's in the low 40s today, almost too cold for wandering the streets. Alex mentioned that Brugge doesn't really ever get warm--it is the northern edge of Europe, after all. Cross your fingers for a heat wave.