BELGIUM

After out trip to Luxembourg City, PJ and I headed back to Belgium to check out Brussels and Bruges (Brugge). We first went the Brussels for the day and explored the city, then it was off to Bruges for a day. Belgians do not have one common language amongst them, which is apparent when listening to them speak to one another. Some speak French, others Dutch, while the rest speak German, although most know English and can answer any questions one may have. How great would it be to speak 4 languages!

Some fun facts about Belgium:
- There are over 800 Belgium beers (PJ enjoyed this greatly)
- 220,000 tonnes (British) of chocolate is produced in Belgium each year
- Supposedly, Belgians invented 'chips' (french fries)
- There are 3 types of Belgian waffles, although from my experience, no one eats them as a breakfast item. They are more of a snack on the go. Also, according to our guide, do not get them with all the bells and whistles (ie sprinkles etc) as it is simply a tourist thing.
- Belgium is renowned for its bakeries, which I can attest to!

Brussels

The city was constantly rebuilding between the times of war, and therefore, there is a melting pot of architectural styles found throughout the city. The beautiful city hall was constructed in the Gothic Style, while the Royal Square was constructed in Neoclassical. Baroque, Neo-Renaissance, Art Deco, and Contemporary buildings are also found throughout the city, including the Guild houses, Palais Royal, and Atomium. Art Nouveau buildings are everywhere in Brussels, many of which are 'world heritage' by UNESCO. If you are going to look into Brussels architecture, you must know the name Victor Horta!

Even though I dragged PJ all around the city looking at buildings, we still managed to find time to eat their delicious food and drink their delicious hot wine (probably my favorite drink ever!) If I can recommend one thing to do while in Brussels it would be to eat the national dish of Flemish beef stew [carbonnades flamandes]. It is one of the most delicious things we have tasted, and it feels good an a cold rainy night! There is also a method to their delicious 'frites' [click here to learn more] Needless to say, I was in heaven! And how could I forget their delicious muscles! [which typically come with a side of frites!] There were just too many delicious foods in that country!

Bruges

The weather was a bit disappointing, seeing as it was raining heavily for most of it, however the city is gorgeous! It was a quick drive from Brussels and parking was easy to find. We immediately found a restaurant in hopes that the monsoon would end before we finished our meal. When we had finished the rain had slowed down a bit so we began exploring the medieval city.

Some fun facts about Bruges:
- There are more than 80 bridges around the center.
- Gotye is originally from Bruges
- Bruges is known for its lace
- Gothic style architecture is the most prominent in the city, although other styles are present