Christmas in Bruges
When Netflix added the classic movie In Bruges, I jumped on the chance to watch it. And naturally, I fell in love with the look of the adorable Belgian town with its old buildings and winding canals. I instantly started looking at flights - the joys of living in Europe! While I was really interested in going during the summer, we ended up going to the states instead (I’m so behind on blogging, where has this year gone?!). So it turned into a festive Christmas trip to start off December instead. Let me tell you, that was the best switch ever!
We flew over first thing on the Saturday morning to enjoy the entire long weekend exploring. After arriving in Brussels we took a couple of trains out to Bruges before crashing for a bit in the hotel. We were unfortunately both sick, but really wanted to make the most of the weekend. In search of lunch, we eventually did head into town.
The first thing we came across was the most adorable little art gallery right on the canal. I was amazed that even the outdoor gallery was festive. That was honestly the best part of the trip. Every building was decked out with mistletoe, wreaths, trees, and lots of lights. Magic!
This little square was one of the first proper areas we came across and I was in awe of how perfect (and Christmasy) every single building was. I was barely making any progress walking because I was taking everything in!
Finally, we got to the restaurant I was searching for: The House of Waffles. I wanted to try an authentic belgian waffle. I was not disappointed. I got the BLT one and it was so good, I honestly wish I’d gotten a second one that weekend! I washed it down with a Stella as they were much cheaper than we get in Dublin, and mentally felt more authentic (lols).
Down the road, we popped into the pharmacy for some headache tablets. As Killian described it, it was like being in Ollivanders! The sign outside was super old and there was nowhere to really shop, just a display and then immediately a counter. Definitely an old-timey exprience. Even the tablets we got were in a strange bottle.
Then, we were at the Market Square, Markt. It looked like a movie!
This was also where one of the Christmas markets was. We took a look around at the stalls and enjoyed a mulled wine along the way.
They also had the Belgian version of eggnog, which I was curious to try. Turns out it’s warm, which was completely unexpected! It was tiny, thick, and incredibly boozy, and very delicious.
We ended up having dinner in an old hotel. I tried traditional Flemish beef stew and they clipped a bowl of fresh frites to our table. Yum!
Then, it was time for a little nighttime exploration.
The next morning, we went to a restaurant called That’s Toast which literally only sold toast. I got one with ham and cheese. Killian went for avocado. Mmmm.
Then, some more exploring.
Just before the sun started to set, we hopped on a canal tour.
