Long weekend in Belgium

We planned a last minute whistle-stop tour to Belgium in January. Yes, it was cold, windy and wet (probably picked the worst weekend for weather!) but we still enjoyed our little jaunt around three of Belgium’s famous cities. Bruges is only 1 hr and 20 minutes from the euro-tunnel, so we arrived just after lunch – our hotel was a small B&B in a handy location just a stone’s throw from this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Despite the weather, we ventured out and walked around the canals and Market Square before escaping the driving rain in a Belgian café and enjoyed a hot chocolate and waffles! Thankfully, it had stopped raining by early evening, so we were able to re-visit the main sites at night – all lit up and very pretty. We found a very atmospheric cocktail bar – I enjoyed my ‘I am Groot’ cocktail – and then went to a wine bar for a glass of wine and cheese and meat platter. The following day we took another quick walk around the canals before driving to Ghent – under an hour – parked up near the Station and took the tram into the delightful historic centre. What a surprise that was. Steeped in medieval architecture and monuments we walked around the old streets and took a canal cruise learning all about the trade for which it is famous.

Onwards to Brussels for a 2-night stay with friends. The Atomium was fascinating, the Grand-Place and the covered galleries all beautiful and the Manneken-Pis - still smaller than expected! And, of course, when in Belgium, we went to 2 bars to sample some local beers – both down little alleyways somewhere near the Grand Place – if you need the names, I can find out!! A two-hour drive back to the Eurotunnel from Brussels completed our Belgian weekend and we plan to go back in the Spring or Summer to enjoy and explore the Cities some more!