Last week was Mid-winter break at school, and I found myself in the land of yumminess. I was at a workshop for a few days in Brussels, but since it was also holiday time for me, I tacked on an extra three days to see some of Belgium besides the capital (as I had been there before). Belgium has a reputation for being known only for its cuisine. While some may think this is unfair, this is a pretty good thing to be known for, if you ask me.
Two of the best things in the world, together. Simply one of about 1100.
Anyhow, the first stop on this tour was Bruges (Brugge), a charming city about an hour north-west of the capital by train, in West Flanders in the Flemish part of the country. The city is known for its well-preserved medieval architecture in the city centre (it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site), lace, canals (it’s called “The Venice of the North”), and for the 2008 movie “In Bruges.” There are plenty of museums, festivals, and artwork to check out, such as Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child. Among its historic buildings are the 13th-century belfry, the Church of Our Lady, and the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Best of all, Bruges does all of the food that you think of when you think of Belgium, and they do it well – you can find frites (friten), chocolate, waffles, moules, and awesome beer served in really neat old pubs… pretty much everywhere. What isn’t to like about Bruges?
Bruges’ Church of Our Lady at sunset.
The 13th-century Belfry.
Belgian fries with beer sauce.
Market square in Bruges.
While I liked my time walking around the historic old city, I also really enjoyed getting out into the countryside. On one day, I took a quite interesting tour of Flanders, where I got to learn more about the battles that were fought in the Great War (but more on that in a later post). On another day I rented a bike and did some exploring of the lowlands. I headed off east of the city along a canal, which took me to the villages of Damme, Hoeke, and eventually to Sluis, a town just on the other side of the border with the Netherlands (about 17 km away). From there, I headed 10 km north-west and back into Belgium, towards Knokke, an affluent resort town on the North Sea. While the beaches looked nice, it was not an ideal day for a dip in the water. I continued west another 12 km along the coast to Blankenberge, before returning to Bruges (13 km). I have to say that they know how to cater to cyclists here. Most people ride their bikes everywhere they go, so there are bike lanes on the sides of the roads. And since the landscape is pretty well flat, it makes it easy to get around on two wheels and a great way to spend a few hours.
Bike and country.
A Belgian waffle with Nutella. Is there really any other kind?
The North Sea at Knokke.
After Bruges, I headed to Ghent (Gent) in East Flanders for a night. It has a quite different feel from Bruges – it’s a bigger, funkier, busier, and less touristy city. I spent a day just walking around the centre along the Graslei, looking at the medieval architecture. And then off to Brussels for three days of work and more of the cuisine.
The historic centre in Ghent.
Old and new in Ghent.
Le Grand Place (Grote Markt), the central square in Brussels.
Mussels in Brussels.
Happy in the UK 
yes, cycling is very popular here. Nearly everybody has (at least) one bike, and it’s not only used for doing some shopping, but also very popular in summer weekends for pleasure.
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