Europe Trip-Bruge

We had such an amazing trip to Europe! It was truly good for the soul to get away, explore new places together and enjoy all that each place had to offer. We took so many pictures {and stayed so busy!} that I'm going to break our recaps up into smaller chunks. I'm going to try and do it while it's all fresh in my mind so as not to forget the details!

Saturday, August 2nd-New York->Brussels->Bruge

Us on the train ride from Brussels to Bruge. We flew in on a red eye and had hardly slept a wink at this point.

We checked into our hotel, which was so cute and charming.

 We headed to Chagals for mussels and fries. Delicous.

 Then we explored town a bit, which was busy in some parts and not in others. Bruge was a dutch part of Belgium, so lots of Flemish spoken there, though French and English were also prevalent.

After walking around for a while, we decided to go for a swim at the hotel and shower before heading back out again. It recharged us temporarily!

 We had tea time at Merveilleux, which became a little afternoon tradition for various places along the way during our trip.

 Then, we went to an underground cave, which housed lots of trappiste beers, made by monks! It was really cool, especially my beer connoisseur fella.

 I loved the canals that ran all through the town.

We wandered and wandered to find a casual dinner spot, but we ended up in a nicer than we planned restaurant.

 

                                     
While the food was delicious, we were placed awkwardly next to a hot oven of some sort on one side, and an ice bucket and hot pot for someone else's food on the other. We were deliriously tired at this point {clearly} but had to document this.
                                     

 Sunday, August 3rd-Bruge, Day 2

We woke up feeling much better, and set out to see the town's windmills, on the outskirts of Old Bruge.

 

 

 waffles by the canal for breakfast

 

 Medieval walls  

 

 These windmills are still operating and were beautiful!

We stopped at this cute little place on the corner called De Windmolen

 Then we toured the canals throughout the city

 stopping for lunch and a gelato

 

 handmade Belgian chocolate---oh my goodness. So good.

 Before dinner, we went to this fun place for happy hour that said they had "the best mojitos in Belgium". I could agree, but then I don't have much to base it on!

 

 After being out all day, we went back to our hotel and had tea and got ready for dinner. In Belgium it stayed light outside until 9:30! We loved how this really let us "stretch" our days out.

For dinner, we had an amazing, long meal of tapas at a place called Cookies. Ah, the food was so good!

 

 Bruge seriously was one of the most unique and lovely places we have ever visited. For reference, we said that it kind of felt like the Charleston of Belgium. If you go to Belgium, you must go to Bruge! We loved, loved, loved it. Next up, Brussels!