Belgium | Going Dutch

Enchanting Bruges

February 18, 2013 99 Comments

Romantic Bruges at night

To those who are hopeless romantics like me, there’s one city that never disappoints… Medieval Bruges in Belgium certainly has all the elements of a perfect romantic setting. A stroll through its narrow streets make you step back in time, its many canals are perfect for the moonlight boat ride with the melodies of Moonriver gently playing in the background.

I visited this city for the first time way back in 1997 and it is still a favorite after many trips thereafter. A week before Christmas, we were back again for the Christmas market and a much needed me-time after very busy months both on the home and work fronts.

Because Bruges is a very popular tourist destination, the weekend before Christmas is always very busy. Scouring the internet for hotel deals was quite a pain as even very small 2 or 3 star hotels were just too pricey at around the Eur 200+ price range. We found another option which turned out to be a great alternative — airbnb.com. We stayed for two nights at a renovated old house just a few yards away from the city centre. Weather was unusually warm (close to 10 degrees Celsius) so we enjoyed our evening walks without freezing.

Bruges by all accounts, has many things to offer — Chocolates and pralines, hand-woven laces, amazing choices of beers, etc.

The Mr. and me in Bruges

Canals at night

Bruges at night

Bruges

Romantic canals and bridges

Bruges

Centuries-old buildings

One can explore the city on horse-driven carriage

Centuries-old buildings

Canals

A favorite bridge

Boat rides

Signage at the entrance of the Begijnhof

The Begijnhof was the place where women and children stayed while the men went on to fight in the Holy Land during the Crusades. Today, nuns are its residents.

Inside the church in the Begijnhof

The market square

One of the many streets leading to the market square

Chocolates and pralines for which the Belgians are known for the world over

A few of the hundreds of beer choices

Belgian beer

Belgian beers

Beer flavored cheese

Beer-flavored eggnog

Belgian pralines

Cupcakes

Horse-drawn carriages near the Begijnhof

Bruges

Hand-woven Bruges laces

One of the many churches in the city

Filed under Belgium, Culture, Food, Travel, Uncategorized Tagged with Belgium, Bruges, Christmas market, Europe, Holidays, medieval city center, photography, travel, travel photography, Venice of the north

Christmas Market in Durbuy (Belgium)

December 14, 2011 54 Comments

I love going to Christmas markets and one particular place which we have visited religiously over the years is the one in Durbuy.

Why this particular Christmas market?

Durbuy is a very small Medieval city located in the Ardennes, the more hilly part of Belgium. Normally, this place also gets snowed in earlier compared to Holland. We also love the quaint little towns in the area which are rich in history. Dining out there is also pleasurable for the Belgians know how to enjoy their food. That’s where the fundamental difference lies compared to the Dutch who can be happy with a simple fare of potatoes, some vegetables and meat with gravy.

Just as we are loyal patrons of Durbuy’s Christmas market, we also stay in the same place and same hotel — the Quartier Latin in Marche-en-Famene. This 4-star hotel which we discovered some years ago has nice rooms and a great restaurant. The wonderful menu comes with the territory – a French chef in residence.

Added to that, the inclusive buffet breakfast is always something to look forward to.

The nice thing about the Christmas market in Durbuy are the many lovely stalls to choose local delicatessen from the dried/smoked hams and sausages, delish pates and foie gras to the huge array of cheeses, breads, etc. Oftentimes, these stuffs are produced by the farmers themselves which spell the big difference compared to the commercially mass-produced ones that we get in the supermarkets and groceries.

When in Belgium in general, hubby is most times rendered indecisive by the hundreds of choices for beer which are produced by small and still very traditional breweries whose secret formulas and recipes can be traced back to the Middle Ages. How about that?

Restaurants in the Ardennes also feature quite unusual selections in their menus. Wild boar, deer, Guinea fowl, hare, rabbit and other wild meat are very common because the woodlands of the Ardennes is shelter to these creatures.