Belgium 2018
Bruges and Ghent
We went to Belgium with a group of six and it was such a fun trip!
Where we stayed: Bruges and visited Ghent
When: Late May 2018
My Top Three Parts of the Trip:
Number 3
Our airbnb was such a highlight. The best part about traveling with friends is the time spent talking and making memories in unforgettable cities. Our house was the most inviting place. For a slower morning, we grocery shopped and made a full breakfast. After long days of touring around, we laid in the back yard with music playing and enjoyed some deliciously refreshing mint water left by the hosts. The decorations and the condition of the house as well as the prime location in the historic district of Bruges easily landed a top spot of my favorite parts of the trip.
Number 2
Our boat ride through Bruges was just what we needed on a warm summer day.
Bruges has beautiful waterways running through the town. We cooled off on the water as we were chauffeured around the colorful town. Bruges homes are one of my favorite parts of the city. There are multiple locations all around the town where you can access a boat tour of the city.
Cost: 8 Euro
Number 1
The Beer Walk (BeerWalk Gent) in Ghent was an adventure. I do not usually do guided tours because I love to wander around cities, but this tour was amazing. You start off in a tavern that looks like Gaston would hang out in Beauty and the Beast. From there you go to five to six different places around town with an extremely knowledgeable and friendly guide. He seems to know the city of Ghent perfectly and he takes you all different sorts of spots in town (one only he has access to) and shows you a great time. I do not care for beer, but wanted to hang out with the group and experience the tour and all was worth it. Non alcoholic drinks are provided as alternatives but really the local brews are what the tour is about.
Tour cost: 45 Euro
The tour lasted around 3 hours and every minute was spent exploring the city and sitting in the perfect spot filled with history for a pint.
I do not want to spoil the adventure of seeing each stop for the first time so I decided not to describe each one.
Other Notes:
We made reservations for a nice dinner at De Vlaamsche Pot. This restaurant is so cute and serves local food. Mussels in wine or beer sauce served with fries is a traditional Belgian dish. They bring the fries out in big metal tubs to pour on a gargantuan serving even at the fancy places! You could also get the famous twice fried Belgian fries on the street at various shops served in a paper cone to take around as you tour.
Downtown Ghent
All the kinds of waffles Andrew and I tried: Belgian chocolate with whip cream, crushed cherries and jam, Nutella with fresh strawberries, and Speculoos (cookie butter)
Next time I go I am getting a waffle with ice cream on top!
They also serve waffle sticks dipped in any color white chocolate and you can pick your own toppings (Including 10k gold!). This shop is located right as you walk into the main town center of Bruges.
We trecked up to the top of the belfry of Bruges to see the views. Up at the top, we noticed all the start points for hiring a boat!
Just a tip about pricing: food in Belgium is very expensive. A typical dinner is going to cost 20-25 euro. We did find a gem of a restaurant for lunch in the cutest square called Chez Vincent with amazingly low prices and great quality food.
