TURNIPSEED TRAVEL
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors
  • Social Media

Bruges - Day 4 of Our Round The World Trip

21/12/2013

 

Can you find free chocolate in Bruges? Yes! 

Bruges TurnipseedTravel.com
I can't wait to experience this for the first time - beautiful Bruges at night. Look out chocolate shops! I'm coming for you!
On my one and only visit to Bruges, over 12 years ago, it was pouring rain so I did what any sensible person would do – I found a restaurant! I still remember polishing off a plate of cherry crepes after eating a full lunch. It’s finally time to revisit the city and see it properly for the first time – hopefully in good weather!

The Plan:

We have just one day and night in Bruges, so we'll have to make the most of it. We’ll be arriving from Paris mid-morning and our plan is to drop our bags at the hotel and spend the day exploring on foot. Experience tells me on day three or four of any trip, the adrenaline starts to die down and while we think we've beaten the jet lag we crash by mid-afternoon. So I’m banking on a nap – and happily so!

Advanced Research:

None! But we have purchased a Rick Steves e-guidebook, which includes a detailed self-guided walking tour that we’ll use as our starting point. 
Bruges Night Christmas TurnipseedTravel.com
The main square lit up at night - the giant Christmas tree was beautiful!
SOOO..... How Did Our Day Go?
Leaving to Chance:

Just about everything! We’re going to let curiosity and energy levels be our guide – and dip into the guidebook if we want a little direction.

Problem Solving:         

After a few days of travel, battling jet lag, and gorging on Parisian pastries, we’re going to get back on track in Bruges. We made sure our hotel included a breakfast buffet with plenty of healthy, hearty options, including hot selections, cheese, meat, and fruit.

Winning Value:

Sometimes getting great value means paying a little extra, and that is exactly what we did when we booked our hotel. We spent a small amount of money to upgrade to a canal view. We’re in Bruges to experience all the city’s lovely architecture and romantic waterways and we want to soak in as much of the atmosphere as we can.

Splurges and Souvenirs:

I’m not going to hold back on trying plenty of Bruges' famous chocolate. Quality chocolate isn’t cheap, but I think it will be worth every penny.

Jetlag is a fickle mistress. I only managed a few hours of sleep before we left Paris at 6:00 am feeling tired, confused, grumpy, and cold. Europe was much chillier than I anticipated and wasn't just me: the locals are complaining as well! 

Things improved considerably once we arrived in Bruges. The sun came out and once we hit the cobblestones I was rejuvenated. I love small European cities for their instant navigation - despite all the twisting lanes we just kept our eyes on the church spires to easily make our way to the city centre. 
Bruges Cobblestones TurnipseedTravel.com
Just follow the steeples to the center of town!
Bruges TurnipseedTravel.com
We're getting closer!
Bruges is every bit as pretty as it's portrayed in the movies. All kinds of travel hyperbole came to mind and words like "charming", "nestled", and "hidden gem" are perfectly fitting. It's the ideal place to aimlessly wander, which we did for several happy hours before retiring back to our hotel for a well deserved nap. As predicted, we were in desperate need of a down day and it was so relaxing to watch the canal from the hotel window and see the swans drift by. Our modest hotel, the Tir Reien,was the perfect place for us. 
Hotel Ter Reien Bruges Canal TurnipseedTravel.com
Sitting on our hotel room window seat looking left.
Hotel Ter Reien Bruges Canal TurnipseedTravel.com
And looking right - we only spent an extra 10 Euros to have this view!
By late afternoon we were ready to hit the streets again - but this time we took a different approach, using a suggested self-guided walking tour in the Rick Steves guidebook to see the city's sights. As we ducked into a church from the 1100s, an archeological excavation (in the basement of the Crown Plaza - just ask the front desk to have a quick peek), a lace shop, and a frites (French fry) stand, we saw an entirely new side of the city.  We loved using the Rick Steves walk and we never got lost or turned around. I would definitely try this method of site seeing again!
Bruges TurnipseedTravel.com
The beautiful central square of Bruges
Bruges Canal TurnipseedTravel.com
I LOVE this minute staircase leading from the cobblestone street to the canal.
Basilica of the Holy Blood Bruges TurnipseedTravel.com
Inside the Basilica of the Holy Blood, c 1150.
Basilica of the Holy Blood Bruges TurnipseedTravel.com
The church was built by a Crusader and offers free admission.
Bruges Rick Steves Guidebook TurnipseedTravel.com
NOW where do we go? Vanessa in action with the Rick Steves guidebook on the iPad.
Of course, Bruges is famous for mussels, frites, waffles, and chocolates, so of course we picked the least obvious choice and had Italian food for lunch! Carlitos is a full fledged Italian restaurant and has a wide range of good choices for vegetarians and those allergic to gluten. We split a large, thin crust, wood oven baked pizza (8 slices was 13.50 Euros) and it was delicious! It came with a spicy chili olive oil that we couldn't get enough of and we ordered red wine for me (4 Euro for a small glass) and beer for Ryan. (At 2.40 Euro a small glass it was the same price as a cup of coffee!). We spent 20 Euro for the two of us to fill up on incredible pizza and treat ourselves to drinks in a real, sit down restaurant. Great deal!
Carlitos TurnipseedTravel.com
Pizza and tasty olive oil at Carlitos.
Waffles Bruges TurnipseedTravel.com
Digging into waffles!
Jupiler Beer Bruges TurnipseedTravel.com
Ryan's favourite beer!
Carlitos almost became  our dinner destination as well. While Europeans generally eat quite late, when we ventured out at 9:00 pm, we found many restaurants were closed! We had a few false starts at places that turned out to be too expensive or too fishy (Ryan is allergic to shellfish) and we had walked close to an hour before stumbling on Bierbrasserie Cambrinus. As soon as I saw it I knew it was exactly what we were looking for: A huge selection of local beers for Ryan and hearty, affordable local food for the two of us. 
Bierbrasserie Cambrinus Bruges TurnipseedTravel.comChecking out the massive beer menu.

We were able to employ a favorite strategy of ours for affordable dining: One of us orders  the value priced Table D'Hote, with both of us enjoying the appetizer and dessert, and the other just orders one main course. At Bierbrasserie Cambrinus, Ryan ordered the economical Table D'Hote and we split his delicious appetizer of Trappist cheese croquettes (unbelievably rich and decadent), as well as the creme brule made with dark beer for dessert. For a main course he enjoyed their signature  Flemish Carbonades prepared with “Gulden Draak” beer, which was a savory beef stew, while I selected the half roasted chicken with salad and fries. The portions were huge, the service was good, and the prices were even better. My chicken dish was just 12.50 Euros, while Ryan's three courses were 25.95 Euros. Two huge mains, a generous appetizer, and a just-right sized dessert for less than 40 Euros made us very happy indeed and it was fun to try food made with local beer as an ingredient. 

Trappist Cheese Bruges TurnipseedTravel.com
Incredible cheese!
Roasted Chicken Bruges TurnipseedTravel.com
Huge roasted chicken.
Belgium Frites Bruges TurnipseedTravel.com
Traditional frites & mayo
Carbonades Applesauce Bruges TurnipseedTravel.com
Carbonades stew
See what happens when Ryan is finally reunited with his most beloved beer in the world, Jupiler. But is the pint emptying too quickly?
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Hotel Ter Reine Bruges TurnipseedTravel.comThe best things in life really are free!
Free Chocolate Alert!

Of course, no trip to Bruges would be complete without some of the famous chocolate! Happily, we enjoyed over a dozen pieces, all without paying a cent! Well, not exactly.... We paid for our hotel directly via their website (as opposed to a third party booker). Our hotel, and many others, offer free chocolate as an incentive for direct bookings and since their prices were identical to those offered elsewhere,  it worked out to be an excellent deal for us. 250 grams chocolate worked out to be about 15 assorted pieces, which was more than enough. 

Bruges Bridge Canal TurnipseedTravel.com
You couldn't ask for a prettier place to explore.
Bruges Canal TurnipseedTravel.com
I loved this huge tree with the large round bobbles - so festive!
Bruges was everything we wanted and needed it to be - relaxing, romantic, and rejuvenating. Even though we were only there for a day it felt like we truly soaked up so much of the city's famous atmosphere, spending hours strolling along the beautiful canals and striking architecture.  With a well needed nap and lots of downtime watching the water directly outside our hotel window,  and even some quiet time doing laundry, we started to put jet lag behind us. All the fresh air and wholesome food put a spring in our and we were excited for our next destination - Liege! 

Previous: Paris! Days 2 & 3
Next: In Love With Liege - Day 5

Katherine Belarmino link
21/12/2013 05:14:15 pm

We loved Bruges! Such a beautiful and small place, and of course all of Belgium has the best food and beer. We used Rick Steves' podcasts when touring in Italy and they were awesome.

Vanessa
22/12/2013 02:57:16 am

I'm so glad you like the Steves info as well. We had such a fun time following in his footsteps so I would def try it again in a new destination.

Jonathan Bishop
30/12/2013 04:18:34 am

Hello There:

Thank you for the comprehensive post regarding your recent stay in Bruges. I cannot wait to take my Missus there someday to enjoy everything the city has to offer. I look forward to sharing with her the view from the top of the Belfry. The photos in your post look terrific, and I anticipate there are more to follow as you continue posting about your epic adventures.

Vanessa
1/1/2014 02:13:04 am

The Belfry is under some construction now! Not the actual tower itself but the building at the base. We managed to sneak in a little bit but it was pretty muddy and the ground was uneven, so not the best for exploring unfortunately.

Zara link
26/8/2017 04:47:10 am

Thanks for the blog post, we are off to Bruges on Sunday and will definitely try the Brasserie you recommended. It looks like a really quaint place. My hubby is very excited by all the beer and I'm very excited by all the chocolate, so win-win for both of us ha!

Vanessa
25/8/2018 05:10:28 pm

I hope it was fantastic!


Comments are closed.
    Recent Posts
    Posts by Location
    Turnipseed Travel Category Canada
    Turnipseed Travel Category USA
    Turnipseed Travel Category Europe
    Turnipseed Travel Category Africa
    Turnipseed Travel Category Australia
    Turnipseed Travel Category Asia

    Post Categories

    All
    $200 Challenge
    200m Challenge
    Accommodation
    Africa
    Amsterdam
    Anti Adventurist
    Asia
    Australia
    Belgium
    Business Travel
    Camping
    Canada
    Central Counties
    Cozy Travel
    Destinations
    Europe
    Experiences & Activities
    Female Travel
    Food And Drink
    Gear And Packing
    Golf
    Greece
    Guest Posts & Interviews
    Health
    Inspiration
    Making Travel Memories
    Montreal
    Most Popular Posts
    National Parks
    Norfolk County
    Ontario
    Ottawa
    Paris
    Partners
    Pet Travel
    Photo Essay
    Preparation
    Press Trip Portfolio
    Reviews Accommodation
    Reviews Gear Packing
    Round The World
    Saving
    Toronto
    Transportation
    Travel Cooking
    Travel Memories Series
    UK & Ireland
    United States

    Posts by Date

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

Disclaimers, Privacy, and Cookie Policy

Top 100 Travel Influencer
As named by the Obama White House in 2014.​
White House Study Abroad Logo 2014
Turnipseed Travel Logo 2019
DMCA.com Protection Status
© COPYRIGHT 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors
  • Social Media