Bitter Cold Day in Brussels...

Brussels, Belgium

December 20, 2007
N50°50.807
E004°21.151

After climbing out of bed we peeked out the window; it looked bitter cold outside. The sun was covered by thick clouds and fog was rolling through the streets. Over the past few days the sun was able to shed the clouds providing a little warmth for a few hours a day, but today, it appeared we would have to bundle up and bear it.

As we were pulling on all of our layers (t-shirt, long-sleeve, thin sweater, thick sweater, fleece jacket, Gore-Tex wind-breaker, gloves, scarf), I realized I left my favorite hat in Jef and Erna’s car when they dropped us off. I was more worried about taking a picture with them then having all of my stuff. Oh crap, I hate it when I lose things, especially when it is bitter cold and I need a hat!

After breakfast we headed out into the streets of Brugge and quickly found a funky, wool, Rastafarian hat in a little boutique to keep my head warm. With the mission accomplished, and my ears warm, we grabbed our bags and headed to the train station for a quick train ride to Brussels.

The sun, still hiding behind a thick layer of fog, peeked out occasionally, forcing you to squint for a few seconds before disappearing again. I stared out of the window at a canvas of white. Frosted fields, frozen ponds, and trees covered in ice, blurred together during the one hour ride. Marc and I talked about the possibility of having a true white Christmas for the first time. It wasn’t snow, but the ice and frost were so thick it gave the illusion of snow; blanketing everything in a brilliant white.

In Brussels, we walked uphill for a mile and a half before we found our hotel. The hike, with the weight of our pack, caused us to work up a little sweat, but as soon as we slowed down we were chilled to the bone by the zero degree Celsius temperatures outside.

After unloading our gear we ventured back out into the cold. We wandered through the streets of Brussels scouting out a few good pubs and restaurants for tomorrow night. Our good friends Shelby and Dustin arrive tomorrow and we’ll spend Christmas and New Year’s together; we figure a few drinks and a good meal in Brussels will be the perfect way to kick-off the holidays!

Beer With The Locals...

Brugge, Belgium

December 19, 2007
N51°12.520
W003°13.486

Since we struck out on the local brewery tour yesterday, we made sure to wake up early enough to catch the 11 AM tour. Originally, we wanted to join the afternoon tour to avoid drinking beer before noon. I always feel like a loser when I drink beer before five o’clock, but as Marc says… it’s always beer-thirty somewhere.

The tour was fun and since we weren’t ready to go back out into the cold, we decided to enjoy a pint of unfiltered blonde Brugse Zot. It was still cold outside, so after we finished the blonde we figured we better try the Brugse Zot brown. After our second pint, and feeling much warmer, we were ready to brave the cold.

We made our way to Brugge’s infamous Church of Our Lady where there’s a beautiful and rare sculpture of Madonna and Baby created by Michelangelo. The sculpture is the only Michelangelo outside of Italy and was a reminder of our days traveling through the great churches and museums of Rome.

After lunch at the Market Square we decided to warm up again and scope-out one of the pubs recommended in our Rick Steve’s guidebook. De Garre is hidden down a little alley and up a few steep steps. The cozy, little, pub has a half a dozen tables downstairs and a few more upstairs. We were lucky enough to snag a table located in front of the bar that seats four.

As the afternoon wore on, we tried a winter beer on tap and the bar’s personal label; both very tasty, traditional Belgium beers. The tables quickly filled up as people out shopping ducked into the bar to warm-up for awhile and we offered to share our table with a local couple who took a day trip into Brugge.

Jef and Erna live nearby in Middelkerke which is located right on the North Sea. We talked to them over another beer, shared our story and learned about their family and grandchildren (three girls, ages 12, 7 and 5). After a couple beers and some great conversation Jef and Erna invited us to see their home and to enjoy dinner with them. We were a little hesitant at first, not wanting to impose, but then figured they were such nice people—why not???

We headed off in Jef and Erna’s car through city streets, onto a highway and then along the very dark coastline of the foreboding North Sea. When we arrived at their home, a condo on the top floor of a building overlooking the sea, we had sweeping views of the sea and the casino below. The casino lights illuminated the sea behind it, making it possible to see the waves crashing against the sea wall. Their home was beautiful and decorated nicely for Christmas with a beautiful tree in the center of the bay windows.

After an aperitif and more wonderful conversation, we headed across the street to the casino for dinner. Jef and Erna recommended the chef’s choice of the day—fresh fish right out of the North Sea. We all enjoyed our meal and conversation about the United States, Spain, Belgium and travel, in general. We encouraged Jef and Erna to come and visit us in San Francisco and since they enjoy casinos, they should add Las Vegas to the trip. Hopefully, sometime in 2009 since their 2008 calendar is already full, we’ll be able to welcome Jef and Erna to our home in San Francisco.

After dinner we jumped back in the car for the 20K drive back to Brugge. We made sure to snap a few pictures with our new friends outside of our hotel before they headed home. It was a very special evening with wonderful people… people we hope to see again.

Bundled Up in Brugge...

Brugge, Belgium

December 18, 2007
N51°12.520
E003°13.486

Today it felt a little warmer outside, we weren’t sure if it was really warmer, or (heaven forbid) we are actually acclimating. As we were walking along the canals, we noticed they were frozen. I tried throwing a few rocks to see if they would go through the ice —they bounced off and skidded across the surface… well, so much for our theory of it being a little warmer.

We weaved our way through the streets, braved the cold and did our best to explore Brugge, yet another UNESCO heritage site. Marc snapped picture after picture of the brick buildings, brick bridges covered with moss and brick churches. The reflection of the bridges off the dark ice covered canals was a site I’ll never forget.

When lunchtime came around we headed to the market square to taste one of the local specialties. A kettle about three feet in diameter was steaming with a cooked product. Right next to it on another burner was another kettle, the same size, with all the same uncooked ingredients and was on stand-by. The mixture included chopped potatoes, large chucks of soft cheese, rosemary, oregano, small chunks of bacon, salt and pepper. When cooked, the cheese melts, covering the potatoes, and the bacon grease saturates the entire molten, gooey, tasty treat. Marc and I decided to share a serving since it looked so rich; however, the potatoes were very mild with the perfect amount of spice and cheese.

While we were in the market, we scoped out our meals for the next few days. There are plenty of options such as lumpia, falafel pita, bratwursts, hamburgers and, of course, French fries. The fries come with your choice of sauce—mayonnaise, ketchup or a spicy tomato/mayonnaise blend. Mayonnaise is the sauce of choice with the locals and in the words of Vincent Vega, “I’ve seen ‘em do it, man. They f’n drown ‘em in that shit.”

After lunch we tried to catch the afternoon brewery tour; unfortunately, it was completely booked. So instead we had a few beers in the brewery tavern, warmed-up, and decided we’ll try to make the tour tomorrow.

So far, Brugge is living up to expectations, it’s a beautiful town with plenty of sites to explore and best of all… the beer is really, really good! After all, it is Belgium.

Waffles, Chocolate and Beer...

Brugge, Belgium

December 17, 2007
N51°12.520
E003°13.486

Our first trip on the train in a few weeks was an easy hour and a half ride to Brugge. We had a quick transfer after two stops, boarded a Belgium train and zipped through to the Brugge station. As we exited France and made our way into Belgium we looked out at the frost covered pastures, frozen ponds, and grazing sheep in their full wool jackets. The sun was resting low in the sky, shadowed in fog and low clouds, trying to break through; looking more like a full moon than the sun.

After arriving in Brugge we jumped on a local bus into town and bounced along the cobblestone streets of Brugge. While we were on the train we talked a little bit about what we thought Brugge was going to be like. We figured it would be decorated for Christmas and look like something out of a fairytale, or Santa’s Village.

The picturesque town, dating back to the 11th century, with gilded architecture, multi-colored brick buildings and imposing bell tower was decorated with Christmas trees, lights and an ice skating rink in the middle of the town center. Yet, another city to get us into the Christmas spirit… especially since we’re only 8 days away from the arrival of Ol’ Saint Nick!

Since today is Monday, most of the main attractions are closed. Unfortunately for us, that means we’ll have to spend our time tasting the famous Belgium waffles, chocolates and, of course, sampling a few of the beers.

Back on the Rails...

Lille, France

December 16, 2007
N50°38.217
E003°03.794

Our road trip came to an end today when we returned the rental car to Avis. The rental car was unscathed and so were we, except for the $100+ to fill up the tank prior to return; diesel runs $7.20 a gallon. It was nice to take a break from the rails and see the countryside of France; it allowed us to see things we probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise, like Dinan.

After dumping the car, we loaded our packs on our backs headed off on foot to find a place to stay in Lille for the night.

The town of Lille, France was happening on a Sunday night, people flooded the streets; even though very few of the restaurants were open. We weren’t sure if it was standard Sunday night activity, or if more people were out in preparation for Christmas. The town was decked out with Christmas decorations, lights and a giant Ferris wheel. We bundled up, cruised the streets with the locals, grabbed a gallette, our final one in France, and headed back to our room to thaw out and watch a couple episodes of The Simpson’s… in French, of course.

We’re back on the rails tomorrow, and our first ride back on the train will be to Brugge, Belgium. The town was recommended to us by Pat and Randy after their visit in September (before meeting us in Italy). We know one thing for sure… it’s guaranteed to be freakin’ cold!