The upper city of Brussels

Having explored the lower (and more touristy) part of Brussels, we headed up the hill through lovely gardens and got a different view of Brussels, the tower from the Grand Place being very prominent.

We grabbed a Panini, Cherries and fresh juices each for lunch

and then wandered around lots of large majestic buildings.

The sculpture park was a bit manky, particularly the green/yellow water but it was still an interesting stop along the way.

We then came across the Mercedes House where they have a free entry showcase of a few vehicles.

There was lots of intricate detail on the Notre Dame (which apparently took 150 years to complete, or something like that).

We then wandered through another park with several statues, including one of the guy who found a better way to represent the spherical world in 2D.

At the lookout we also came across a lift to the lower city, but continued our exploration in the upper area.

As we wandered we kept coming across this poster that Jane absolutely hated [Jane: It screwed with my mind!]

and eventually arrived at the front of the Palace.

Across the road, we spent some time in the gardens before heading back down to the lower city.

A few quiet beers with Tom, Nick and Jane in Brugge with a bite to eat at The Habit

It was good to catch up with friends Tom and Nick yesterday in Brugge. At the conclusion of the Procession of the Holy Blood we headed off in search of chocolate (which isn’t exactly hard in Brugge). We decided to head to The Chocolate Line (where Jane & I had purchased some excellent chocolates previously) although we managed to walk past it and a further 500 meters down the round. Oh well, no worries there were many other chocolate shops around.

After eating a couple of superb chocolates we decided a beer was needed so headed to the De Halve Maan brewery where I enjoyed a Straffe Hendrick Tripel (one of the best beers I’ve had whilst away) and the others had Bruges Zot Dubbel.

After the brewery we headed to Brugs Bertje where they have more they 300 hundred Belgian beers. This little bar had an excellent vibe and was packed; we were very lucky to get a table.

We then decided we were in need of food, so headed next door to The Habit where it was a lot quieter.

Flemish Beef Stew and fries accompanied by a Belgian beer is a superb mix. The meal was simple but very flavoursome and the meat nice and tender.

Jane had the Waterzooi that she found was okay, but after tasting the beef stew wished she had order that instead.

Procession of the Holy Blood, Brugge

Each year on Ascension Day in Brugge (which was yesterday) there is the “Procession of the Holy Blood” which is a huge parade that dates back to the Middle Ages. The event is even protected by the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The parade that tells biblical and historical stories and runs over several hours with thousands of participants. About every 30 meters the procession went, the stories were retold and a play enacted. It was superbly done.

Camera in hand we sat on the ground whilst almost everybody else was very civilised on lovely dining chairs and took lots of shots. Yep, we got a few strange looks.

As each part of the story was told, a number was held up for people to follow if they had a programme.

There were even sheep and camels as part of the procession!

The holy blood was also part of the parade.

 

The procession was very well done and thoroughly recommended.

Huis Koning, Brugge is a superb B&B / Boutique hotel in all ways possible

Huis Koning is a superb B&B in Brugge and Lynn goes the extra mile to make your stay magnificent. We have just finished staying for 4 nights and would not hesitate to return. This is without a doubt the best B&B / Boutique hotel we have ever stayed in.

Sitting beside the canal having breakfast consisting of freshly squeezed orange juice, a variety of salamis and cheeses, home-baked bread, croissants, jams, eggs, yoghurt and muesli was a magnificent way to start the day. After wandering around Brugge it was lovely to return to a home-cooked treat each afternoon and lots of candles lit throughout the home. Free Wifi was also very useful for looking up where to dine of an evening.

We stayed in the Augustijn room, which was beautifully furnished with an excellent attention to detail. The bathroom was very spacious and the L'Occitane products a lovely touch.

Huis Koning is located about 7 minutes walk to the Markt, which was a nice distance to still be close to the centre but away from the hustle and bustle. There were also bikes available for our use.

The brilliant hospitality combined with everything else being magnificent contributed to a very positive and memorable stay.

PS: For photos check out our previous blog post.

Salvador Dali followed by the De Halve Maan brewery

Jane introduced me to Salvador Dali’s art today and said to me as we walked around the extensive exhibition in Brugge that I look confused. Me confused? Dali was obviously the confused one! Surprisingly we were told as we went in that we were allowed to take photos.

Here are a few photos of some of my favourite exhibits.

After Salvador Dali, we went off in search or lunch and walked a long way before eventually ending up for lunch at Caffé Da Noi where I had a waffle and beer and Jane had a meatball salad that was okay but kind of weird.

The De Halve Maan brewery is the only brewery within 30km of Brugge and has been in operation since 1856.There is a EUR 6 fee for a brewery tour, but this money is well spent, particularly when you get a free normal sized glass of beer at the end of the tour.

Andrew was the tour guide I had for the brewery tour and he was larger than life and gave a superb explanation of how the brewery operates and its history with lots of humour along the way.

The brewery tour does involve a lot of narrow steps up to the roof of the building where there are magnificent views.

The walk back down through the building however is so steep at times that people are encouraged to go down the steps backwards.

At the end of tour we got a complementary beer that went down well. I do like how beers in Belgium have their own glass.

Brugge Market

Each Wednesday there is a market in the centre of Brugge. The market sells fruit and veges,

flowers,

saucisson,

and through an archway (actually this photo is looking back once through the archway)

and over a bridge and canal

we came across fish

and shellfish.