Day 30 - Brugges, Belgium - July 3

Well, I'm not even sure where to begin except that Brugges is our favorite city  visited thus far!

Our Brugges experience began with the free breakfast offered by our hostel and casual conversation with fellow "hostellers" (including Pablo, the nice Argentinean we met the night before). After some cereal, bread & nutella, and coffee we showered and headed out to see Brugges. Our first stop was a bike rental shop near our hostel which came highly recommended by Pablo and our hostel guide. We then biked around the beautiful, quaint streets of Brugges and made our way to a square in the center of the city known for its "battle of the fries"- there are two frie stands severing fries and an assortment of sauces. These stands have been competing since the 1800s and every three years ownership of the stands goes up for auction to allow new owners a chance to gain the most business. We, of course, had to try these famous fries; we each bought fries from different stands and compared. They were very tasty and it was interesting to try the meat sauce these stands are so well known for. After enjoying our snack we decided to ride our bikes to the Belgium countryside.

As we rode down the streets of Brugges we passed old windmills, little bridges, quaint brick homes, and very few tourists. Eventually we found ourselves on a bike trail lined with trees, a river, and scattered country homes and farms. There are really no words to express these scenes, our pictures are the best way to share our experience....we will load them as soon as we are able (it is hard to find computers compatible with our card reader).

After exploring the countryside for a few hours we made our way back to the center of Brugges- stopping along the way to absorb the Brugges streets and scattered windmills. We eventually found ourselves at a very nice, but reasonably priced, restaurant where we sat outside. We each ordered a fixed-price menu with three courses; we shared and got to try several authentic Flemish dishes! The food was excellent, but the scenery was even better. We sat outside near a running fountain overlooking a lake filled with swans. What's more, the street near us was lined with horse carriages; throughout our meal we enjoyed occasional hoof sounds against the cobblestone street. The atmosphere was so unbelievable I know I am not doing it justice. Perhaps the best picture I can give is from a comment Shaun made to me during dinner: "Taylor, close your eyes. Imagine you have no other senses right now except your hearing. What do you hear? The running fountain, the sound of china from within the cafes, occasional hoofs against the cobblestone, no motors, and light conversation."

After enjoying our dinner, we returned our bikes, gathered our luggage, and headed for the train station...Amsterdam here we come.