In Bruges

Have you seen In Bruges with Colin Farrell?  It's a profanity laced, dark comedy that takes place in, you got it - Bruges.  While the film wasn't necessarily a favourite of mine, every time I think of that Belgian city, I want to say, "F***ing Bruges."

Back in November when we made our return trip to Brussels, both Joe and I were excited to get to Bruges.  When you hear people speak of this city, it's often in conjunction with the word 'fairytale.'  Bruges is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and it's filled with cobblestone streets, quaint canals and historic buildings.

The journey from Brussels via train is just over an hour long and despite visiting well into Fall, it was so busy!  In fact, the train was so full Joe and I ended up standing with several others in front of the doors between two carriages for practically the entire journey.  It was not pleasant and our feet were tired before we even arrived in the city.  Thankfully, there were plenty of seats for the return trip that evening.

I was surprised to find Bruges so commercial.  As we made our way to Markt square, we battled crowds streaming in and out of the shops and I thought to myself, 'This is not the fairytale I had in mind.'

However, as we ventured out further from the crowds, we found the Bruges we were looking for - the quiet canals lined with homes, the tiny cobblestone streets, the towers rising above the city into the sky.  I felt like every corner we turned just kept getting better and better.

As nightfall arrived and we made our way back to the train station to return to Brussels, we both remarked that it might have been nice to stay one night in Bruges.  The city felt quiet and romantic in the dark and an early morning bike ride before the day-trippers arrived would be lovely.

PS There are so many great B&Bs and guesthouses in Bruges.  This one looks fantastic, the garden at this one is gorgeous and who wouldn't want to stay in this former castle?