This past weekend I ventured to Belgium on my first solo trip outside the US.
Come Friday, I hopped on a Eurostar to Brussels and then grabbed a regional train back north to Bruges because, for some reason, the trains are not routed to stop elsewhere in Belgium. Upon arrival, I decided to walk to my hotel due to the nice weather– I was greeted with a picturesque fall day.
While on my 15 min or so walk, I became enchanted with the tiny part of the city that I witnessed. A visit to Bruges is like living in a fairytale. Filled with cobblestones, canals and ivy-lined brick, the city is an absolute masterpiece in the fall (as I’m sure it is year round). It is also surprisingly quiet and not at all crowded. While it is certainly not the main city of Belgium, it is a well-known tourist attraction, which is why I was surprised to see it so calm on a Friday.
After settling in to my hotel room (which was right on the canal!) I ventured to Markt square to climb the some 366 steps of the Belfry of Bruges. From here, visitors have a spectacular view of the city and can look directly down on Markt square– my mother visited more than 30 years ago now, and I was able to recreate her photo of Markt square from this spot.
After making my descent, I set out in search of some famous Belgian chocolate. Ultimately, I found a small, family run store staffed by an older woman and her grandson. The chocolate, which I am enjoying as I write this, is absolutely incredible.
Across the street, I found a small bookstore. While on co-op in Serbia, I picked up a tradition of buying a book everywhere I go. I’ve not kept to this in every city, as books are heavy and take up a lot of space, but there’s a growing collection on my bookshelf that are marked with a city and date to commemorate where they have come from. So far there’s one from Budapest, one from Serbia and two from Romania, among a handful of others. Now, my copy of Saturday by Ian McEwan will join them, marked Bruges, Belgium: November 4 2017.
I then ventured to a small restaurant outside the main square in search of a hot meal; it has finally begun to get chilly here in Europe. One the most amusing things about traveling, in my experience, is watching people size you up to decide what language to try first. I often get addressed in whatever the local language is, as was the case in Belgium. Unfortunately, I only speak English, so I always have to let them down just a bit.
I treated myself to a lovely three course meal of french onion soup, steak with the ever-present Belgian frites and some nutella filled crepes (not particularly Belgian of me, but I was feeling some nostalgia for Belgrade’s palichinke).
The next morning, I woke early to embark on a photo-centric walking tour with Photo Tour Brugge, which offers walking tours through the city with a professional photographer to help you refine your technical skills, provide new perspectives, and also give you some of the history you might learn on a traditional walking tour. I elected to do the photo tour over a normal walking tour (often offered for free) for a few reasons. First, because photography is a hobby of mine and something I am keen to improve my skills in. Second, because the tour I booked would only include a maximum of 5 people; in my experience, free walking tours tend to be large even in the off season. And lastly, because I was curious. I had never seen anything like this offered before.
So, I met my guide/instructor Andy at 10 am sharp only to find that there had been one couple registered for the tour, but they canceled at the last minute which meant my budget group tour had just been upgraded to private one, free of charge. The tour was an excellent experience and gave me a real insight into life in Brugge both in present day and throughout history. Fun fact: the cobblestone streets that are so iconic to the city’s image were once paved over until then-mayor Frank Van Acker decided that paved roads did not fit with the character of the city and brought back the cobblestones.
Another thing I enjoyed in Belgium as the food: their typical dishes are all fairly hearty which was perfect for staving off the budding winter’s chill. My favorite (aside from all the chocolate, of course) was the flemish beef stew (naturally served with “proper” Belgian fries).
After visits to several other museums, including a limited exhibition of Salvador Dali’s work (!!), some souvenirs shopping (Belgium is known for its sewing and lacework), I made my way home to London.
I’m not sure coming ‘home to London’ will ever get old. It certainly never did in Belgrade. There’s something exciting about finding a new place to come home to, even if that home is only temporary. After catching up with friends over an English breakfast and a day in the library, I felt somewhat nostalgic for Boston, where my friends and I do much the same. But that’s the thing about living in cities: you never really leave them.
I’m a New Yorker, born and bred, a Boston transplant, a temporary Serb and, for now, a Londoner. As I look to the ever nearing 2018, I am curious to see where I will be. Right now, the plan consists of Boston and then a series of question marks over the spring and summer semesters. 2017 has been all kinds of busy, but I can’t help but look out for the next city that I could call home, at least for a little while.
Check back next week for more of my ramblings and to hear an update about the Hansard program’s academics (my second assignment is due this week)!
