Bruges

As I’d shown Jake pretty much every thing I’d wanted to in Brussels, we decided to take a day trip to the beautiful Belgian town of Bruges. Bruges is a little canal town that is honestly breathtaking. Jake and I caught a train in the morning, and within an hour had hopped off with absolutely no plans or idea what we were going to do in Bruges. We ended up at the tourist information center, and after finding out what the must-sees were in Bruges, we took a nice long and scenic walk to the center of the city. Our first stop was the church of Our Lady, which holds one of the only works of Michelangelo outside of Italy. It was a beautiful church, as is typical of most in Europe, and we had a great time just going around and admiring the architecture.

            After the church, Jake and I ended up in the city center, which was hosting a market with a lot of street vendors. We grabbed some lunch from a sidewalk cart and spent an hour or so just eating and talking with our to-go lunch. I can’t reiterate enough how nice it was to have one of my oldest and dearest friends with me in Europe. It was like having a little slice of home with me, but also it was exciting to be able to share with him a little of what my study abroad experience has been like. There truly is NOTHING like an old friend.

            After lunch, Jake and I visited the Bruges belfry, which involved us having to walk up quite a few steps to get to the top. The top provided a beautiful view of picturesque Bruges, and we also had luckily timed our visit right to be able to hear the bells in the belfry ring in a new hour.

            After the belfry, Jake and I visited Bruges’ magnificent town hall. The meeting place was seriously so gorgeous, and I couldn’t believe how steeped in tradition Bruges was. We did a little Christmas shopping, then decided it was time for a tour of Bruges’ canals. We hopped on a little boat and took a guided tour of the canals, and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed this canal tour even more than the one in Amsterdam, mostly because it was an uncovered boat and I could see more.

            Needless to say, it was pretty chilly after our canal tour, so Jake and I sat down and had some hot chocolate in a little restaurant near the canals. It warmed us up substantially, so we did a little more Christmas shopping and walked around some more and Jake got to try his first Belgian chocolates at a little chocolate shop.  By this time it was getting pretty dark, so we headed back to the main square for dinner. Jake decided to try Belgian mussels, and I think he enjoyed them! We had a lovely long dinner together, just catching up. Once again, I can’t reiterate how much of a blessing it was to have him come visit me. There are some friends you’ll have for life, and Jake is definitely that friend for me, so I’m glad he could share a little of my study abroad experience. After our long and delicious dinner, we grabbed a train back to Brussels. I said goodbye to Jake a mere two days later, after our delicious Thanksgiving experience. I was sad to see him go, but excited that the next time I would hang out would be around his brand new fire pit in Hartsville. I can't wait!

Bruges

beautiful canals

view from the Belfry

town hall

canal cruise

decorated for Christmas!