pardon, Bruges

Ok, so maybe I was in a bit of a pissy mood yesterday. I was cold and wet. Sorry. Turns out Bruges isn’t all that bad. After spending the night trying to think of appropriate ways for an atheist to pray for sun and coming up with “go to sleep, wake up, look outside,” I got my wish today – it was beautiful. Sunny, and in the 70s.

So we rented two bikes for 5€ apiece and rode out to the town of Damme. Only it was so beautiful we decided to ride through Damme, past Oostkerke and Hoeke, and into the town of Sluis in Holland. The ride was absolutely amazing. Lush, green countryside, endless rows of tall, sweeping trees beside an obsidian black river. Cool wind at your back. Ducks everywhere. Pristine.

Sluis was quaint and charming – a tiny town with a giant windmill at its center. We stopped and had lunch at a nice little café (this after entering a not-so-nice café where everyone stopped cutting their steaks, looked up, and stared when I walked in. so I walked out) where I continued my tour de Belgian brew by trying by far the best beer not-Guinness: Grimbergen. The lady even game me a frequent flyer card – nine more and I get one free! Almost worth the plane ticket.

Riding back was a bit tough – a vicious, unrelenting headwind made us an hour-and-a-half late in returning our bikes (although we stopped in Damme and rested for a good 30minutes…). The girl at the counter was nice, and didn’t charge us the full day’s price. We thanked her by panting. And maybe wheezing a bit.

We spent the rest of the afternoon footing through Bruges a bit more – and although the town did seem more charming in this different light, my impression didn’t change much: it still felt cold. But I think it’s a place worth seeing.

So come to Bruges if you are a fan of Belgian chocolate. Or of cute girls selling Belgian chocolate. Or if you are looking for a compact, manageable tourist destination with a lot of English speakers and abundant shopping. But I recommend spending most of your time here on a bike, exploring the countryside and visiting the surrounding towns. You will not regret the decision. Unless it’s raining. Then you might.

(And now that’s another thing off the list: cross an international border on a bicycle. Check.)