A Weekend in Bruges

I just returned from my excursion to Antwerpe and Bruges! I had such a great time, both cities were unlike anyplace I've ever seen before. The architecture, people, food-- EVERYTHING, simply amazing. Bruges is only about 3 1/2 hours by train from Well, so we left on Thursday morning to get a head start and ensure that we'd have as much time as possible in both locations. We only stayed in Antwerpe for a couple of hours, and went to the Museum of Fine Arts, then explore the city for a short while before catching our train to Bruges. I didn't know much about Antwerpe prior to arriving, so I didn't have a set picture already in my mind or know what to expect. I'm glad it worked out that way because I definitely felt I was able to appreciate being there in a totally fresh, overwhelming way. The city was a mix between the oldest, most elaborate buildings and churces, blended completely with American consumerism and fast food. Literally every 2 blocks another MacDonald's would pop up. That was sort of unfortunate, because it was that very mentality and those places I wanted to escape.

After Antwerpe, it was about another hour or so to Bruges. There are still so many places I will be visiting while abroad, but I have a feeling that Bruges will definitely remain as one of my favorites. The antiquity and beauty was completely overwhelming. The canals, the cobble-stone streets, the chocolate...just unbelievable. We kepy very busy during the days, as we toured the city, took a boat ride through the city's canals, studied in 12th century Churches, and analyzed the works of some of the most amazing Medieval artists in a variety of museums. At night, we enjoyed ourselves and went out as a group to some of the restuarants/bars that James had recommended. There was one in particular-- Cafe Pick-- and prior to going, James told me the names of a few waiters he had become friends with. So, I took a longshot and asked around, and eventually found them; James left quite an impression, they even had a photo of him hanging up in one of the back rooms.

There is so much more to be said about beautiful Bruge, but a lot of it is just too overwhelming to describe; it's hard to give a city like this one justice through words. I'm going to try and put some pictures up tonight or in the morning, so definitely take a look!

Tomorrow we have our first day off, so I'm estatic to finally catch up on sleep and relax. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!!

**more photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jillianhorn