This was our second time on Holland America and we enjoyed the Rotterdam ship.
Our trip didn't start out well due to plane issues. We flew out from MCO to IAD where we should have had about a 4 hour layover to catch our plane to Brussels. Due to weather in Chicago (where the plane was coming from) the flight was 4 hours late. We got ready to board and were told there was a mechanical issue with the plane and they were getting another aircraft. We moved to another gate where we left an hour later. Had plenty of time to read and eat dinner in our 9 hours at the airport.
Instead of arriving at 7:30 in the morning we got in at 12:30. So, we did half of what we had planned for Brussels before catching the train to Bruges where we spent 2 nights. We did the lower town walk of Brussels and of course spent time at the Grand Place and saw Mannekin Pis.
Arrival in Brussels
Town Hall
Grand Place
flower market on Grand Place
restaurant on Grand Place
performers in square
Greg figuring out where to go next
suckered me right in
Mannekin-Pis & Greg - it had started to rain on and off the rest of our time in Brussels
Mannekin-Pis & me - gotta love the guy that wouldn't move out of the way while he was on the phone
more chocolate
the sign says it all...Manneken-Pis Beer
rubbing brass statue of Mayor Evard't Serclaes for luck
time for dinner
mussels in Brussels
steak and frites
We visited the
City Museum where they display many of the outfits they have dressed the little
statue in over the years. Ate lots of chocolate and had a nice dinner at a
sidewalk café. Appetizers, mussels, steak, frites, beer, wine and desserts.
Yum! Grabbed our luggage from the train station’s manned left luggage room and
headed off to Bruges. Grabbed a taxi to our hotel the Jan Brito. Had a nice
room and they offered a fabulous breakfast included with the price of the room.
(eggs, bacon, lots of breads, pastries, jams, meats, cheeses, juices etc.) We
would stay here again.
Hotel Jan Brito
Lounge in Hotel Jan Brito
Breakfast room Hotel Jan Brito
Courtyard Hotel Jan Brito
Courtyard Hotel Jan Brito
phone in the room
We did a self-walking tour (such as Rick Steve’s or
Frommers) climbing the bell tower, taking a canal boat ride and seeing all the
sites and just wandering. Stopping for waffles and chocolates along the way. Walked to the Lake of
Love and saw the windmills at the end of the walk. Found a nice place for
dinner and later found a place for dessert waffles.
Dijver Canal - walking to town from the hotel
Market Square
Market Square
Bell Tower
Bell Tower
stairs in the Bell Tower
views from the top
Burg Square
Canal ride
it's a dog's life - he sits at the window every day watching the canal boats
where we got fresh Belgian Waffles with chocolate sauce
Basilica of the Holy Blood
Memling Museum/St. John's Hospital
Memling Museum/St. John's Hospital
Memling Museum Portrait of a Young Woman (1480)
entry to Groeninge Museum
stopped for a snack
Beer Wagon
street performer
stopped for a snack
frites stands at base of bell tower
watching birds while eating frites
chocolate shop - one of many and we sampled many....
another chocolate shop
and another and another....
lace shop
walk to Lake of Love
Walk to windmills
walk to windmills
walking back to town
dessert waffles after walk to windmills
We had a long, but wonderful day and we still have fond memories of trying all the chocolate shops. We ordered a cab for the next morning to catch our early train to Amsterdam.
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