“The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.”
Gained independence since 1830, the Capital of the country is Brussels, it has a total population of estimated 12 million.
Head quarter offices of NATO, European Union and many major international organizations are found in Belgium.
Belgium is a well-developed country that boost High Income Economy with high living standards.
Neighboring borders with The Dutch, The French, The Germans and The Luxembourgers, so the official languages are Dutch, French & German.
The trip is not complete without trying out the beer, the fries, the waffles & the chocolate.
In this trip, we will be covering 3 cities of Belgium which are Antwerp, Brussels and Bruges.
Bruges
Bruges is the city I have been yearning to visit for years.
For centuries, the canals of Bruges have the city to the sea which significant prosperity to the city. In the 15th century, merchants from all over the world came together to build Bruges into one of the leading ports in the older days. The traces of medieval heritages remain until today that the entire city of Bruges is on the table of UNESCO.
Located at the northwest of Belgium, Bruges is one of the best preserved fairy-tale medieval towns in the Europe and most of the places are covered with cobbled stones from long long ago.
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Very comfortable train
Bruges Train Station The current building was built in 1939, while the train station has been operating since 1838. It is spacious and very clean. Right infront of the train station, there is a big square where people will gather for a meet up.
From here, we just follow the crowds instead of the goggle map to bring us to the core of the city. |
At the left side, there is a bus station that will link passengers all around. There are some food & beverage outlets at the right side of the square.
Here I am officially stepping my foot into this fairytale town.
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| This scene is located just across the Train Station. What a wonderful sneak preview! |
Marco Polo Noodle Bar
Located along one of the busy streets here.
We are amazed that this Thai fusion noodles bar serve really good food.
The cook is a Thai, we exchanged greetings in Thai language
We ordered wontan noodles soup & Thai fried noodles (Pad Thai)
We asked for chilli, and the best they have are chilli oil & chilli flakes.
Here are the surroundings along the street of Marco Polo Noodle Bar which is Katelijnestraat.
O.L.V.-kerk Museum
Located next to Boniface Bridge, we cannot help but stopped for some beautiful photographs.
Due to limited time, we did not enter this museum cum church. From what I know, this beauty is not only a church, but also a museum is the only place outside of Italy that contains the art of Michelangelo - "Madonna".
Boniface Bridge (Bonifaciusbrug)
Boniface Bridge is a small bridge, but it is very photogenic, and there is no lack of visitors surrounding every inch of the place.
Strolling along this bridge where boats passing by below my feet. The buildings here are all dated to the 15th century, the atmosphere here is very magical and fairytale.
Rozenhoedkaai (Rosary Quay)
These canals have been here for centuries, leading in the ships from all over the world.
The most instagrammable famous hotspot for all social media with the best view of the city. The atmosphere here is very romantic and lovely. Glad that I am here with him, holding hands and strolling along the cobblestones and exploring the place.
During many years ago, this place is famed for shops selling rosaries today the village here is full of dining and small retails.
Nougat & Marzipan shop Brown Sugar
Nougats are one of my favorite snacks / candies especially soft nougats.
I was immediately attracted by the beautiful displays of big planks of nougats, and we went in.
Euro6.50 per 100g, I bought 2 pieces at Euro27. Never had such expensive nougats before.
I opened up one of them and took a bite once we were out of the shop. OMG!!!! it really tastes amazing and worthed the money!!
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| Chewing as we strolled |
The Markt (Market Square)
Located in the heart of the city, The Markt has been serving the people here for centuries.
Full renovation and restoration were completed in 1995 and most of the areas here have been traffic free since then.
The buildings here are all very beautiful and elegant and stood through the test of time.
We decided to have a break here, relaxing at a cozy cafe and people watching.
The Belfry of Bruges
This 83-meter giant has been dominating the The Markt since 13th century and it is listed on UNESCO World Heritage site.
It represents the pride of the city and the face of the people.
No words can describe the majestic power of this relic.
Jan van Eyckplein (Jan van Eyck Square)
A meeting place for merchants during the older days while a loading place for good from the ships. Today, this neighborhood is full of well-preserved houses that will immediately transport you back to the medieval days.
Shopping in Bruges
Shopping or window shopping in Europe is always one of the most enjoyable things for all ladies.
I always love to shop along shopping streets in Europe where I can admire the old buildings that I met along the way.
I believe every old building has her history, has her story and has her beauty.
In Bruges, the shopping streets I will cover will be Geldmunstraat, Noordzandstraat and Zuidzandstraat. These streets are interconnected or just a minute's walk away from one another. The shops here are similar to those in Antwerp or Brussels. So this is really a good place for shopping.
To make shopping even more enjoyable, Zuidzandstraat, Noordzandstraat and Geldmunstraat are car-free every Saturday and Sunday, whereas Steenstraat is car-free between 1pm to 6pm every day. Most shops operate from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Some shops even open on Sunday too especially in The Markt as it is car-free on Sunday.
Isn't shopping being great in Bruges where I can cross the roads freely?
Below are some photos on Noordzandstraat.
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| Ice cream doesn't melt in winter! |
Below are some photos on Zuidzandstraat .
Here are some photos on the residential area.
We have come to the end of this blog, during this trip, beside Nijmegen, we went to Antwerp, Brussel and Brugge.
Please spare some of your time to visit my other blogs of The Netherlands 2022 where we visited The Hague , Rotterdam , Kinderdijk , Naarden ,Muiden and my favorite Haarlem .
We have bought air tickets to Taipei, leaving in days' time. Please stay tune on the blog coming up.
Feel free, you are most welcome to browse through my other blogs to France, Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia and cruises etc. I will be deeply blessed if you can like my facebook page:: followblueginger
