Days 15 & 16, October 21 and 22

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Sunday, October 21, 2012 – Day 15

Lisa was suffering from a head cold so we slept in just so she could get some rest. Even though she was not 100 percent nothing was going to keep her from visiting the Frites and Chocolate Museums. The weather was chilly, about 50 degrees and the forecast called for on and off rain all day. After breakfast at a café we visited the Frites Museum, dedicated to history of the potato and how to perfectly deep-fry it into crispy fries. Sounds kind of corny but the museum was anything but. Well worth a visit especially when the weather is cold. Potatoes originated in Peru and found their way to Belgium where it was discovered that deep-frying them was the best way to enjoy potatoes. The best thing is a cone of frites served to you at the end of the tour.

Our next stop was the chocolate museum with displays of the Incas and how chocolate was brought to Europe and savored originally by royalty. Belgium is known for its chocolates and there was a great demonstration showing how filled chocolates were made. At the beginning of the demo a young man addresses the group and asked those that speak English to raise their hands. He then asked about French and Flemish (Dutch). He took turns speaking the various languages all throughout the demonstration. He shows the various steps of the process - creating the outer shell, inserting the filling and then adding the bottom layer to enclose the filling. Once the demonstration is done, he hands out a free sample and it was excellent.

Bruges has two main avenues packed with stores selling clothes, shoes, waffles, pastries, chocolate, and of course beer. Many times Jim wandered into a beer shop and just starred at the large selection. Of course this made him thirsty so we checked our map and headed toward the only brewery in Bruges. De Halve Mann, or Half Moon, brewery has been on the same since the early 1800’s and has recently gone through a renovation. The beer selection was a blonde ale, dubble, and a triple, all excellent, (yes we did try them all!). For some reason Lisa started feeling better so we decided to take a walk to the edge of the city to see the four remaining windmills and all along the canals. The canals are spotted with ducks and swans. We have a canal outside our room and when the swans take off it is very noisy. They are fun to watch though.

All the walking we have been doing is helping to keep the weight off because we have been eating very well and trying all the city has to offer. It was time for some rest so we headed back to the hotel for a quick rest.

After some rest we asked the front desk person for a recommendation for dinner, a place that served traditional Flemish meals. He recommended De Vlaamach Pot, about a 15-minute walk from the hotel. The restaurant was down a narrow ally and the inside was quaint and full of history. Lisa ordered a salad and Jim mussels for an appetizer and we both had the Flemish stew. The stew is made with beef cooked in beer and herbs for at least two hours so the meat was fork tender and very delicious, and it was served with frites! That is three days in a row we have eaten deep-fried potatoes. With no room for dessert we asked for the check and groaned all the way back to our hotel as we were both very full.

Monday October 22



When we opened the curtains of our hotel room we were met with something we had not seen the past few days, SUN! The weather forecast called for warmer weather and Lisa was feeling better so we left the hotel and headed straight for the waffle shop. After a waffle and a cup of coffee we decided to go back to the brewery and take the tour. Our first visit was to just enjoy the beer. Our tour guide was an energetic fellow who was very passionate about the brewery and the beer they make. The same family has owned the brewery since it opened, at least 6 generations. We have been to a lot of brewery tours but this one was a little different as there was a lot of history about the brewery and very old beer making equipment which fascinated Jim. At the end of the tour we were served a beer in the beer hall so we decided to order lunch and have another beer. Jim ordered the Bruges cheese plate that came with 6 different locally made cheeses. Lisa ordered a quiche and both plates went very well with the beer.



After the brewery tour and lunch we headed back to the main square of Bruges and decided to climb the Belfry of Bruges, which was built in 1240 and houses the bells that ring every 15 minutes. There are 366 steps to the top and all are built in a circular staircase with minimal room to pass other people. In fact, the higher up we go, the staircase narrows to the point that only one person can get through. If you meet someone going the other direction, one person will have to back up until there is a way to step out of the way. The only thing to hold on to for the climb is a thick rope with knots tied periodically to help you pull your way up. Fortunately there are two stops along the way to rest and observe historical information about the tower.



By the time we reached the top we were both huffing and puffing and thought our hearts were going to jump out of our chests. Since we arrived a little before 4:00 PM we were able to hear the 47 bells ring at the top of the hour, deafening but very cool to watch the mechanism that does all the work. Soon after we decided to climb down the stairs, which took much less time as we were both thirsty and needed a beer. On the square we found a café that offered a few beer selections so we opted for a half-liter of Kwak, which is served in a tall glass called a yard. The tricky part of drinking out of a yard is when close to the bottom, if you are not prepared you will get a face full of beer. Since Jim is experienced with this type of glass, go figure, no beer was spilled. It was fun however to watch the other tourists try to drink of out theirs.



On our walk to the windmills yesterday we walked passed a Laundromat so we decided to head back to the hotel, grab our dirty clothes, and head off. Jim had purchased a large bottle of a Belgian triple to enjoy while we waited for the clothes to get clean. We packed up our clean clothes and headed back to the hotel. There is a pizza restaurant that was always packed close to our hotel so we decided to get some pizza and a bottle of wine and take it back to the room to get ready for our travel day to Paris tomorrow. Bruges is a beautiful city and during the day is packed with tourists from all over the world but later in the day the crowds leave and it felt like we had the town to ourselves.



Even though we have another travel day tomorrow, we wake up around 3:30 am and cannot resist getting online to watch the last 3 innings of game 7 of the NLCS. We have the MLB TV package and this allows us to watch the games online live. We have had some problems with internet at some places but luckily we have a good connection here. GO GIANTS!!!!

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Photos

Frites Museum
Jim in an antique Frites wagon

After the Frites Tour
Lisa enjoying the frites after the museum tour

Antique Mash Tun in the Brewery
The De Halve Maan brewery tour shows a lot of antique brewing equipment