Belgium

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We made a couple of trips to Belgium on weekends, to Ghent and Brugges in summer and Antwerp and Brussels just before Christmas, both largely beer pilgrimages for Leigh.

Ghent and Brugges we’re beautiful and the weather was still warm enough to enjoy the outdoors. We went to Ghent first which was smaller and far less touristy then Brugges. There we visited a great castle and found some fantastic pubs with hundreds of different beers. In Brugges we did all the touristy stuff: churches, chocolate and river cruise. On a nice sunny afternoon we toured the Brewery De Halve Maan, which housed some nice old brewing equipment and brewed a pretty good Belgian style ale enjoyed from the beer garden.

Brussels and Antwerp at Christmas were icy cold but still packed with tourists. The Christmas markets (where Jacqui got her fix of window shopping), ice skating, hot gluwein (sweet, spiced red wine), Jenever shots and waffles drew in a fair crowd. We did the sights and sheltered from the cold inside whenever possible. In Brussels we explored the old Cantillon Brewery, a great traditional place that makes Lambic beer (a unique type of beer in which no yeast is added by the brewer, instead fermentation takes place spontaneously from yeast finding its way naturally into the beer). We both fell in love with Lambic type beers, Jacqui especially the cherry flavoured Krieks.

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Photos

Ghent
Ghent castle

Antwerp
Christmas bars around skating rink

Brussels
Cantillon Brewery

Ghent
From the castle

Brugges
Town Hall

Brugges
Beer garden

Brugges
Brewery

Brugges
From the roof of the Brewery

Antwerp
Opening of Christmas season