Beautiful Belgium

Tuesday, May 12 we actually were able to dock and see Belgium. Passengers were happy to be on land and although it was a cold, windy, and sometimes rainy day, we were in a port to see more and that was great! My tour was of Brugges, my favorite place in the world, and it began at 12:30 so I had the morning free. Most people just hang out on the ship and wait for the tours in the afternoon but I hate spending time in Europe on a ship. I've taken the shuttle to Blankensberg before and I've walked down the long main street to the beach there. This time I watched the port lecture on Zeebrugge, the seaport we docked at, several times and knew I had to do something new. There was a tram that went along the beach for 20 minutes, I thought, to a town of Oostend (not spelled correctly). I decided I could do that in the 2 hours I had before I had to get to the ship for the afternoon tour. So I took the shuttle into Blankensberg, crossed the churchyard, street and square and found the tram station on the other side, bought a ticket and waited. Luckily I was sitting next to a 17 yr old girl who spoke some very broken English and she was going to OOstend for school so she would show me how to go. Well, the tram was 15 minutes late, which she said never happens and as we left I saw no beach and there were small hills between the tram and the beautiful white sand beaches of Belgium. AND the tram stopped along the way but no one else seemed to speak English, so there Iwas all alone on a tram going somewhere I'd never been. No beach to be seen, just traffic and a few little villages. The tram stopped at places where you could cross the street and climb over the dunes to get to the beach, but I didn't know how I would get back from the middle of nowhere. It was not scenic at all and finally, after a 50 minute ride I was in the city of Oostend. Now what? I only had a couple of minutes before I had to get on the tram back so I wouldn't miss Brugges. I was nervous! I walked a little ways down a street and saw a bookstore. This trip I have gotten something written in every language to share with kids and I was able to pick up some cute books on numbers, letters, colors and words in Flemish. I needed to go to the bathroom before heading back for the long trip so I went into a little restaurant and asked if they had good hot chocolate, after all it was Belgium, and the lady said it was melted chocolate so I ordered a cup. It was the best in the world, I am sure!!! It was so delicious, maybe even better than what we had in Musee d'Orsey in Paris. I savored it quickly, visted the restroom and rushed down the street to the tram stop. I had only gone 1/2 a block, someday I will go back and spend longer. I waited a few minutes for the tram, not one person spoke English, but I knew which one I wanted and off I went, for the50 minute ride back to Blankensberg. I rushed back to where the ship shuttle was, and watched it drive away! I was worried then! But I chatted with a nice couple from Argentina who are on the ship too and when the bus came and loaded we went to the ship without a wait. I arrived 10 minutes before the bus left for Brugges! Enough time to run in and drop off my packages at the purser's desk and go to the bathroom and get on the next bus. And off I went for another glorious day in Brugges!

Arriving in Brugges, you have to park at the edge of the city and walk in. They say it is a mile, but I think it is less. They always go to the same place and tell you they will meet you there in 3 hours. Luckily the meeting place is right across the street from my favorite waffle stand! It is a tiny restaurant and even though it was a cold,cloudy day, the tables were out on the street. I ordered the waffle I love, savored that incredible taste, and then headed off to explore my town! I always recommend Lily's to everyone I talk to and no one has been disappointed in their waffles yet! One couple told me they should pay me for being such a great travel consultant, everything I told them to do was wonderful. I wandered around the town and ended up in front of a different 'friete' stand so decided to have frites (fries) with tartare sauce on them, and they were delicious! I met a couple on that side of town and told them about the waffle place and before my group left, they arrived there and ordered their waffle. I always get back to the meeting place early, time for one last waffle! This time I talked to the owner/manager and he remembered me. He asked me if Ihadn't been there earlier andI said I go twice a visit! He said he remembers me saying one time I was a pig for eating 2. Actually that was the time I took 2 to César back on the ship and said I wasn't a pig really, they were for a friend. Whatever, he did remember me! And he thanked me for sending so many of the cruise passengers to his restaurant, he said you are the one aren't you? And I said I was! So after enjoying one last delicious, to die for waffle, I left with the group for the walk back to the bus. It was a cold, windy day, but it was in Brugges, so how could that ever be a bad day? A dream, and I think it was my 5th visit there. Hopefully, not my last! There is still so much of Brugges I haven't seen yet! Maybe I should just arrange to fly to Brussels, and take a train to Brugges for a few days, that would be delighful!

So that was my day off the bus in Belgium! New adventures, familiar favorites and a new place to go for the best hot chocolate in the world!!