Bruges – Travels with Melinda

Yesterday we walked 11 miles-the Fitbit doesn’t lie! Really-that’s our idea of fun! Now, if you aren’t walkers like us, you can get around Amsterdam in so many other ways-bike, scooter, car, boat, tram or train-and still have a great time seeing all the sights.

Cruise boats are limited to 4 mph on the canals

Of course, these other modes of transportation may set you back a few Euros but all are easy to find in town. Everyone rides bikes in Amsterdam-way more bikes here than in China even. Our lovely Hotel Andaz offered free bikes for use but my frozen shoulder would probably react poorly to bumping up and down on the quaint cobblestone streets so we chose not to try. I love watching whole families commute to school/work on their bikes. Carts in front of the bikes allow for 2-3 kids to pop in while Mom or Dad peddles their hearts out. Our pollution and global warming (and health) issues would be greatly reduced if every county embraced biking like they do here.

Next up the transportation chain is the scooter-very popular and driven fast so watch out when you’re walking. There aren’t really rules here other than walk fast and keep swiveling your head when trying to cross bike paths and roads so you don’t get hit by a biker, scooter or tram. They might try to stop for you but don’t chance it. The trams run on all major streets and cost $7 E for 24 hours or $1.6 E for one hour of riding. You buy tickets at machines but our credit cards didn’t work so we had to use cash to buy them. On the trams, you tap to get on and off but it’s the honor system and many didn’t even use cards.

When you take a train, the conductor will come through and check your cards so no honor system there. We travelled to The Hague and to Bruges by train-very easy and inexpensive way to travel and see Europe. Pack a picnic from simple fare like cheese/sausage/bread/fruit from the local grocery and enjoy the scenery as you speed through the countryside. If we hadn’t taken the train, we would have never seen a windmill or experienced another way of life other than the urban scene in Amsterdam.

Boats are obviously popular here with canals in all the cities we were in. The average citizen may have just a motorboat to get around but there are lovely cruise ships for the tourists-about $15 E for a ride in the glass topped long and low boats. There are truly lovely houseboats where people live on many of the canals as well. Our new dream is to come over here for an extended stay in one of these houseboats. How fun would that be???

Coolest car in Amsterdam-oh the tales it could tell

Do people have cars here? Yes, and are they ever teeny tiny! Parking is very limited along the canals and I’m sure many a car trying to parallel park beside one has missed and gone swimming. I’m terrible at parking so no way was I going to even try although they do have Car2Go here in abundance. No, I’ll keep on walking and enjoying the journey.

Lovely canals provide popular way to travel here

Horse drawn carriage is the popular choice in Bruges

Scooter or mini car? Both have about the same room.

Bruges was always on our “must” destination list if we visited Europe. So, at 6 a.m. yesterday after one hour of sleep (due to insomnia not partying), off we went on a four hour train ride from The Hague to Bruges. Expecting to see a small medieval city with the iconic Bell Tower featured in the movie, In Bruges, we were shocked to turn the corner of the winding brick road into the city and find a commercial boulevard with a Zara, McDonald’s, Claire’s and all the modern stores found in the local mall. REALLY?

Bruges-cobblestone streets, canals, churches, waffles & beer

Now, I’m all for retail stores, which have been my livelihood for years but there is a time and place and Bruges is not where you want to shop for $19.99 fashion at H & M. I guess you can’t blame the locals who want to profit from all the tourism so they can make a living and there can only be so many chocolate, lace, waffle and beer shops to feed our appetites and tacky souvenir needs but still…WTF! I don’t think the best use of a 1767 historic building is to house another Zara.

That being said, parts of Bruges were well preserved and, if you get off the main street, you can find quaint history houses from the 9th century as well as 17 churches (16 Catholic/1 Protestant) to wonder through and lovely bridges over canals for picture-taking. The train station is conveniently located within walking distance of this town which used to be on the sea until it retreated. Global warming may one day make it seaside again-you never know.

The highlight for Thom was walking up the 336 steep steps to the Bell Tower featured in the movie, In Bruges. I guess someone is pushed off the top and lands SPLAT in the square below in the film. Not my kind of movie but whatever-it was an interesting climb up teeny, tiny stairs with only a rope in certain places to cling to. Just like the Great Wall, this is not ADA friendly and if you fall and get hurt, good luck getting back down those stairs ’cause no one is helping you down and there isn’t an elevator. Still, the view was stunning from the top!

336 steps and you are at the top! — 336 steps and you are at the top-grab the rope and pull yourself onward and upward!

I talked Thom into a horse-drawn carriage ride around town. While he has never consented to one of these in NYC, he relented and ended up enjoying the guide’s history lesson as we galloped through the narrow streets. You definitely could imagine days past when horses were the only mode of transportation and, when the final bell of the evening sounded from the tower, the gates to the city were closed to protect against marauders.

We were lucky to arrive on market day in the town square. Munching a sugar-coated waffle as my local snack (YUM!), we rested on the town square steps and wished we could take home the lovely pots of lavender offered for sale. Gorgeous! On the train home, we noticed fields of lavender waiting to be picked. Though a long ride with a stop in Brussels to change trains, the 8 hours of train ride were just another part of the Bruges adventure. Arriving home tired and ready to get a good night’s sleep, we were glad we had finally been “In Bruges”.