Bruges! Part 1

Hello again! After leaving Ghent, the four of us made the short drive to Bruges. Bruges is an incredible city. It is the largest city in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The city's population is only about 120,000 people; so it is not very large. At one time, the city was a major European trading center. This allowed the city to create plenty of wealth, much of which is still visible today. It is easy to see why Bruges has become a popular tourist destination recently. One of the best features is its walkability. Every turn features a new canal or cathedral, and the all of the sights are located within walking distance. The town also features a few really nice European squares with restaurants, cafes and shops lining the outside. Our bed and breakfast was an old three story home from the 1500s just a few blocks from the Markt. The Markt is one of the town's main squares and is featured prominently in the film "In Bruges." It also features the picturesque Belfry, which we climbed later in the day. Passing through the Markt in the morning, our first stop in the morning was the Church of Our Lady. The church is famous for its Michelangelo from the 16th century. Unfortunately, the sculpture was off limits because a section of the church was under construction. The inside, however, is impressive nonetheless. A few photos can be seen below. To the rear of the church, the four of us found a great garden area with impressive bridges and canals. We did not see any canal tours presumably due to the winter temperature, but they would definitely be a great way to see the city.  Here are some photos of our morning:

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After our cultural morning, we were thirsty.  Megan had been kind enough to book a brewery tour for us at the only active family-operated brewery in Bruges, De Halve Maan.  In English, the name is The Half Moon. Our tour guide told us that the name most likely comes from the area of town where the brewery resides.  In the old days, different areas of the city were noted on maps with symbols because many residents could not read.  This specific area was represented by a picture of the moon, and thus, the brewery drew inspiration from that symbol when selecting its name.  De Halve Maan is actually located down a short alley.  At the end, the alley opens up to a big beer garden with tables.  Being winter, we did not have an opportunity to see the beer garden in full effect, but I can imagine it is the place to be during the spring and summer.
The tour began in the extremely modern and sleek current brewery.  The guide then took us upstairs, which houses some of the breweries old equipment (copper kettles) and plenty of Belgian beer memorabilia.  We even climbed all the way to the roof.  From up there, you get quite a view of Bruges, with its many cathedrals poking out above the buildings.
The shear size of the brewery is actually quite impressive.  De Halve Maan must own an entire city block right in the midst of the old city.  They even moved their bottling and packaging 3 kilometers offsite due to the need for more space.  The tour ended with a visit to the taproom.  Much like the other parts of the brewery, the taproom is a great mix of vintage and modern.  It has plenty of communal seating at large wooden tables.  In addition to beer, the menu also features sandwiches and appetizers.  Every visitor receives a glass of the Brugse Zot, the brewery's bestseller.  My powers of deduction tell me that Zot must mean "jester" in English due to the picture on the glasses and bottles.  The Zot is a Belgian pale, but a bit different from other pale ales we tried on our trip. De Halve Maan taproom serves the Zot unfiltered and claims to be the only spot in the world to do so.  It likely goes without saying, but it pours a cloudy straw color.  The yeast is prevalent both in aroma and taste.  There is a spicy banana and clove flavor, but nothing overpowering.  The Zot is a refreshing and easy-drinking pale ale by Belgian standards.  I enjoyed mine, but nothing groundbreaking.  Since we had a bit of time to relax, I then ordered the brewery's Quad, and it was a great choice.  The coffee, caramel and dark fruit are easily identified.  The yeast is nearly entirely hidden by the other flavors, but it works extremely well.  It was a great Quad that I would drink again if I ever get the chance.  And, at 11% abv, it was a nice way to start my lunch.  Below are a few photos from the brewery.  I would highly recommend a visit for any tourist in Bruges.

By this time, we were all getting hungry, so we wandered around looking for a little cafe.  We found one a short walk away that seemed to have some of the simple lunch items we were craving, although I have no idea what it was called.  After putting up with all of us (especially me) all trip, C finally got some drinks for herself.  As you can see below, she got a trio of hot chocolates, milk, dark and white.  The little item on the side was almost like a mini-cheesecake in a cup.  It was tasty.  C had a grilled ham and cheese.  Actually, two of them came in one order.  She also enjoyed some vegetable soup.  I ordered a smoke salmon quiche, which was quite good as well.  Todd and I both ordered the Steenbrugge Tripel.  It was a good, not great tripel.  We will soon encounter a great tripel. (stay tuned)  It has a bit of pepper along with tart apples and bananas.  A really solid tripel to be enjoying on a rainy afternoon in a Bruges' cafe.  Here are some photos of our lunch.

Our visit to Bruges was just getting started, but I have a feeling this edition of the blog is coming to an end.  I will save more for a later date.  Many more sights to be seen and brews to be enjoyed. Until next time...

Ghent

Good afternoon everyone, The last blog finished with Christina and I exploring Brussels. We then made the short 45 minute drive to Ghent, which is slightly northwest of Brussels. This will likely be a short blog because we only spent one night in Ghent, but we were both extremely impressed without short stay. Ghent has the feel of a medieval city complete with canals and cathedrals. First, we stopped to get some drinks and a few pre-dinner snacks at a brewpub that Megan and Todd enjoyed on their previous visit. Gruut, the brewery, is quite a contrast to the old bars and breweries located throughout Belgium. The inside is completely renovated and modern. Surprisingly, Gruut is the only brewery in operation in Ghent. After our trip to the brewery, I learned that Gruut is actually a medieval term for plants and herbs that were used to flavor and preserve beer before hops were utilized. Obviously, hops won that battle, and gruut fell by the wayside. The brewery Gruut claims to use the old flavor technique, and no hops are used in its beers. Gruut currently brews five varieties: amber, white, inferno, brown and blonde. The beers we sampled did not taste dramatically different from what might be expected, but they did have a more subtle spicy taste than what we found during the remainder of our trip. Overall, it was a great brewery to sit and chat with friends. I would highly recommend a visit. Below is a photo of my beer, the amber, and some chips that C enjoyed.

After leaving the brewery, we walked to the old city center. The river running through the city is called the Leie and provides some of the best scenery we enjoyed during our vacation. A quick walking tour of the city center provides great views of the belfry, Saint-Nicholas church and the cathedral. The Gravensteen is an old castle that sits in the midst of the canals. Unfortunately, it was closed when we were there, but you can see how impressive it looks at night. It is really easy to walk and explore the canals. Nearly every turn provides another picture-taking opportunity. Various pictures are posted below.

Too bad we would not spend more time in Ghent, but we had to get back on the road to Bruges, which is a short trip west of Ghent. I would definitely like to return to Ghent at some point in our lives. We spent the next two nights in Bruges, which was fantastic. I have plenty of photos to share and beers to explain. Until next time....