GHENT AND BRUGES

After a summer of family emergencies and ahead of rainy and dark days of Autumn in London, we feel desperate for a holiday. All lastminute options in the sun are ridiculously overpriced, and we decide on an educational and cultural break across the channel. We book both the train and the hotel through the Eurostar Site, and we will be splitting our time between the two postcard-perfect Belgian cities of Ghent and Bruges.
Our train leaves London in the afternoon. St Pancras station is bursting at the seams and everyone seems to be pulling gigantic suitcases as if embarking on an around the world adventure or escaping the British Isles for the winter.
At Bruxelles Midi Station we need to go to the toilet. Single use of a cubicle costs €1 and the coin needs to be purchased at the nearby machine. The cubicles are supervised by a man who wears no uniform and no visible sign that he works as a toilet attendant. Our teenage companion glances at the cubicle’s interior and announces that she can last for another hour or two, until we get to our hotel in Ghent. A woman of my age cannot. The floors and walls of the first cubicle are smeared with faeces. Another one becomes available after a cleaning cycle of water splashing in all directions. As soon as I sit on the toilet, the light goes off. My manic moving of arms does not reactivate it and I have to finish my business in darkness.
Piece of advice: avoid the toilets at Bruxelles Midi…
The last leg of our journey, the train to Ghent, is quick and smooth. The station Ghent Sint-Pieters is on the outskirts and our hotel in the very centre. It takes us more than half an hour on foot, but the late afternoon is pleasant and sunny, and the route is lined with charming Brasseries and Vintage shops.
The B&B Hotel Gent Centrum offers specious rooms, helpful receptionists (we are moved to another room when the television does not start), free coffees and water in the reception area and a relaxing lounge to sip it while watching the city of Ghent waking up or walking by.
Our male companion pops into the chippie across the road and buys three extremely large portions of Belgian fries, “friet”, with ketchup and mayonnaise. He also buys three beers, that he ends up drinking himself…
The rest of the evening we spend watching a French Quiz on Highway code on FT1. It tests our knowledge of French and the rules of the road. I quite like it and I am surprised we do not have a similar one in UK.

GHENT




The morning is chilly and the weather forecast warns of sporadic and heavy showers. We head towards the river and stroll down cobbled banks. The stones on the pavements and the façades of the buildings are of a deep grey tint, no doubt dating back to medieval times. Regardless of the adverse climatic conditions, the streets are buzzing with tourists and locals alike. For breakfast we stop in the café ‘t Verchil on the Grasbrug bridge over the river Leie, perfect spot for postcard type photographs. The waffles with chocolate and icing sugar are a bit too sweet for me but – apparently – perfect for a teenage palate… Our male companion opts for a croissant.
Caffeine and sugar levels as high as it gets, we are ready for the first thing on our sightseeing list – Gravensteen. This medieval castle dates from 1180 and it was the residence of the Counts of Flanders until 1353. During its colourful history it was also a prison, a mint, and a cotton factory.
The audio guide is narrated by Wouter Deprez, one of the most famous Flemish comedians and cabaretiers, and it is rather funny. His animated narration brings to life the love stories, the family affairs, the political perturbations and the tortures (burning men alive, decapitations, pouring hot oil on the random visitors) that took place in this castle. We stroll through the rooms, up and down narrow staircases, sit on cold stones by the windows and thoroughly enjoy the experience. Well, apart from a few complaints by our “this-is-so-boring” teenage fellow traveller…
There is hardly any vehicles in the centre of Ghent. It is all reserved for pedestrians, cyclists and trams and is a rather pleasant experience not to have to watch out for cars and inhale thick fumes.



We are in a souvenir shop that sells textile and lace merchandise when a thick and intense shower descends on the town. Scores of people rush in looking for a refuge. When the rain eases, we head out but are caught in a new storm and take shelter in St Nicholas’ Church. This is one of the oldest churches in Ghent, it was built on the remains of an old Romanesque church with the main features of the local gothic style. Its central tower was used as an observation post and it held the town bells, and it represents one of the crucial features of the Ghent’s medieval skyline. We keep meeting the same people: in the hotel lobby, wondering around the castle and now resting in the pews of St Nicholas’ Church. No doubt, we are all following the same itinerary.



We lunch in Manhattn's Burgers by the Grasbrug bridge, not far from the café where we had breakfast. The restaurant is crowded, loud and cheerful. The brioche is soft and the burger large, but for my liking it is rather under seasoned. Surprisingly – as I rarely eat burgers and am not big fan in general – this one does not cause me any discomfort.
By the time we finish, heavy clouds have disappeared, and the sun is out in force. In the middle of the square Vrijdagmarkt, by the statue of Statue of Jacob van Artevelde, there is a concert of classical music. This is the largest square in the city and is surrounded with historical buildings and popular bars and restaurants. On Fridays there is a large market here, hence the name “Friday Market”. The atmosphere is cheery and the place is buzzing with life even without the market. Jacob van Artevelde was a statemen, politician, known as The Wise Man and the Brewer of Ghent, and, most importantly, he sided with England during the Hundred Years' War. He was murdered on the site in 1345.



The Museum of Industry, where we go next, is situated in an old factory and it is a homage to this city’s trade and industrial history. In its heyday, Ghent was an important commerce hub, known for textile merchandise and the printing industry. The gallery on the ground level hosts an educational insight into the contemporary work habits and the buzz word of ‘burnout’. The three of us take the burnout test: the two adults are safely in the green zone (no fear of burnout), but our Year 9 teenager appears to be in the orange zone. She admits that she exaggerated with some answers…



In the evening we head out for a quick drink of Leffe and Aperol Spritz in Den Turken, one of the oldest bars in Ghent. The place is small and rather empty but full of historical cosiness. The night is getting darker and the rain thicker as we enjoy our drinks…

BRUGES




Getting to Bruges from Ghent is very easy. The train takes half an hour and tickets are relatively cheap even when bought on the day. We pay 30 euros for three day returns. The morning train is packed with daily commuters and tourists of all ages carrying large backpacks or suitcases. The station of Bruges is even further away from the town centre than the one in Ghent. We follow scores of people heading straight ahead; they obviously know where to go…
Our first stop is a café on the impressive main square, Markt (“the market square”). The espresso is perfect both in taste and in consistency and the pancake with sugar and butter – according to the youngest member of our crew who refused to share even a tiny morel – very delicious.
Now we are ready for the Historium, a museum dedicated to the Golden age of Bruges. It is rather pricey – 69 Euros for three tickets: two adults and one student – but well worth it. The visit starts with a Virtual Reality experience tour that takes us on a nocturnal journey down the canals, past the Waterhall, the Belfry, the market, and various other significant buildings in medieval times. After the VR tour – frankly, I would have happily travelled in time for longer than the eight minutes offered – we enter the rooms depicting the atmosphere of Bruges in its heyday. We follow the adventure of Jakob, a young apprentice of Jan van Eyck, who loses a green parrot and after various misadventures finds love (and the parrot). The story of young romantic love is a bit stretched but the atmosphere of each room (including a few smells thrown in, like the smell of sage in the room representing the public baths) creates a unique experience.


Well into the peckish and moody zone of the afternoon, we head to the highly recommended “bierbrasserie” – the UK equivalent of a gastropub – Cambrinus, in the street of Philipstockstraat. The interior is as authentic as it gets: a long wooden bar carved in dark wood and decorated with numerous bottles of different beers, tables close to each other and cheerful and loud patrons. The heavy menu with its elaborated leather covers has the appearance of a long-lost edition of Bible or another book of similar importance. We order the Flemish beef stew served with apple sauce, half chicken, beer cheese, homemade bread and plenty of fries, both with mayonnaise and ketchup. The meat in the stew is soft and melts in your mouth, but its sweet aftertaste from the rich apple sauce does not agree with me. I find it very weird. I order the lightest beer available, and our male companion braves a pint of La Chouffe, an eight percent Belgian beer that sends him into a rather lethargic state for the rest of the afternoon.
We stroll through a busy, loud and crowded city, past souvenir shops selling lace and fabric goods, chocolate and beers, and all kind of other touristy paraphernalia. Horse driven carriages are slaloming through groups of tourists down narrow streets. With its many canals, fairytale looking bridges, cobbled pavements, and old churches and towers galore, Bruges does have the appearance of a perfect postcard. However, it is also incredibly overcrowded and most probably the most popular tourist destination in Belgium.
Before heading back to Ghent, we visit the museum of art, the Groeningemuseum. This place hosts six centuries of Belgian art, including works by well-famous names like Jan van Eyck and René Magritte.



GRAFFITI AND PANCAKES



The third day in Belgium we take it easy. The grey and heavy clouds have retreated, and it is bright and sunny. In a miniature café by the hotel called Buongiorno we have croissant and pain au raisin. The espresso is delicious. We take in sights and details of Ghent: interesting door knockers, perfectly kept medieval buildings and a fascinating mixture of old and new architecture. We eat pancakes by the canal.



Belgium is not a cheap place to visit. The day trip to Bruges (including train tickets, coffees and pancakes, entries to two museums and a lunch) cost us around 250 euros. However, going to Belgium from London is very easy and there are many things to visit. There is a great beer culture and plenty of (expensive) chocolate. There are nice cafes and bars and shops with quirky souvenirs and clothes. There is something for everyone.
And exactly what one needs at the end of a mentally and physically draining summer.