Hi all!
We got up early yesterday morning and headed to the market in Bruges. It was so fun! There are stands selling fresh fruit, meat, bread, flowers, etc. There are a bunch of different languages everywhere and its just fun to be in the mix of it all. Sarah and I bought some chicken drumsticks that were SO GOOD. Then, we just sampled fruit until we were pretty full. We heard about another market that was close and sold art and things so we went over there too. There was a bunch of pretty jewelery and I bought a watercolor painting from a local artist.
Then, we were walking through town again and trying to figure out what all the big buildings we were taking pictures of were (we still aren't sure on some of them). In one of the main plazas, I saw the artist painting that I had just bought a picture from. Sooo we went and talked to him and took a picture with him. That was fun and neat to see him actually working.
We wandered around for the rest of the day. We stopped in several Belgian chocolate shops and got some different things to try. It is really good stuff. We bought a box to share the rest of the trip. Sarah also had a Belgian waffle and I went back to the market for more of that chicken. It really was that good and supppper cheap. We also wanted to find some lace in Bruges because that is something the town is known for. I bought a pretty lace handkerchief (which I have no idea what I am going to do with).
Despite all that spending, I came out of Bruges way under budget and had a great time. We caught the evening train to Amsterdam for a few days! We tried to stay at one popular hostel, but hadn't made reservations so had to go to another one. And, man, my backpack is fine for a little while but it gets HEAVY when you walk around for a while. Our hostel is nice and smoky, smoky, smoky. We are sure to keep all of our stuff locked up while we are here. I did get a hot shower though.
We are going to ride bikes around the countryside on a tour today! Can't wait!!
Well, if there is anything good about heavy backpacks is that you can eat all the Belgian chocolates, chicken legs, and waffles you want and not only will you not gain weight, you will probably lose weight from all the walking :-)!
ReplyDeleteI know you know this, but here is a tip that it took too long for me to learn. Sometimes it is a smart investment to take a taxi :-) especially when trying to find a hostel with your backpack -- if only for your sanity's sake. Just tuck that little tidbit in the back of your mind for when you are exhausted and don't know where you are going after arriving at a train station at night. :-)
Glad to hear you are having a good time! I am stalking your blog so keep the posts a-comin'
PS: I will be joining y'all (my fellow travelers) in your journeys very soon. I am about to make a second appearance on the African continent in less than a week.