Historic Belfry of Bruges

Today marked my third visit to the World Heritage City of Brugge, Belgium. It's an incredibly beautiful site of well-preserved medieval architecture and deep traditions situated along canals in West Flanders.

We drove in just for the day to catch up with American friends who were visiting the city for the long weekend. And for the second time, I climbed the 336 narrow, winding steps up this 13th century tower to drink in the amazing vistas. Sadly the day was not only bitter cold, but very hazy, so I did not capture the greatest pictures. Yet in beautiful contrast to the abysmal weather, I always find the locals to be extremely warm and welcoming.

Hence, we took full advantage of their hospitality (and the calories we earned climbing stairs!) and enjoyed a wonderful hot lunch at The Habit where we sampled a number of traditional soup and stew dishes. The staff was very friendly to our large family group and quite generous as we shared huge portions with the kids and they brought extra helpings of potatoes and ice cream.

Of course, no trip to Belgium would be complete without also indulging in some of Europe's most delicious treats: rich chocolates and hot waffles! It was a very long day, especially after last night's Karneval festivities, but well worth it :)

PS - For a review of my first trip to this city last year, see my blog post