Bruges-The Shit Hole

So, Mum and I have finally arrived in Bruges, Belgium, after spending 36 hours in transit. Firstly, I must warn you that this post will have an ample amount of quotes from the movie "In Bruges", as the reason I ended up here in the first place was because of that movie. Well, I am finally here, and the place is utterly fantastic, and not a shit hole to be found here (reference #1). Please enjoy the pictures (all taken by myself or mum), and the small stories that accompany them. Firstly, some pictures of the more 'pretty' points of the city.

Arriving into Bruges, the streets all blur into one, and it can be a tad overwhelming. If you can get to a vantage point, like the picture below, it will really help you get your head around the layout of the city.

If you survive the walk to your hotel room, without getting stamped to death by a horse, you can start your tour around the key points of the city.

The canals weave through Bruges, and a keen photographer could spend days on even one street. Plenty of bars and restaurants are next to the canal and one of my favourite things to do has been to relax with a beer in one of these bars after a day of walking. Ahhhh, the life.

Boat tours run every 15 minutes or so from different points in Bruges, and are well worth doing. This picture is taken from one of these boats, and is of an old Hospital dating back to the 1500's

For those who have seen the film 'In Bruges', you will recognise this as the building that Ken and Ray, the hit-men' stayed in while shacked up in Bruges. The top left window is the one which Ray jumped out of near the end of the film. I was going to reenact the film, but decided against it. Next time.

Next up we climbed the Belfry/clock tower. Yes, I definitely decided against reenacting this scene. The below flags are marking the Market Square, and seems to be where all the action is. There is a fantastic little bar on the right of the picture (red flags) called The Duvelorium, which of cause is named after the famous Belgian beer 'Duvel'.

At any of the cafes and restaurants at the base of the Belfort you can eat some delicious mussels. MMM.

Mum was happy taking a look around over a beer and a mussel.

Waiting till night will lead to a magic view of the Belfort in all of its lit beauty. 

Exploring the town at night is quite a sight. 

Just outside of town on the next day we went on a bike ride to Damme, a little town. Could not recommend it more, sensational ride. The next four photos document the ride. 

Now, an important matter. Beer. The beer in Belgium is fantastic. The best thing about drinking a beer at a bar here is the atmosphere, everyone is keen to try good beer. Almost every beer has a dedicated glass, and some are quite funny. The local beer Straffe Hendrik is fantastic. Last nights glass of Kwak was interesting too (pictured below).

Glasses galore. 

How about this for a beer? It's a whopping 3L. This can be found at a bar called 2Be

Well that's it for Bruges, onto Antwerpen. Enjoy!