It was a pretty easy trip to Belgium and, after landing in Brussels, we wasted no time. Stored the bags in a locker and took to the streets!

We never really intended to spend any time in Brussels as there were so many other places to see. I’d always read that it was just another big city – yes, the center of the EU – but still just another big city. But since we couldn’t check into our B&B in Bruges until early afternoon, why not?

The only thing I really wanted to see was the Grand Place which is the central square in Brussels and known as one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is, of course, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it dates back to the 15th century. Not long after it’s construction it was bombarded by the French but the Belgians rebuilt and what you see now is a hodgepodge of architecture that will take your breath away.

All you can do in this square is turn in a circle and look all around. The hodgepodge of design styles is fascinating in and of itself but the buildings are awe-inspiring. A beautiful tower sits in the middle of all of it surrounded by bits of gold everywhere. And atop the tower is a gilded statue of the archangel Michael, the patron saint of Brussels, with a slayed dragon at his feet.

As we were gawking at the buildings, we happened to notice that the free tours were starting soon. Why not, we thought? So we joined.

Our guide was a sweet writer named Charlotte and she regaled us with tales (some of them literal tales – as apparently Belgians like to spin them!) of the history of the city.

We really just walked in a big circle and got an overview of some of the famous buildings and statues right around Grand Place. One of the most famous statues is the Mannekin Pis (pronounced mannequin piss – yes, that is not a typo). Mannekin Pis is a 2-foot tall statue of a little boy peeing. He is the famous emblem of this Belgian city. Apparently this little statue as over 1000 outfits. He is dressed up regularly for certain events and a schedule of his attire is posted daily.

As anyone who know me knows…I am not a huge fan of beer. And yet here we are in a country know for beer. Of course I was going to try some but I didn’t know where to start. During the tour we stopped to have a beer or coffee or hot chocolate and I asked the guide’s advice. She set me up with a sample of Mort Subite Kriek – which is a cherry flavored beer. Mort Subite literally means “sudden death”. What could go wrong?!?? Well, it was lovely and something I could get used to!

John, on the flip side, ordered his first hot chocolate – another treat Belgium is known for. He ordered a hot milk filled with malted milk balls – OK! – but traditionally, to make a hot chocolate a bar of Belgian chocolate is broken up and put into a large mug. Then hot milk is poured over the top of it. Delicious!

We decided it was finally time to get to our first official stop in Belgium – Bruges. Bruges – the capital of the Flanders region – is known as the Venice of the North because it is linked by canals – much like Venice, Italy. It is a medieval city that dates back to the 15th century. It is a city also known for it’s cobblestone streets and charming squares surrounded by gingerbread-like houses. And of course, the Lake of Love – one of the most romantic spots in Europe.

We quickly made our way to our home for two days – the B&B Con Ampere. The hotel was just a short walk from the VERY busy Market Square but also in a nice quiet part of Bruges.

We were greeted right away by a family from Germany who were also waiting to get in and had spent years coming to visit Dick and Tineke – the owners of the B&B. Then, along comes Dick (yes, I do love typing that!). Dick greeted us at the door and immediately showed us to our room (the Green Room). Then, he lead us up a set of very, very steeps stairs to a small dining area where he, John and I spent the next 40 minutes learning about the great parts of the city.

Dick is a former boxer and a father of two who lives on the property with his lovely wife Tineke who he refers to as his “10”. He gave us our first local beer – Jupiter – which he also referred to as “breakfast beer” because of the low amount of alcohol in it – a mere 5.5%.

And more importantly, he pulled out a map of Bruges and marked it up with all sorts of things to see and do. He marked wine bars (YAY!) and pubs – one of which dates from the 15th century – and restaurants ranging from Italian to small plates. He also told us about his favorite local pub – called De Garre – on a hidden side street with the same name. He said drinking their house beer was like drinking “angel pee-pee”. Again, no typo…

What a wonderful way to start our trip to Bruges. And what did we do next? Of course head to one of his recommendations – Vlissinghe – which was established in 1515 and it is alleged that the famous painter Rubens paid for his beer with paintings.

Our final adventure of the day was dinner with a local couple. This would be the first time I’d done something like this but I found it livelocal.com. For a fee you can have a meal with a local couple in their home. I figured, why not? and John was in so I booked it ages ago. We chose the first night to do this so we could pick the brains of the couple too – in order to determine the best use of our time in Belgium. Well, the visit exceeded all expectations!

Filip and Annemieke’s house is across another large square from the center of Bruges. Once you cross this square it feels like you are in another city. It is quiet and sleepy but still so quaint.

They welcomed us into their place – a 3-story townhouse-like home – at the end of a small cobblestone street. It was awkward at first of course. We were invited into their living room and served drinks by the fireplace which was lit by dozens of tea lights. There we talked about what Filip and Annemieke do for a living – a firefighter and a marketer for the city of Bruges – and about why they love living here.

Then we headed to their dining room for a traditional dinner of pumpkin soup and Flemish stew which is a beef based stew cooked for hours in beer of course. It was absolutely delicious! Annemieke is studying wine in order to take the course to be a sommelier so, not only did we discuss wine at length, but we were served lovely wine with dinner. One of which was a Belgian Chardonnay. I’d read that there were a couple of white wines that are produced in Belgium – one is a Chardonnay and one is a sparkling white. Well, the Chardonnay was very nice I’m happy to write (I was afraid I’d be drinking beer all week)! And then we were served a French Burgundy that John loved.

We had great food and great wine but even more importantly, the conversation was amazing. We discussed family and work and Belgium and LGBTQ and politics and food. It was such a nice evening and something I recommend to anyone reading this! We really got a glimpse into their lives and got to see their very real passion for this country and especially for Bruges. We also got a little insight into the fact that not all is perfect in their beautiful little city and frankly, corruption is everywhere…

What a wonderful first day in this place! MORE TO COME!