Brugge, Belgium ... Apr 12, 2009

We left Antwerp and spent the rest of the day in Brugge, Belgium. We had tried to find a hotel there before we left, to spend Saturday night, but were unable to find something within a reasonable price range, which is why we spent the night in Antwerp instead. One thing I LOVE about European cities is waking up early in the morning and taking a walk down the cobble stoned streets before anything is really open and before the crowds of people arrive. Brugge would have been the PERFECT city to do that in, however we showed up around lunchtime, so obviously we didn't get to experience this part. Maybe next time.
We enjoyed a great lunch at the main gate. I had the Mussels, a staple for the region. It was a lot of Mussels, but pretty good.
We walked around the city for a while, but the main square, in my opinion was ruined by the crappy carnival type stands that were up. These stalls juxtaposed with the churches and historical architecture surrounding the square really made no sense to me. I can imagine how wonderful this area would have been without these stalls. Oh well, again, maybe next time. The great thing about Brugge, though, is it truly is a city that had somehow maintained its medieval roots, with little unchanged through time or through war.
We drove halfway home that evening, stopping at the same hotel in Nuremberg that we stayed in on the way out, finally finishing our trek on Monday afternoon. As is usual for us, we saw a lot in a short period of time, but it was a fantastic journey. (The last picture is the girls trying to block out the sun so they could see their ipods better.)