Recommend September 2011 - (Page 54)

48 HOURS IN BRUGES Continued Morning—Day 2 Time to experience local delicacies. After a light breakfast, start off at the The Friet Museum, the world’s only friets (fries or chips) museum which tells the story of the humble potato from South America and how it has evolved into a worldwide, but particularly Belgian mania, for fries. This is serious stuff in Flanders, so don’t forget to try the tastiest fries cooked by the guy who cooked for the Belgian royal family. Are you getting the connection here—the cook for Belgian royalty? Fries are serious food here. Next, it’s off to celebrate the Bruges claim that they are indeed the “Chocolate Capital of the World”—Bruges boasts 50 artisanal chocolate shops, by the way—at the Choco-Story Museum, a must-see for chocolate enthusiasts as it describes chocolate’s transition from cocoa into chocolate. Its tasty exhibits make it well worth the time and be sure to stay for the chocolate making exhibition to get some excellent samplers. This is also a good time to pencil in that promise to your chocolate-loving self not to miss the Bruges chocolate festival—Choco-Laté—at the end of the year. Next, it’s on to the third big love of Bruges—and Flanders—culture, beer, so a stop at the Brewery De Halve Maan, which is also a Beer museum, is a must. It offers a tour of the beer making process as well as a tasting and a great view of the city from its tower. The tour lasts for 45 minutes and is a good way to get a feel for Belgian beer making. pubs in the world singhe, one of the oldest ✔ People-watch at Cafe Vlis neighborhoods the Bruges’ most beautiful and well hidden in one of gestraat and rtier Bricole, located at Lan ✔ Shop till you drop at Qua talents featuring pieces by local just across the Astridpark coz y l’Estaminet, located ✔ Stop for lunch at quick snack locals to have a beer or a and a popular place with h century house ked away in a brilliant 15t ✔ Dine at de Cafedraal, tuc urbing its medieval charm ovated without dist p.m. that’s been completely ren t Square from 7 a.m. to 1 sday Market on the Marke ✔ Don’t miss Wedne Tips from Locals windows, and a tiny and rather spooky chapel containing an effigy of the dead Christ. The entrance fee also covers the Lace Museum in the former Adornes mansion, where you can see local women and girls learning this traditional craft. Evening—Day 2 Tonight, if you’re still interested in keeping the romance alive, try ‘t Gulden Vlies, a small romantic restaurant east of the Burg with excellent food and reasonable prices. Or, there’s Maximiliaan van Oostenrijk, a traditional mid-range restaurant offering plenty to eat including oysters and various meat dishes, plus of course fries, while the atmospheric Grand Cafe, serves traditional Belgian cuisine and beers—it’s famous for its beef stew and ribs—with prices slightly lower than the tourist traps and well worth it. Later, head on over to the Druid’s Cellar—love the name—a nice cozy place to drink a beer or sip on 16-year-old Bushmills whiskey and listen to some good music. The bar is located underground and actually gives the impression of a cellar. l Afternoon—Day 2 Now that your beer taste buds have been awakened, you’ll find a great lunch with an equally great selection of beers at Curiosa, just off the main square, followed by a stop at one of the city’s most traditional beer bars, ‘t Brugs Beertje, Kemelstraat, an excellent pub with hundreds of different beers and an authentic beer-cafe atmosphere. One last stop you might want to make before calling it an afternoon is the Jerusalem Church, a highly unusual church with an octagonal tower built by the Adornes brothers, merchants of Italian extraction. It includes a fine black Tournai marble tomb, late Gothic stained glass The Bruges Beguinage— A Woman’s Surprise, Surprise! Emancipation for women is not a product of the 20th century, or at least it wasn’t in Flanders where as early as 1245, women could take to the Beguinages, a system and a place of sanctuary where women could retreat from the male-dominated society in which they lived to follow a more secure, useful and peaceful life without the need to take the vows of a nun. Many poor women, widows of Crusaders, and others, would have sought refuge here as did women from wealthy families who preferred a more simple way of life. The Bruges Beguinage was founded in 1245 by Margaretha of Constantinople, the Countess of Flanders and continued in use as a refuge for women until 1937 when it was taken over by a group of Benedictine sisters and it still serves as a convent today. In fact, the Bruges Beguinages became the first of several Beguinages that sprung up throughout Belgium and the Netherlands. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage site sits amidst a park-like setting guarded by popular trees and a grassy expanse, is surrounded by many of the cities most charming hotels, most housed in centuries-old buildings. Sanctuary F12 / www.visitflanders.us http://www.visitflanders.us

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend September 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk: Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Tour Talk: Abercrombie & Kent
Sunset Key Guest Cottages, Key West
Can't Get Enough of Jupiter Beach, Florida
Hanging Out in the Outer Banks
Aloha to Families in Hawaii's Resorts
Cruise Stockholm
Galapagos Islands- Cruising 101: Back to Basics
The Ultimate Family Adventure in Costa Rica
Flanders Travel Planner
Fabulous Family Voyages
China: A Wonderland for Kids
India: Pure Wonderment
An African Adventure
Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa, D.R.
The Bahamas: Islands of Adventure
Cayman Islands: A Home Away from Home
Mazatlan Reinvigorated
CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort

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