May 2015

We got to know Bruges rather well thanks to all the trans-Atlantic cruises stopping there on their way back to Europe from the Caribbean. Cruise ships dock at Zeebrugge port, and we use the coastal tram from there to Blankenberge train station, then get on the train to Bruges. From the Bruges train station, you can walk to the center of town in 20 minutes(1.6 km/1 mile).

Markt(Market Square) is the central square where the bell tower is. You can climb up 366 steps to get the best view of the city. We passed. Take a few steps to the right, and you arrive at Burg where the government buildings are. They all look like just popped out of a storybook.

Basilica of the Holy Blood in the Burg square. A vial said to contain a cloth with blood of Jesus Christ is in this Catholic church.

Canals and swans are the symbols of Bruges.  The legend about the swans of Bruges: In 1488 the people of Bruges had executed one of the town administrators belonging to the court of Maximilian of Austria. The town administrator, Pieter Lanchals, family coat of arms featured a white swan. Legend has it that Maximilian punished Bruges by obliging the population to keep swans on their lakes and canals till eternity.

We meant to visit some museums, but we have not done that yet. Every time we go to Bruges, it is just so lovely to stroll & we don’t feel like going inside.

More to do & see: click!

One thing we have to have in this town: waffles! All the Belgian waffles I’ve had in my life elsewhere do not measure up to the real thing! My favorite is at Carpe Diem, a cafe that makes me never want to leave.

May 2014    Itinerary Link

Gothenburg is the second largest city in Sweden with a population of 570,000. We got there on the ferry from Denmark’s Frederikshavn. What’s interesting about the 4-hour boat ride was there was a huge duty-free shop onboard, and people were buying cases of beer to bring back to Sweden. Apparently, Swedes make beer-runs like this to save money.

Gothenburg seemed like a nice town filled with young crowds who attend area universities. We walked around and sat at a cafe to be part of the local scene. We basically had one afternoon and evening there, and we did not feel ambitious enough to try to do much. Here’s what we missed according to a New York Times article.

May 2014      Itinerary Link

We stopped in Malmo on our way from Gothenburg to Copenhagen mainly to see this famous twisty building. We would have spent more time and walked around town, but it rained pretty heavily.

Here’s a guide for someone who wants to spend 36 hours in Malmo.