In Bruges...

I saw the film, 'In Bruges' when it came out once. I remember loving the humor and the drama of it. I don't remember the setting fairly well. I don't remember coming out of the theater saying, "I cannot wait to see this city."

I probably sympathized with Brendan Gleason during this.

Now, whether or not that had more to do with the portrayal of Bruges in the film or my age and relative lack of enthusiasm for travel back then, who knows? What I do know is that as we prepared to depart Paris for the beautiful country of Belgium, we originally had planned to visit either Brussels or Antwerp. However, a chance encounter while stranded overnight in a Welsh bus station (thanks, Megabus) with an Australian woman continued to tickle our brains. The new short-term friend told us that, based on our short term travel time, we should skip Brussels and just hit up the smaller, lesser-known gem that is Bruges.

Seriously. Bruges. Gem.

We've been to a lot of cities, a lot of countries on this whirlwind adventure thus far, and without a doubt, Bruges was exactly what my tired body and muddled mind needed. After over a month of sleeping in hostel cots and living room floors, day after day of walking seemingly endless distances in order to traverse major metropolitan areas and the unforeseen problems of living outside of an everyday routine for an extended period of time, I was ready for a respite. Often I would get angry at our damned power converter for not doing it's job adequately. Vicky would try to calm me down, saying it was an inanimate object.

Had to throw this 'In Bruges' reference in here somehow, didn't I?

However... Bruges, with it's small scale and inviting, walkable layout was exactly that. If I wasn't casually strolling along cobblestone paths, I was napping in one of the many public parks within shouting distance of the city center. When we weren't enjoying a local Belgian brew in a cozy cafe, we were posing for pictures along one of the endless photogenic canals. It truly was the definition of 'relaxing.' If not in the mood for an entirely relaxing trip, we definitely recommend renting a bicycle for the day and cruise around the city. Bruges is the perfect size for such an adventure and can be circumvented in under two hours.

You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a picturesque spot near a canal here.

One of the many tricks to fully enjoying a foreign country on a short trip is to ingratiate yourself to the locals. In Bruges, 99.9% of the people speak English and are more than happy to accommodate you in that way. However, try to learn how to say simple things like, 'Hello' or 'Thank You' ('Hallo' and 'Dank u wel' respectively - Bruges, as you can tell, was not difficult). That being said, just being polite and engaging is usually a great start in itself. Listen to locals when they give you tips as to where to go. It's always more satisfying when you find a great picnic spot or pub given to you by a local rather than Yelp or Google. In addition, remember to keep your eyes open for local ads. This has, on many occasions given us great things to do and try.

Gazing at Michelangelo's Madonna.

Vicky with harpist, Luc Vanlaere.

After visiting the Church of Our Lady to see Michelangelo's Madonna, we spotted an ad for a free harp concert nearby. Seeing how we had an hour to kill before dinner (did I mention it was free?), we decided to check it out.

After sitting in a dimly, although meticulously, lit room, we noticed a small stage littered with a half dozen worldly instruments. A concert harp, a Celtic harp, harps from China, Japan and even an Indian harp that has 50-something strings that play the same note. Not to mention a gong, singing bowls and even a new type of steel drum called a Hang that wasn't invented until 2001. Just an amazing conglomeration of uncommon instruments. 45 minutes later, Vicky and I were recovering from the emotional ride of Luc Vanlaere's stunning musical talents. All instruments were played by just him, at times more than one at a time! As if Bruges hadn't been soothing enough to my travel-weary mind, it decided to swoop in with the coup-de-grace and give me nearly an hour of what Vicky called a 'brain massage.'

Do yourself a favor. If you're ever near Belgium and you want a few days to relax and unwind, take advantage of what Bruges has to offer. Beer, chocolate, architecture, culture and some of the most serene parkland we've encountered in our travels thus far. You will not regret it. As my Rolodex of 'Cities I've Been To' continues to grow, I can honestly say that Bruges will probably always be near the front (and not because it's in alphabetical order).

Passed out in Bruges.