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BRUSSELS:
The Grand-Place is a must to visit. A grand collection of public and private buildings from the 17th century. The most interesting we thought were the Guilds that were created for trade during this period. Each building has its original number on it indicating what commodity it was for. The side streets offer good food and drink.
BRUGGE:
is a stunning city with winding canals and cobbled streets, chocolates and a variety of beers.
We walked, of course, but Brugge offers canal boat rides and horse drawn carriages to take you around the city as well.
There are many restaurants offering beer sampling to get an idea of the 1500 beers that Belgium has to offer. Sitting by the canal watching the tourist wandering the streets, it’s easy to down a couple of beers. But watch out otherwise you will find out the hard way that there are light and strong beers. Mostly high alcohol beers. The locals rarely eat in the square as it tends to be pricey. But the restaurants offer the local delicacy the Flemish Stew which is cooked in beer. If you have a sweet tooth, many cafes offer freshly made waffles with powdered sugar, whipped cream, smothered in chocolate or all three combined together for a decadent experience. We were happy to have some friends with us to sit by a canal and watch the white swans floating.
ANTWERP:
if you like gems, a must to go to the Diamond District, just outside the main central train station. Bear in mind that during summer the Diamond Bourse is closed. However, we were lucky to see how diamonds were cut and polished as one workshop was open that polished and set diamonds. The Fashion district would be very interesting for the shopaholics. We came across a beautiful old building that was converted into a mall. The ceilings were amazing.
YPRES:
another place to try and understand if the lives of so many were worth the cause. The number of soldiers who gave their lives during the war are laid to rest in Flanders Field. A commonwealth cemetery managed by commonwealth countries and the land donated by Belgium. We found graves of New Zealand and Indian soldiers during this war. At 8 pm every day, the last post is carried out. We found graves of New Zealand and Indian soldiers during this war.
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