Bruges, Belgium
(part 1)
May 24th, 2010
“There’s a Christmas tree somewhere in London with a bunch of presents underneath it that’ll never be opened. And I thought, if I survive all of this, I’d go to that house, apologize to the mother there, and accept whatever punishment she chose for me. Prison… death… didn’t matter. Because at least in prison and at least in death, you know, I wouldn’t be in fuckin’ Bruges. But then, like a flash, it came to me. And I realized, fuck man, maybe that’s what hell is: the entire rest of eternity spent in fuckin’ Bruges. And I really, really hoped I wouldn’t die.” — from the film “In Bruges” 2009
I woke up yesterday with… surprise, surprise… a massive hangover. I only got about three hours of sleep and had to catch a train at 7 am. Of course, the high-speed train was totally booked, so I took the slow train to Antwerp, and then caught my connection on to Bruges. I was met at the station by my first couchsurfing host, Liezy. I was super stoked because couchsurfing is one of the things I am most looking forward to on this trip. In the hostels, you never really meet the locals who live in the cities you are visiting. By couchsurfing, you are afforded the opportunity to truly see how the locals live, eat, work, and interact with each other.
After dropping off my bag at her apartment, we set out on a mini-tour of Bruges. This city is breathtaking. It’s a truly Gothic gem on the western coast of Belgium with windmills, canals, and stunning churches at every turn. The sights were great, but my conversations with Liezy were better. She’s incredibly smart and worldly, having travelled to every part of the globe working for development firms and volunteering to help impoverished communities. We also spoke at length of the current political problems of the Belgian government. I consider myself highly informed; however, I was unaware that at current, there is no government in place here. They could not agree on a national language (since the country is a mesh of German and French cultures with many Dutch speaking residents), and it resulted in a collapse of the government. In a couple of weeks, all of the Belgians must vote again to re-instill a government (and voting here is compulsory! You can face jail time if you skip on your vote!). These conversations were enlightening because as an American, I’ve always assumed (wrongly) that the European governments have their shit together. I guess even in some of the oldest countries, creating a functioning government is always a work in progress.
As we wandered into the Eiermarkt (means “egg market” in Flemish, a place where butchers and dairy farmers once sold their goods), we ran into her friends Hady and Nnamdi at an outdoor beer café. Hady is one of the most active couchsurfing hosts in Bruges, sometimes taking in dozens of surfers each month while working a crazy schedule as a nurse. The four of us spoke for hours of world travels, politics, sports, and local cuisine as I pounded some of the best beer that has ever touched my lips. The Bruges Zot, Kwak, Rodenbach, Duvel, and a blonde beer called Tongerlo that made me giddy! I have a feeling I’m going to blow through some serious cash here on beer.
Later that night, Hady invited us over for dinner. After a wonderful home-cooked meal, we headed to the city’s outskirts to meet at an activity center. This would be quite the experience for the blog. We were attending a Boombal; a traditional Belgian folk music and dance concert where everyone dances together as a huge group. For the first hour, you learn and practice the moves together. This was a tad challenging considering the instructor was speaking Flemish, and I was the only one out of about 100 people that had no clue what he was saying. On our first dance, he instructed all of the girls to move to the center of the circle. Liezy did not translate quickly enough, and like the jackass American tourist I am, I gleefully joined the girls clapping towards the center of the circle. I was promptly laughed at by the entire group. As Hady put it, “it’s good to be a humble American once in a while!”
After learning about ten dances, we headed inside where a band played on stage and everyone danced like wild for a few hours. Well, on three hours of sleep and about 12 beers in my belly, I can say with certitude I was no Boombal master. But I dove in, danced like a fool, sweat my ass off, and made a ton of friends in the process. It was a truly unique experience, one that very, very few tourists ever get to partake in. To finish out the night, Liezy and I attempted to hit up some clubs on the way home, but none of the bouncers would let me in because of my attire; I looked too “sportif” (aka — filthy backpacker).
Today, I thanked Liezy for hosting me after a lovely breakfast she prepared for us (oats, cherries, yogurt, and granola). I headed out to find my hostel, drop my bag off, and begin exploring the rest of Bruges and the surrounding Belgian countryside. I grabbed a map and headed for a tiny “secret” garden named Hof Sebrechts which is tucked away between some centuries-old buildings. It was so unbelievably peaceful I almost fell asleep laying in the shade of a massive oak tree, peering up into a completely cloudless sky, listening to the only audible sounds: some very odd bird chirps (yes, the birds in Europe sound different).
I continued on through the city, making my way through the Markt and Burg. I ascended the steps of the Belfry, indulged in Belgian chocolates and waffles, toured the Chocolate Museum, and even found a Michelangelo sculpture named “Madonna of Bruges” in a gorgeous church, his only sculpture ever to be exported from Italy during his lifetime. It was also the statue famously featured in the movie “Monuments Men” that was stolen by the Nazis and eventually recovered by the Allies.
I also had the most ridiculously good dinner: mussels in white wine with fries/mayo and a glorious blonde beer. I almost didn’t make the walk back I was so stuffed.
Well that’s it for now. I’m going to shower up and head to the bars to meet some new backpackers. Until tomorrow!
-Batty
