I hate to disappoint, but I’m not going to discuss the Colin Farrell movie much at all in this post. Especially since I’ve still never seen it. But a random guy at a bar convinced me that Bruges was a place I needed to go if I ever made it to Belgium (these types of conversations happen to me a lot). Then add in my family ties to Flanders and a trip where I’ll already be in the area, and you have yourself a: “what the hell? Bruges it is.”
In our plan, however, Bruges was simply a day trip/layover type of destination in between two separate stays in Belgium; Brussels and Ghent.
We had just come from a horrible experience in Brussels. To put it lightly, the city was generally unsettling. My distaste for Brussels is so genuine that when people ask “what was your least favorite place you visited?” it’s on my tongue before they can even get the question out. And that was the unofficial capitol of Europe! So what expectations did I have for Bruges; the medieval town in Belgium that a guy in a bar told me was worth seeing? Little to none.
Nevertheless, we went under the impression that we could always catch an earlier train to Ghent if we so desired. We were staying there for two nights, after all, and were mainly doing this Bruges day-trip to eat up some time.
It’s safe to say I wouldn’t be writing this had we caught an “earlier train for Ghent.”
Considering how tiny the city of Bruges is, we walked 9 miles during that day-trip; on cobbled streets, each carrying 40 lb backpacks, without a map, itinerary or much to go on at all.
Maybe it was the 13th and 14th century castles, drawbridges, and picturesque canals that made us fall in love. Maybe it was stumbling upon windmills, or a high school band’s live performance of Pirates of the Caribbean, or doing so much walking (in the cold) that we actually felt warm. Or maybe it had to do with spending only the day there, and trying our best to make the most of it. Whatever it was, Bruges led us to explore again. It took us back in time. It did to us what’s supposed to happen when you travel, and sometimes, many times, does not.
Bruges was quiet and beautiful and fascinating, and at the same time bustling with people and culture. And only being there for the day did require us to wear our backpacks the whole time, and therefore take it slow. It allowed us to notice all the small details and take in the idiosyncrasies easily missed when only trying to hit everything on TripAdvisor’s “Must-See in ___”. It let us forget about where we had come from, where we were going next, and simply enjoy where we were and who we were there with.
I’m not going to tell you that you need to visit Bruges; though I think it’s worth it and you’ll most likely love it. What I’m telling you is to leave room for these types of days in your planning. Leave room for the places in between, where you are forced to wear your backpack and slow down. Which in turn forces you to see all the details, hear the music, smell the tulips, and discover, wander, and explore.
“But if all of these dreams might find their way into my day to day scene, I’d be under the impression I was somewhere in between.”