Today was awesome. After our usual breakfast here, we started our day of exploring. It is market day, which is always extra fun. We walked across town, and to our delight the whole town was bubbling over with activity. There were at least three things going on: Fashion days, Shop Brugge, and Market Day. Fashion days seems to mean that all the clothing shops offer specials, and often have racks of clothes on the street for browsing. Shop Brugge seems to mean that there are many streets blocked off from car traffic, for people to shop in a pedestrian setting. And Market Day was a whole bonanza of market tents in a huge square, and then along several side streets.
We enjoyed each thing. Especially the Market Day. It is sort of like a Farmer's Market in the US, and sort of like a flea market in the US. Here the Market was all outside in little tents. Like a cheese tent. An olive tent. A sweater tent. A sausage tent. Everything you can imagine: belts, towels, jeans, watches, socks, cooked food, baked goods----I'd say if it exists, you could buy it at the market.
In one area there were a lot of fruits/veg/and other things to eat. In this area, Sara bought a pine apple, and some strawberries. "Market day is so much fun!" she said. Also in this area, one vendor had chickens, rabbits, hens, and roosters. And they were ALIVE! I think people actually buy them to cook and eat them! Bunnies! The bunnies were arranged by heft. The fatter bunnies were more expensive - I guess because they have more meat! The poor things! I wanted to buy them to set them free.
As far as things we bought. Other than the pine apple (2 euro) and the strawberries (3.95 Euro), we bought a whole round disk of cheese (10Euro), a bag of waffles (1.50 euro). We also bought stuff to make a picnic lunch/snack: tandorri chicken, and a fried ham/cheese thing. And from the bakery we got three rolls. Sara liked the chicken a lot. We found a bench and sat and ate.
After that we kept strolling. Julia started to act hungry, so we sought out a place where I could nurse her. We ended up in a cafe, in a window seat, over looking the hustle bustle of the street. It was totally awesome. From our table we could enjoy the cafe atmosphere, people watch as people strolled the market, and we could enjoy our own company. I had some soup (vegetable, in a cute white soup terrine), Dan had a Krik beer, and I also had something they called Belgian coffee, which tasted like coffee with some chocolate in it.
After that nice rest stop and snack we headed back out. More walking, strolling, exploring, and enjoying the day. People were everywhere. Doing the same thing we were doing. We didn't see a lot of tourists. These were people who had well worn shopping trolleys that looked like they had been used for decades as they shopped for what they needed each Saturday.
Music filled the streets. Some of it was live, with actual people playing instruments. Some of it was recorded, with groovy beats coming out of speakers on the sides of buildings. It was all well done, and totally enjoyable.
My favorite thing was the Belgian Waffels. In Belgium! We've been here before (years ago) and had the waffels, but MAN, they are amazing. Nothing like the "Belgian Waffels" in the USA. Imagine the doughy center of a cinnamon bun, surrounded by a slightly sweet semi-crisp freshly baked exterior. Seriously. They were so good my eyes watered. They were 1.80 Euro on the street (made fresh right in front of you from a dough ball) or 5 Euro from a restaurant. I liked the ones on the street much better, as they were made fresh and not just taken off a pile. They are made from dough and not from batter like ours. Oh SOOOOO good. We bought several, and one time I said, "oh so yummy" as the guy handed it to me, and he laughed. I couldn't help it, they are so good it is hard to walk straight when I have one to enjoy! (And yes, I did share bits with Dan and Sara.)
We also popped into some chocolate shops, a pastry shop (these people have better pastry than the French - like they are WOW good and a typical pastry is 1.20 Euro.) Don't worry I eat a lot of salad and since we walked 10 miles on Dan's pedometer, it is not like these treats will impact my thighs. Plus, I have to keep my calories up so I can feed Julia! May as well eat delicious things right?
It is the best to just pop into shops when we see one - sort of spur of the moment. We just see a shop that looks good and go in. That makes it the most fun.
After lunch we did more strolling near the ring canal and found a park that blew us away with its beauty. Towering trees. Deep green grass. Lazy weeping-willow trees. Meandering paths. And a playground that was a joy. We've found three playgrounds, each better than the last. This one was in the middle of the park, and had sand as its base (not wood chips or concrete or dirt like is often in the USA). Scattered around the playground were things for kids to climb on, awesome things like mini tree forts, wooden sea-saws, and wooden boats. It was all made of wood, so well designed that even Dan and I played. Sara was floating on air as she explored it all. We had to tear her away, but she was a tad tired from all the play so perhaps she was glad to sink into the comfort of the Bob Stroller!
After that we did more walking. Unlike other days where we did a lot of back streets, we stuck to the well-peopled streets today - to enjoy the market atmosphere. There was so much to see. Men grilling sausages on huge grills; Waffels making the air smell devine; and happy shoppers just enjoying the gentle sun.
We went to a courtyard for dinner, and ate outside. It turned out to be one of the best family dinners we've ever had. Sara was a delight, Julia sat on my lap, and Dan and I had great people watching seats that looked out onto the square. We ordered SAra the kids meal (chicken, corn, apple sause, a salad, etc for 9 Euro), I had some local soup Waterzooi, and Dan had the mussels in white wine. Mussels are the thing here (not clams), and they are out of this world yummy. Having Mussels in Belgium is a must do life experience. They cook them in heavy black pots (that they then bring to the table) and they do it in wine and onion and celery. Oh, so good! Our whole meal was 50 Euro. Totally worth it. Sara liked taking a mussel shell and using it like pinchers to feed Dan a mussel. She did it over and over. She was happy, charming, and the whole meal was good plain fun. And tasty too!
After dinner we got some chocolate at a shop that was long and narrow, and had fresh cream pralines, a small bag of 7 chocolates was 2.20 Euro. We ate and kept walking. Even found a beer nook that had a whole wall of Belgian beers (and the matching glass) that Dan enjoyed looking at.
The sun was now setting. The sky was soft blue with puffy white clouds floating around. We walked fast back here, to start the bedtime routine for the kids. Sara had "bedtime bite" (a snack before bedtime) of yogurt, and pasta. All is well.
It was our best day yet. We enjoyed all the bubbly live action of the market. We enjoyed some yummy treats. And most of all we enjoyed how happy Sara was (she loved the market and the play ground) and we all just had fun being together. Thanks Brugge for a wonderful day.
Tomorrow is Dan's birthday. Today is Dave's birthday. Happy Birthday Dave!
Good night, it is 22:10 PM here. Love, Lori
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