Photos

The city of Brugge (Bruges) is, so far, my favorite place in Belgium. On our second visit, my wife and I stayed in a little bead and breakfast right along the canal and spent two days touring in and around the city.

Brugge is right near the ocean, but in the heat of July it seems that most of the tourists would rather take a day on the beach (even though the beaches we saw were right next to giant, unattractive container ports). Their loss. Brugge is charming beyond belief. Unlike the canals of Venice, we were not overwhelmed by odor whenever we ventured near them.

This shot reflects a cathedral tower and some of the many small shops and buildings in the waters of one of the canals. The streets are lightly trafficked but are by no means busy; you're more likely to see a bicycle traffic jam than one with cars. We thoroughly enjoyed Brugge and look forward to our next trip!