BRUSSELS
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BRUGES
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BRUSSELS • BRUGES •
Roaming Brussels
All Belgium photos by Adele Berry
As soon as the school year ended, my daughter and I embarked on her first trip to Europe, with stops in Brussels and picturesque Bruges. EU flags fluttered in the breeze just around the corner from our Brussels hotel, as we ambled down the street, mirthfully anticipating our first authentic Belgian meal at the restaurant nearby.
We explored Brussels in full tourist mode, with a city tour that took us past ornate Art Noveau edifices and the Atomium with its 360 degree panoramic views of the city and the surrounding municipalities. We strolled through the blocks of EU buildings, wondering what important global matters were being dilberated behind closed doors.
And last, before we left, we loaded up on ridiculous amounts of Belgian chocolate to haul home with us as gifts.
Bruges Day Trip
One of my old roommates from college had been living in Belgium for years and we hoped to meet up with her during our visit. After all, there’s nothing like experiencing a new place with someone who lives there and knows the best local spots. As it turned out, she’d be in the U.S. while we were in Belgium.
But she listed Bruges, the UNESCO-listed medieval city, near the top of the list of places we should visit. Picturesque Bruges with its distinct architecture, waterway canals and an unforgetable hand-made chocolate shop, turned out to be my daughter’s favorite city during our visit.
