We moved via the train system and our Eurail passes from Delft, Netherlands to Bruges, Belgium. One thing we learned today is that "Anvers" on the Eurail Pass is the exact same thing as "Antwerpen" on the rail station schedule boards. That is something that I wish I had known in advance, as it would have saved me some moments of self doubt.
Another thing would be to exercise patience and tolerance. I have it, Sandy does not. In fact, the lack of patience and tolerance is something that I have seen in three successive generations of Davis/Buhrmaster women. While waiting for our final train from Antwerpen/Anvers to Bruges we found a train right where we expected it to be. However, the sign on the platform did not indicate that it was "our" train. I suggested that we wait until the well marked platform screen light up and say yes, this is your train. I'm not naming names, but my travel partner said, of course this is our train, it is pointed right at Bruges. She then pushed the open door button on the side of our car and the door slid open. She then explained to me that if they didn't want us on the train they wouldn't let the door open up. She was certain that if we did not get on the train it was going to leave for Bruges without us. I felt we should wait, so we compromised and got on the train. Sure enough the train took off but it was going nowhere near Bruges. At the next train station and after some heroics by the train conductor we were able to reroute our passes to the correct train straight to Bruges. As we sat in our seats now indeed heading towards Bruges, Sandy stared at me with a proud and defiant look and said "I think this way was better". Turns out we got to Bruges just when my original travel plan had predicted. Perhaps she was right.
Sandy and I have a basic rule that we follow that makes our travel together work pretty well. I am the one who puts the plan together and make the needed reservations. And, I am the one that keeps track of our schedule adding adventure when I can and reluctantly removing sites and events when I must. But after that it is Sandy who makes all the decisions on the even days and I make them on the odd days. So, which restaurant we go to, what seats we sit in, which side of the bed we sleep on; all those things depend on whether it is an even or odd day..
Bruges is a beautiful and manageable city. I can already tell that I wish we were going to be here longer. After settling into our hotel, which is right in the heart of the old city we walked to Burg Square and the Markt. We will spend more time there tomorrow but it was great to get a taste of Bruges both metaphorically and gastronomically.
The Belgian Food Icons that I know of are the unexplainable love of beer, french fries with mayonnaise, and mussels from the English Channel. Today is an odd numbered day so I got to choose and I knocked off two of them. French fries with mayonnaise... I've had this a lot recently, though not in Belgium where it is practically their national dish. So, out on Burg Square I had fries with the mayonnaise. It's not bad, but honestly us Americans with our ketchup on fries are on the right track. The second one is beer, the Belgians are second to none in their love of beer. We found the perfect place to share in this love. Down a tiny alley and up some ancient stairs is a beer café De Garre, the alley, named for its location. All they serve is beer with a few blocks of cheese. Their house beer is "Tripel Van de Garre". In this situation, down this hidden alley, surrounded by a bunch of Belgian beer drinkers, I could not have found a more satisfying beer.
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