Distinctive Flemish facades line a gorgeous square

The train from Antwerp was crowded, and Dan had work to do, so he sat on a suitcase in the corridor and got down to business

Laura mentioned that Bruges, with its network of canals, is known as the “Venice of the North.” I disputed that nickname, since I have long known St. Petersburg, Russia as the “Venice of the North.” So I googled that expression only to learn the alarming news that there are at least 40 pretenders to that moniker scattered across the northern hemisphere. At a glance through that long list I’d say that Amsterdam and St. Petersburg have the strongest claims, but I guess I’d better get to all the rest before I pass judgment.

Nonetheless, Bruges is a gorgeous place with its calm canals, lively squares, medieval towers, and distinctive Flemish architecture.

Some great contemporary art punctures the medieval landscape of Bruges. In this case it’s know as “Skyscraper (the Bruges Whale)” and it’s made of plastic waste removed from the ocean.

Even the libations are charming in Bruges, as demonstrated by Charlie’s ancient Belgian beer in a traditional glass and Elizabeth’s super flavorful cherry beer

I’m not sure exactly why, but I just love the canal shots in black and white

I love the occasional glimpse of canal-side domestic bliss

Design details

Here I am, captured by the magic of the Jeruzalemkerk, a quirky 15th-century church built by the Adornes family, modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and privately maintained by the family until this very day

One of the endless old public monuments to grace this beautiful city

Matt and Jim taking in the baroque splendor of the Grande Place

Matt has long been a friend, a coworker, a fellow political prognosticator, and (for Jim) a fellow Minnesotan. He’s always wanted to live abroad, so six months ago he started a job in London. Now he is enjoying frequent easy visits to various parts of Europe on weekends. So a couple months back he checked in with us — any weekends free in Europe this summer? We had this little weekend stop in Brussels, transitioning between other plans, so Matt bought train tickets and hopped over.

So we bounced around the usual baroque squares, towering gothic cathedrals, and shady parks that make up this glorious city. But when Matt suggested a trip down to the battlefields of Waterloo, we got a little more adventurous than we might have otherwise been on such a brief stop. And it was well worth it. It takes just 30 minutes on the train to get from central Brussels to the little town of Braine l’Alleud, then another 25 minutes of walking to get to the innocuous looking farms where world history took such a dramatic turn.

We are not the types who love lots of details about battles and flanks and cavalry and infantry. But the museum here did an outstanding job of describing the excitement and turmoil of post-revolutionary France, the void that brought Napoleon to power, the build up of his empire, and the desperation of the rest of Europe to take him down. After that, it also provided an absolutely mind-numbing amount of detail about the battles themselves, the people and equipment involved, etc., etc. Yes, I’ll admit I skimmed through that pretty fast. But all in all, this was a great stop.

This guy’s image towers over the museum at Waterloo

Matt climbs his way to the memorial that overlooks the fields of the battle of Waterloo

Mark and Jim making their way to the memorial

The impossibly elegant buildings that line the Grande Place

Classic Belgian fare nicely done, in this case a pork knuckle

After the visit to Waterloo we walked back to little Braine l’Alleud to look for lunch. It was Sunday, so most things were closed. The exception was a place called Le Pavot, where the food was stunningly cutting-edge. Here is chicory-wrapped veal with exotic accompaniments.

The kind of view you seem to get from every corner in Brussels