World Travel 2013-2014, Belgium Wrap Up

  • Overall what we did: 3 days split into: 2 days in Ghent and 1 day in Brugge from 9 April 2014 to 11 April 2014.
  • Favourite part of Belgium: Would have to be the delicious food and the beautiful architecture everywhere
  • Key tip: Beware food portion sizes in Belgium. There I was thinking we would be back to small portion sizes being in more expensive countries but I was very wrong. I would say some of the portion sizes were equivalent to (or not too far from) American sizing, so you have been warned.
  • Cultural points:
    • Language: Be aware that Belgium has two official languages – French and Dutch. If you use the wrong one in the wrong area, it can be rather insulting to the locals. I have to admit, I defaulted to English rather than risk using the wrong language
    • Kitchens: We found out during our stay that although there was a kitchen of sorts (microwave, sink etc) there was no stove. Not sure if it was just because our hostel was a boat, but we were told by the owner that regulations mean they can’t have a kitchen as ‘it’s a fire hazard’ to have stove elements around tourists. I guess us tourists can’t be trusted!
    • Our Accommodation in Ghent. Yes it's a boat. Ghent, Belgium

      Our Accommodation in Ghent. Yes it’s a boat. Ghent, Belgium

  • Highlights: Wandering through the streets of Brugge and Ghent (beautiful historic buildings) and especially seeing the buildings of Ghent lit up at night and reflected in the canals
  • Best Experience: Spending time with Takeshi wandering through the towns and relaxing in cafes enjoying local food. I don’t think you can beat that
  • Worst Experience: Timer showers in our hostel in Ghent. A fantastic hostel, really spacious and super comfortable even though it’s on a boat (pretty cool huh?). Loved the organic breakfast, found the beds comfy but I just can’t get past timer showers. Hate them. Also don’t like it when the water is only luke warm. If only the showers weren’t as eco friendly, then would have completely loved our hostel in Ghent
  • Must See Attraction: I particularly liked Brugge and would recommend it for a day trip. While it is very touristy with the horse drawn carriages and the large number of shops, it’s a very relaxing place to wander around and has some beautiful streets and canals
  • Most Over-hyped Attraction: Hard to say as we didn’t really head into any attractions while we were in Belgium
  • Would I go back? Yes. It’s a beautiful country, and I don’t think you can beat a town or city filled with historical buildings, delicious food and plenty of chocolate shops!



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