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Just got back from three good days in Belgium. After checking in and unpacking in my room at the Radisson SAS, I went down to the lobby where I saw a tour bus sitting out front. I took tour, about three or four hours, and was really impressed by the city. After the tour, I took a walk up the Rue Nueve and found a waffle stand in a mall that baked the waffles while you waited. Wonderful. Saturday night around St. Catherine's church was quite busy with booths set up to sell crafts and snacks.

I searched quite a while for a restaraunt and finally settled on one, but the waitress twice tried to seat me at tables that were unacceptable so I left. Dinner at the Radisson was good but expensive. A couple of small tomatoes stuffed with langhostinos, fries, and Coke was E32.50. I was surpised by the excellent fries and delighted when the waitress offered mayonnaise and ketchup.

Sunday was cold and rainy. I slept in but eventually made it out to the art/history museum next to the tri-arch of triomphe. That was boring, but I defintely enjoyed the Musee Militaire. Could not find Autoworld. Simple dinner at the grill next to the Metropole hotel.

On Monday, I took the advice that I got here and visited Brugge. Took the bus tour from Brussels that stopped in Gent on the way. We only spent about an hour and a half in Gent, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought that it might be a nice place to stay overnight.

Brugge was marvelous. The place is definitely set up to process tourists. We walked into the town from the south. First stop was a lace store, of course, and a restaraunt for lunch. I ordered escargot, Flemish stew, and a Coke Light. I got a plate of tasty beef in gravy, a bowl fries, and the Coke at the astounding price of E19.30.

There are two squares in Brugge. At the smaller one, the guide pointed out the building around the square from the 13th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th (which, no surprisingly, looked like the 1737 building in Gent), and 19th centuries, and a 20th century hotel and a 21st century sculpture by a Japanese artist. I should have spent some time in this square instead of in the main square.

Had heard about the 366 steps in the tower on the main square, but it was gesloten op maandag, so I had a convenient excuse for not ascending them. Had a waffle on the square, but it was just a warmed over one and quite disappointing.

All in all, Brugge was a charming, attractive city, with architectural treasures and merchants who were quite delighted to take my money. Far too many horse carraiges, I almost got killed by one. Also, too many cars and small tour buses zipping around: the whole place could have been pedestrian traffic only.

On the outbound flight, United actually served me a cold dinner. I traded it for a too hot one. On the return flight, I waited a bit for the meal to cool down only to discover that it too was cold! I ate it anyway.