My DH will be spending three days next weekend in Brugge with day trips to Ypres and Waterloo. What should I ask him to bring home - chocolate, lace? Obviously, the beer and seafood don't transport well! He doesn't mind shopping but likes to know what to be looking for. Thx

Lace is certainly one of Brugge's finest products. It also doesn't weigh much, so that's a plus. If you like lace, it's a good choice. As for chocolate, well DUH!

Brugge is known for lace and tapestries. He will find no shortage of shops in Brugge along with the 50 busloads of shoppers on daytrips from Brussells. However, watch out for shops that claim they are the only ones to sell a certain kind of lace or tapestry. You can usually find the same thing next door. Price will indicate quality and quanitity as it usually does. He will no doubt be overwhelmed with options so you should narrow it down for him. I am guy and I know what shopping is like there.

thanks Chris - are there specific places you'd recommend he go? I'm thinking that a nice lace tablecloth would be easy to find, we collect Christmas ornaments, I love Neuhaus chocolates (but gave them up for lent). He tends to 'power shop' - a few hours and its over. Kathe Wolfahrt in Heidelberg knows him by name!

The perfect wife will tell her husband that what she really would like from Bruges is a large pint (or several) of Stella Artois and the largest portion of moules frites he can find. Since he obviously can't bring those home, he must savour and enjoy them on her behalf. Then, since he'll be stuffed to the gills with no room for dessert, he'll have no choice but to fill his suitcases with chocolates of every kind (it's obscene how many chocolate shops there are there) to bring home for his perfect wife to enjoy on her own - since she missed out on the beer and moules....

(PS. My ladylove miscalculated on my appetite, but she say that the lone truffle was delicious.)

cmeyer,

There are so many to choose from. I mean, there are probably 50 different shops. And we collect ornaments as well and they are everywhere. I cant even remember which shop we bought all our stuff at but we negotited a little because, again, most of these places sell the same stuff. And there will be many patterns to choose from as well. I suggest asking the hotel/B&B where the best quality shop is located. Oh yeah, measure your table because there are all different sizes as well. he can really knock this out in an hour. make sure he fills out the VAT Tax forms and has stamped at the airport.

Hi C,

Tell him to look for hand-made lace, not the machine made stuff.

Personally I prefer the Leonidas brand of pralines. They are medium priced and what I would call good quality. They at least sure don't last long here And most every praline is so heavy in butter that they should be kept in the freezer and they usually survive the flight home. Though they should be frozen when he leaves for the airport and he should try to get some sort of thermobag to help a bit...

Cobos

I bought a lovely tapestry purse in Brussels when I was there. It has a Herinomous Bosch motif on it but there are plenty of others to choose from.

Excellent ideas - chocolates of course, lace tablecloth, Christmas ornament and a tapestry purse. that should ease his conscious!

Of course, it depends on your tastes. The lace, chocolates, etc., are fine but a few other suggestions:

There is a small shop selling handmade tiles (made in Brugge) in various sizes showing scenes of Brugge. They are very well done. The large tiles can be used as hot plates. From about $12 and up. I have collected about a dozen of the medium size and plan to incorporate them in a kitchen backsplash.

Across the street from the tile shop is a branch of the Katherine Wolfart (spelling is way off, here, I just can't think of her correct name), an amazing store for buying Christmas ornaments, nutcrackers, etc.

Near the Groeninge Museum is a French woman with a store selling handpainted wood boxes, etc. She paints them herself and used to have a studio in France (Brittany, I think) before moving to Brugge. They are very nice (painted with flowers, birds, and so on) and the prices are good for the quality. I plan to get one myself before we move from Belgium to the UK.

Are you interested in designer leather? There is a large Delvaux store on the Grote Markt in Brugge (Delvaux is the Belgian equivalent of Hermes, in case you don't know the name). Or there is a small store, Il Secondo, behind the Crowne Plaza hotel that sells second hand designer bags (Delvaux, Chanel, Hermes, etc.) in absolutely top condition (good prices for the quality and everything guaranteed as authentic). Although buying a purse is a choice you should probably make yourself...

I will be in Brugge on Wednesday and will get you the addresses of the tile, Christmas, and painted wood shops if you're interested.

BTilke (Brussels)

Hi cmeyer54,
I suggest a plane ticket, go with him and shop till you drop.
It will solve his problem too.

Good Luck

Muck

I was going to suggest, as well as chocolates of course, some christmas ornaments, although BTilke beat me to it!

We spotted a number of shops selling those and there are some unusual ones on offer such as the little rotating wooden roundabouts. I wish I could find a picture to explain what I mean but I have googled for it and can't find it.

I am not a fan of lace myself so didn't look at that.

As well as chocolate we like the sweets known as Noses which are cone shaped raspberry jellies. Some of the chocolate places sell them.

BTilke - I'ld love the name of the tile shop. we have some tiles from Portugal that have been made into a trivet and beautiful picture. We are also huge Kathe Wolfarht fans - her shop in Heidelberg knows him by name. the wood shop would be perfect for Christmas gifts this year - unique for relatives who already have everthing if you know what I mean! I agree, a handbag should probably be picked out by me but he does have pretty good taste. The trip was on too short notice for me to go along - maybe next time. Thanks everyone!

Ok, I will post the names and addresses of the places I mentioned on Wednesday evening (also the names of a few others places that come to mind). I'm going over for the Brugge for the afternoon for a stroll and lunch (it's only an hour away by train). In the tile shop, tell your husband to take a look at the wonderfully intricate historic town map of Brugge done in tile. It's a showpiece only, not for sale, unfortunately!
Waterloo is the main "American ghetto" in Brussels for U.S. expats, FYI, so he shouldn't be surprised to hear a lot of American voices in the area.

thanks - he'll be driving from Frankfurt to Brugge and staying there for the weekend before returning back to the states. Looking forward to you post on Wednesday evening.

i would say - don't bring any lace back from bruges - most of it is china made !
if you want to find some genuine one, it will cost you more than a months' salary !!

Hi there--well, I made it to Brugge today. A few general observations: many of restaurants were closed and probably closed until Palm Sunday week-end or April 1.
The little store selling the handpainted wood boxes was also closed. I don't know if she's moving out or getting ready to open, but the place was full of taped up cardboard boxes. If she's getting ready to open, it *might* be open on Friday. Anyway, it's at 1 Groeninge, around the corner from the Groeninge Museum.
The tile shop IS open. Argus Keramiek is at 18 Walplein, pretty close to the Begijnhof (spelling approx). It's almost directly across the street (more like an alley-way) from the Kathe Wohlfahrt store. FYI, right next to Kathe Wohlfahrt is a nice little store selling lots of copper coffee sets, another popular memento from Brugge. And (almost) right next to THAT is a really nice little wine bar/restaurant called Heer Halewijn (again, not 100% about the spelling could be Heer Halewyn)). A pretty brick place, nice roaring wood burning fireplace (it was chilly this evening), most of the people there seemed to be locals.

The only and best are chocolates from "The Old Chocolate House" Best are the lait et carmel. Taste and look because all candies are NOT the same.!
I like to ship and forget carrying. It cost about double the cost to ship but if you don't have a
real Belgium Chocolate shop in your town it is very very very very worth it.
Buy yourself a bouquet at the market and enjoy!
Of course there is the fish market, and the boat rides. Great town. Have fun.

Chocolate, lace,...and so on...
If you prefer some more contemporary things, there is, in the Wollestraat alongside the Belfry a shop selling flemish quality design products.
I'll be in Brugge in the week before easter... but after all, it is my home town.