Good day!

Here's the next exerpt from my journal - my travels in
Belgium, a random decision that led to coolest
highlight of the trip.!  This stop had many different
sights, and lots to see, so I've split up my
adventures here into parts.

I missed out on Brussels, which I expected to be
another big city, and landed in Brugges, a quaint
little town, and the most ancient intact European city
(medieval).  The oldest windmills are still there, and
medieval gates, bridges, canals, roads are all there.

Biggest irony:  I bought a pair of rollerblades in
Paris, since it's so cheap there, and got my first
chance to get around quicker in Brugges, but the whole
town is made of cobblestone roads.!  I think it's the
only destination I've been to, other than parts of
Florence, that's like this.

Hostel-wise, Belgium, specifically Brugge, is a great
place to stay.  I think other than Madrid, it's the
only place where costs are lower than here.  The first
hostel I stayed at, Passages, has okay rooms, with a
steep climb to my 4th floor bedroom.  

The best part of it is the bar/restaurant at the
bottom.  It's a dark, cozy place, lit up by MANY tall
candles, and comfy seating with cushions.  I think I
had my best meal here, tasted as good as it looked.
Plus, the Belgium beer was free since I was a guest,
and the cost was $30 Cdn. for two people, including a
HEAVILY loaded Belgium waffle dessert - topped with
sweet strawberries, melted Belgium chocolate sauce,
powdered sugar, ice cream, etc.  The popularity of
this place is further confirmed by the packed
atmosphere, with many locals around.

I tried some of the popular touristy places, the
popular strip seen in postcards, for their national
dish (mussels and fries), but needless to say, the
Passages was much better - good enough to return to
twice.

The second hostel I stayed in was much closer to the
train station, and really quaint, with an outdoor
garden patio next door, lit up by fire at night.  The
rooms are much better, but it's always full.  The
service there is great, and the family who own it are
really nice people.

Also, the fries loaded with mayonnaise phenomenon is
prominent here.

To better familiarize myself with Brugges, I took a
bike tour around the town, and out to the countryside
and another town named Damme (pronounced dam-mah) -
lots of scenic views and cow scents to bask in.  Some
funny facts:

- There's these short statues at Damme city hall, and
they're actually lifesize!  Turns out the average
height of a person in the medieval age was 4'8" - 5". 
This is confirmed by tiny doors here and there.

- The origin of the word "slut" is here.  It's
something hung on promiscuous women back in the days.

- Jean Claude van Damme is actually from this tiny
town.  That's what his last name means - from Damme. 
His original last name is this funny word that means
"good neighbour".

- Found out why Brits drive on the left and Europe on
the right.  It's better for right-handed sword
wielders back in the horse days to be on the left. 
However, Napoleon was left-handed and made everyone on
the mainland adopt to his preference.

- The North Sea is receding from Brugges, and Belgium
should eventually connect to Britain.  It's actually
receding by kilometres.  As a result, there's a lot of
flooding.  Visiting a cemetery in Damme, closest to
the sea, a lot of the older unprotected graves have
fell victim to the flooding, and there are bits of
skeletons everywhere - jaws, fingers, etc.!  (ugh)

-  Similarly, the canals in Brugges get frequently
cleaned, and things like dead cows (lots), cars, and
people come up in particular sections.  Now I'm
wondering why the canals in Venice are so smelly.


Next: Ypres, Flanders Field, and the Great War.!