Magical Bruges was certainly a beautiful traveling destination. This enchanting little town brings all the heart-warming things together: Good food, coffee, chocolates and an awe-inspiring view to boot. November was a great time to visit since it was neither too cold nor too busy. Traveling with a baby certainly made things more challenging, but so worth it still. All things considered, it was very nice indeed!
Bruges, Belgium. Arrival 16:30 on a Monday afternoon. Walking briskly to our Airbnb apartment, we passed chattering teenagers while catching a few words of the dialect that they spoke. This was one of the reasons why we came to Belgium. The language was a strong drawcard for my husband, because why wouldn’t you want to go a place where they speak a language somewhat similar to your own? Or to experience a place close to home – and yet quite unlike it. Exited and tired, but looking forward to all that this magical town has to offer. My husband usually does the holiday planning, which means that everything is usually planned down to a T. I am somewhat less prepared, whereas he is overprepared. I don’t get disappointed much, because I have accepted that some things in life just don’t work out the way you expect them to. Especially with a baby!
One thing that I have learned once again is that there is a never-ending road of failure and success with a child. One moment everything works and the next everything falls apart. I choose to celebrate the small victories, even though you only appreciate these a couple of months later. Travelling emphasises all the nitty gritty parts of being a parent and surely challenges your endurance to stick it out when the tough gets going. Our little munchkin was teething pretty badly just before the holiday, but luckily it cleared up a day or two before we departed. I guess every parent says this, but he is such a bad teether. Sleeping arrangements are always a hassle, so best pack those camper cots, my dears! Our Airbnb apartment was wonderful; however, and I would suggest spending more on sleeping arrangements when travelling because, obviously, a good night’s rest is key to a good vacation!
The first day was pretty much a travel day. Our flight to the airport in Belgium took an hour, followed by another hour and a half by train to Bruges. This felt like an eternity since our son was crawling all over and making small talk with random strangers. He is on the fast track and growing up so fast that I can’t even keep up. Oh yes – and he is not at all socially awkward like his mother, so that forces me to get out of my bubble and talk to random people. He does not recognise stranger danger at all, whereas I get a creepy feeling about every loner that I see. Is that a mom thing, or am I just weird?
Our second day went great. We had breakfast at Li O Lait, which was pretty good considering the fact that I ordered a huge breakfast bagel and muesli yogurt parfait by mistake. My baby brain is still getting the better of me nine months down the line. I had a few cups of coffee, which helped with the numbing mommy brain for the rest of the day. I loved this place with its open windows and jazzy music, but unfortunately for my husband our son woke up halfway through breakfast after only half an hour’s nap. Breakfast time was over, and he was ready to play, so off we went!
Bruges was quite chilly at night. Everyone was either eating dinner somewhere or tucked up cosily in their beds. We went for dinner and then decided to take an evening stroll. Not a good idea since it was freezing, but our son was fast asleep in his pram and we took the opportunity – cobbled streets and all. I was not going to pass up this chance to enjoy a cappuccino and mochi caramel ice cream with my hubby in the freezing cold. I mean: What is mochi caramel anyway? (It tasted great, by the way.) I have been out of the food loop for sure. The only “new” superfood I have lined up in my pantry is activated charcoal and it does not taste anything like caramel, I tell you.
Lunches where pretty low key since we opted for a big breakfast and afternoon nap – or let me rather admit: Shopping time for Mom! I loved the fact that Bruges had so much to offer: Places to eat, sights to see and many good shopping spots. The fact that it is a small, quiet little town made it even better. This is what every girl or mother asks for. I just needed an hour or two to relax, hubby looked after the baby and I could just be – even if it was just for window shopping (who am I kidding here?). There were too many shops to see in so little time before I had to head home, but Dille et Kamille really surprised me (they also have an online store), as well as Sissy boy Home. These two home brands simply hit it out of the park for me: I was delightfully surprised by their ceramic goods. My bag was somewhat heavier when we returned. There were a number of coffee shops that we tried after the little man’s nap in the afternoons: Espresso bar, Le Pain Quotidien (my favorite with its healthy and vegan options) and Tonka. And then a must do: Buy chocolate at The Chocolate Line if you like something different. We bought a box of bacon-, wasabi-, apple tarte Tatin-, saki‑, chilli-, rum- and ganache-flavoured chocolate. There are so many flavours to choose from and they are all delicious!
Bruges offers so many options to choose from when it comes to coffee shops, chocolates and Belgian waffles that you get kind of side-tracked. We tried a different coffee shop every day and simply opted for the closest restaurant every night. For some odd reason, many places where closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Supposedly there is an that we did not know about, so this is for sure a go to when you have kids.
My tips for and notes of Bruges:
- If you have a baby, beware of the cobblestone streets – rather pack a baby carrier.
- Do sufficient research on where you want to eat. It may take some planning, but it will be worth the effort!
- Allow for enough time in your own and baby’s schedule. Sometimes things simply don’t work out the way that you planned. For example, we missed our train on the way back and had a three-hour lay-over before our next flight to Toulouse.
- Take deep breaths, because you’ll probably get frustrated that you have travelled all this way to experience such an amazing place, and could not get to everything that you wanted to. That’s life with kids. And you know what? It’s okay.
- Pack layered clothing when you are going in November!
- Be sure to pack snacks or even baby food if you can, because you never know what you are going to find when you travel abroad.
- Know that you may be tired when the trip is over, but it will be worth it. Otherwise you’ll never go anywhere!
Please share any tips for travelling with children!
