Hey there everybody! How are you all keeping? I’ve been knitting and sewing like a fiend these past few days, so it’s kinda nice to take a break and have a chat with you all. Aaaand it wasn’t so bad to scroll through a few more holiday pics in preparation for this post, either! Let’s join Explorer Beastie en route to our next destination… Bruges!
I had visited Bruges before, many years ago… But I’d forgotten how impossibly pretty it is. Here, take a look!
So, where are we off to first?
How about getting a bird’s eye view of the city?
“Are we really climbing THAT?”
Why yes, Explorer Beastie! Yes we are. This is the Belfort (Belfry) of Bruges, and for a small fee, humans can climb the 366 steps to the top of that 83m (272 ft) tower and look out over the beautifully-preserved mediaeval town. Beasties can usually sneak in for free, if they stay hidden in a convenient handbag.
“I’m in! Let’s do this!”
Explorer Beastie was supposed to stay tucked away until we got to the top, but he couldn’t resist popping out for photo ops in the Treasury…
… And the bell tower itself.
On the left is the Triumph Bell, which is the biggest of the 47 bells (47!) housed in the tower. It’s a shrimpy little thing, weighing a mere 6,000kg! On the right, Explorer Beastie is taking a closer look at the playing drum, which allows some of the lesser bells to play recognisable tunes every quarter hour. Each of those pins is actually a nut and bolt, so their positions could be changed….
“Do you reckon I could get it to play ‘Dancing Queen’?”
Um… Maybe. But we’re still a way from the top… Back into my bag, or you’re tackling the really steep, narrow final steps on your own!
Seriously, it does get to be a very tight squeeze for the last stages of the climb. But that view?
Totally worth it!
Better yet, I managed to get down those stairs again without tripping up once.
Back at ground level, it was time for Explorer Beastie to make the acquaintance of one of the locals. This did not go as well as on previous occasions.
“Gaaaah! Help!”
Fortunately, I was able to snatch him from the jaws of doom juuuust in time. And then we spotted this, which seemed like a good way to distract him from what had just happened.
Chocolate Museum? Yes please!
And while there was a good healthy dose of curiosities for us to enjoy from the outset…
There was one very obvious reason why we were here.
“All you can eat”? Really? Is that wise?
Of course, Explorer Beastie accepted the challenge, and set about trying to bankrupt the place. His appetite never ceases to amaze me.
He also took a quick spin in a conquistador’s ship. If I’d eaten that much chocolate, I probably wouldn’t have risked it… This little monster must have some serious sea legs.
In fact, he was still feeling chipper enough at the end to pose with these guys – does anyone else recognise the Barbapapas, rendered in delicious Belgian chocolate?
And after all that chocolate, there was just time for a quick beer in this amazing cellar bar. It’s called Le Trappiste, for any of you who might be planning a post-quarantine visit.
Then it was time to hop on the train home!
Cheers for travelling with us!
Have any of you been to Bruges? What did you make of it? Be sure to tell us in the comments! And we’ll see you again next week… Until then, look after yourselves and keep washing those paws!
Hey, Garcia Beastie! Great, let’s go and explore!
You can also see the King’s House (NB no king has ever actually lived here!)…
…And, on the other side of the square, the Town Hall.
This served as a makeshift hospital during the First World War, and it was our first indicator that Brussels loves its monsters. Check out the statuary and gargoyles!
Wait, did we lose Explorer Beastie? No, there he is – having a staring contest with one of the locals.
Come on! We have to go and check out one of the city’s less tasteful landmarks.
We had a pretty hard time trying to decipher the appeal of the Mannekin Pis, but here we are…
OK, well… That’s done.
A building with multicoloured bikes going up the front? Yes please! And some early signs of the approaching spring, too.
You might not have to wear your woolly jacket much longer, Explorer Beastie!
Yes, they really are everywhere! Check out this winged lion on the side of the Palais de Justice.
As I later found out, the scaffolding is 
… The shelter we’d hoped to find in the galleries of the Mont des Arts and the Musical Instruments Museum was denied to us! It was a Monday, and both were closed.
I’d definitely check out the Museum of Musical Instruments on a future visit though – the building is so cool! I’d like to use it as a blueprint for the next Beastie Towers refurb.
I hope you’re planning to share that with me, Beasties!