Stuck in Paris? Welcome Bruges! ( part I )

Et oui ! My negotiations with "mother nature" were obviously a failure...all my pleading in vain...but Tuesday morning found me with a proposal, made by my husband ("decent" proposal...LOL) : "How about having lunch in Bruges?" Of course, it took me a blink to say "yes"..I woke up the children (who were less enthusiastic about this idea...) and almost in no time, we were all in the car, and three hours later, we WERE having lunch in Bruges! 

Well, I must give "mother nature" her due and say she pampered us with the most incredibly sunny day you can ever imagine, much more if you know that the sun is scarce, in this part of the world !!!

Yes, this is not the typical postcard view of Bruges, but I like places that are off the beaten path, so I fell in love with the calm here, nature that begins to awaken...traces of winter at the far back...
But people don't come to Bruges for this bucolic pic-nic sight!!!! They come to admire its unique architecture...

      

Wow !!! What a treasure to house "Zara"!

Everything seems so perfect.....!

When reminded by my children that the ONLY purpose of the trip was to have lunch (???!!), the choice was between restaurants off the historical area...(and decipher the menu!) or restaurants in the Market Square, with multilingual menus....

OK, the "national" dish is "Moules Frites" (mussels with French fries) declined into: 1. Mussels "nature" (simple mussels) 2. Mussels cooked in white wine  3. Mussels with cream 4. Mussels with garlic 5. Mussels with garlic and cream 6. Mussels "provençal" (that is with parsley AND garlic...7. Mussels with beer 8. The house mussels (so probably with garlic!). So, if you have a date to impress or you are a vampire....don't come to Bruges...but, if you are a garlic lover (like me), indulge !!!

So, we decided to eat in the Market Square, which proved to be the wrong choice since food is more expensive and not great quality...But look at that sky !!! and then European central squares are showcases of the world! it is so interesting to look at people passing by, overhearing different languages....

My "entrée" (first dish) arrived: Poisson soup (fish soup) with "rouille" ("la rouille" is a kind of mayonnaise that accompanies fish soup, as a rule, here in Belgium or in France, made with crushed garlic, paprika, egg yolks, and olive oil)....Ah! just in case you haven't noticed...the slices of bread are ALSO rubbed with garlic (no comments ;D ). Then I had a salad...but my children, mussels lovers ordered three "the house mussels"...Oh, you should see their faces of satisfaction when these casseroles arrived with loads of French fries....

After lunch, city sightseeing, which can be done on foot (like we did).....

by boat,

or on a horse-drawn carriage !

It is so "mind-appeasing" (I think I have coined a new word but I like it!) to stroll around this city, and let its unexpected architecture surprise you....

...these virgins playing hide and seek!

Turning round a corner to find these winged dragons and the old bed-time stories will come to your mind...knights, enchanted princesses, magic spells..!

....the old competing with what's modern..!

...solid sculptures contrasted to the delicate, fragile lace...

Well, the walk has made me thirsty....I would love to have some tea....which flavor?

Definitely, difficult to choose! I think I'd better rest since the most gruelling task awaits me!
Showing you all that has to do with the world of chocolate here in Bruges, fairy-tale town of Belgium, country with the reputation of the best chocolate in the world !! Oh my !!!

But that will be in my next post!