In Bruges

Just to confirm how bad a backpacker I am Friday was chaos for me. It didn’t start that way of course. I had breakfast and got everything pack to head to the airport. Arrived in time to join the giant queue with plenty of time before my flight to Brussels. I couldn’t find my flight on the board but figured it just wasn’t up yet. About a quarter of the way through the line my flight still wasn’t on the board, I double-checked the airport, time and day, the 21st from Schoenefeld at 1:25. At about half way though when my flight still wasn’t up I decided to study my ticket one more time. It was at this point that I read the full date, not just the day. My flight is scheduled for the 21st indeed, of October. After much grief it would have cost me 167euros to change my flight to one going to Brussels later on Friday, but considering I only spent 34euros on the first flight this didn’t appeal to me at all. I went back to my hostel and began to see what my best option was, another flight, a train, a bus or driving. I kind of had my fingers crossed for driving just because I’d get to see so much more of Germany and Europe that way, way too expensive though. Instead I booked myself on a Swiss airlines flight for Saturday morning, which put me in to Brugge around 5. The hostel in Bruges was wonderful about the whole thing went I sent them an email to explain and the rearrange my booking to two days and didn’t charge me for the night I had booked but wasn’t arriving for, this was very considerate because most hostels, I doubt, would do something like that.

Brugge was a great little city. I wandered around a bit that evening to see some of the city before grabbing a drink with an aussie named Kerry who was staying in the same room as me. She was a very nice lady living outside of Brisbane who is taking a few months to travel and clear her head after the loss of her husband. We got on well enough that we're going to try and meet up whenever one of us is near the city of the other.

One of the two main town squares

One of the old towngates with a traitors skull on it

The traitors skull

Some old bell-towers

This fountain reminds me of the "Orange Mocha Frappaccino" statue from Zoolander

Sunday in Brugge I got up early and ran around the city a bit before grabbing a bike and headed out to the countryside. Their bike trails were incredibly easy to follow leading you from point to point. I made it to the ocean in a little under 2 hours and after strolling along the boardwalk a bit I laid down to tan a bit and swim in the ocean. The bike rides were very cool, through farms, past cows and sheep and such. Monday morning I headed off to the train station to begin the journey to Amsterdam, my last stop before heading out to London.