I had a grand plan to take herself and I on another stupendous road trip across several counties, exploring fairytale castles, mountains and tasting European delights. Thankfully, before committing to this grandiose idea, reality took me down a peg or two and I scaled back the holiday just a touch.
After our Workaway and two weeks of limited sugar, salt, screens and all things that bring joy, we both decided to rebel. Venturing just across the boarder to Belgium, we indulged. The journey was a headache – but a brief one. The trains were crowded, with several changes along the way. However, there is real luxury in being able to travel to another country for 20 euro without leaving the ground.
We spent two nights in Ghent – a gorgeous mix of modern living hidden within medieval walls. It’s your perfect fairytale town – canals, cobblestones, rich history and an impressive castle smack bang in the centre. We did what all good tourists do and took a boat trip along where our guide serenaded us with an Andrea Borcelli tune at the end. Méabh didn’t appreciate being woken from her slumber so covered her ears when he started singing.
That night Méabh had ice cream for dinner and I had two minute noodles.
The next day, the information centre suggested a treasure hunt around the city. Sadly, the app didn’t work on my Australian phone, and we were forced to make up our own, less creative one. We navigated our way through Ghent’s city streets in search of treasure that didn’t exist. If not for the imagination of an almost four-year-old, it would have been a peculiar occurrence.
Following this half-arsed treasure hunt, we participated in a food tour. Belgium is surprisingly famous for an array of culinary delights. From beer, chocolate, fries, and waffles, the Belgian claim ownership of them all. I’m not entirely sure why fries top the list of Belgian delights when we all know McDonald’s does the best fries in the world.
We were led through the town sampling the flavours of Belgium. Unfortunately, I left “Pony” in our bag, which was in a locker at the starting point—and that, it seemed, was the ultimate end of the world. Not even Belgian chocolate saved me that day. The tantrum of the century reinforced just how hard travelling with a toddler really is. Word to the wise: never forget “Pony.”
Embarrassed and mortified, we left the tour both desperately seeking beer and apple juice. While I don’t rate waffles in any country, the Belgians can be truly proud of their beer. It is simply the best I’ve ever had. At 11%, it satisfies all the senses and makes parenting that much easier.
That night I had beer and two-minute noodles for dinner, while miserable Missy had ice cream again.
Next stop: Bruges. Fittingly dubbed “The Venice of the North,” Bruges was beautiful. We decided to actually eat properly, and we were not disappointed — the food was bloody brilliant. Sadly, as I’ve found across the majority of Europe, my bank account took a big hit. Europe has genuinely surprised me in terms of pricing. I’d almost consider Australia “cheap” when it comes to dining out now. Almost double the price of a meal back home and you’ve got your average spend in most of Europe for plain old spaghetti. Granted, our dollar is doing terribly and my head still lives in Aussie dollars, so I’m unable to shake the comparison — which doesn’t help. Ah well, there are worse things that can happen than returning to Australia broke.
Bruges was a repeat of Ghent – boats, beer and Belgian streets. As gorgeous as Ghent, Bruges was medieval Europe wrapped up very nicely with a neat bow. Cobbled lanes wound their way past towering churches, boutique shops and chocolate windows. It was easy to lose time wandering alongside the canals. In amongst the charm were plenty of restaurants serving quality food, decent coffee and top-notch beer.
We spent one night in Brussels, merely passing through, although I’m sure it has its own charm. We returned to Ireland captivated by a country that’s rarely talked about, yet left us with memories of boats, beer and cobbled streets.
Of course, when we got home, I watched “In Bruges” with the family – a Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson delight.
