We left Tuesday morning planning on following our route guides. But at the last minute I noticed that there was a brewery I was familiar with located only 2-3 kilometers away. We took off in that direction immediately.
After taking a wrong turn, getting directions in Flemish, and stopping to ask someone one more time to see if we were going the right way, we arrived at the De Dolle Brewery in Esen. Not much to it. Looked like they were doing some construction in the back area. They did have a tasting room but it is only open on weekends. Gesloten.
We then tried to navigate on our own using only the map of cycle points and a compass. This worked out fine. We were able to catch up to our original route and shave off a few km's in the change. And we were able to travel to a town called Beerst. How cool is that?
We caught back up in the town of Kiem, passed the Church of Kiem, and then on to the Chicken Museum. The chicken museum had a bunch of pens of colorful chickens and roosters. We came for the farm ice cream but they were gesloten as well.
On we cycled to our next destination: the Abbey Ten Putte. There was a chapel here, a garden, raven chapel, and a museum (gesloten) to check out. We went inside to see these ingenious vending machines. For 2 euros you can buy a candle, and for a bit more some holy water or rosary beads. There was also a well in the room which a nun supposedly drowned in which i guess blesses the water making it holy? Ok, the museum was closed so we have no idea why the water was so special, just hearsay...
Along our route we stopped in Leke at a deli. We ended up meeting the son of the owners who spoke great English and helped us chose a few sandwiches. Trix had a baguette stuffed with fish salad and vegetables and I tried one with crab salad. Both were delicious, but somehow part of mine ended up on my shoe.
Most of todays trip was in farmland. Trix, the big city girl that she is, didn't enjoy the smells of the cow pastures one bit. For me, it made me hungry for a filet mignon!
We cycled on to Bruges. We entered town through this cool gate/bridge. We followed a canal into the city center, through the shopping streets, weaving in and out of students, bicycles, cars, etc. and on to the market square. We continued on passing the Belfry, Basilica of the Holy Blood, Town Hall, and Burg Square where our hotel was located. We checked in to the Ter Reien. Nice room but pretty tiny when we filled it with our suitcases.
Drinks were found at my new favorite bar, De Kelk, which features over 350 Belgian beers. You get to go to the back cooler and chose your own. The bartender/owner Peter introduced us to this one called Jesus made right next to the abbey of St. Sixtus in Westvelten. Amazing.
Dinner followed at the Niveu Museum, a suggestion from Peter. Nice place, great food. We shared a grilled Camembert salad, Trix had a grilled salmon, and I tried a lamb crown (rack of lamb) which was cooked on a wood fired grill in the front of the restaurant. Delicieux.
That was it for Tuesday. Tomorrow, we will not cycle but instead explore the beautiful city of Bruges. And we will find our first Belgian chocolate of the trip!
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