Best doggone train ride to Bruges!

Our first leg of the trip to Bruges was uneventful.  We enjoyed watching the countryside as we left Amsterdam.  Then we had to change trains in Antwerp and it got a little more interesting!  We quickly learned that traveling second class was dog-friendly on Belgian trains.  A very large black lab and its owners sat across from us.  At first we were very impressed with how well the big dog settled in underneath the seat in front of its owners with only his tail extending into the aisle.  But 5 minutes into the trip his back-half was in the aisle, and 10 minutes into the trip his whole body was in the aisle, with his back-half resting on Tom's left foot!  But that's O.K., it's part of the European experience and Tom likes dogs.  No one really seemed upset as they made their way up and down the aisle, they simply stepped over him.  As we approached the station in Bruges, the locals began assembling in the aisle with their luggage.  As polite Americans, we remained seated to allow the dog owners to leave ahead of us--big mistake!  By the time Tom got our luggage down and we made our way to the door, the doors locked and the train took off!  So this is how we added a side-trip to Oostende.  So we got off in Oostende, and being the savvy travelers that we are, we purchased tickets back to Bruges only to find out later if the train doors close before you exit you can ride for free back to your original destination.  And Shannon's inheritance is dwindling one mistake at a time!

We're staying at our first B&B on our trip and the proprietor (Bennie) is a wonderful host.  It's a lovely, off-the-main-square residence in Bruges dating back to 1865.  The owner resides in half the home, welcomes guests on weekends to breakfast in his own dining room and weekdays a tray is delivered to your room.  We've enjoyed talking at length with Bennie and the other guests, one couple from London and another gentleman from Minnesota who works for an art museum and gets to travel all over the world.  (Now that's a great job!)  Canal tours are very popular here as well, rain or shine.

We have spent our days in Bruges admiring the many cathedrals here, the beautiful architecture, Tom is sampling Belgian chocolate and I've enjoyed a glass or two of recommended wines.  We're saving our beer-sampling for Brussels! 

 We had laundry done in Amsterdam for 15 Euro.  In lieu of that choice, we elected to save money by doing our own laundry today.  After spending 18 Euro on washers, dryers and detergent, we had to purchase two cappuccinos at the Bistro next door so that Tom could use the water closet.  That was another 5 Euro.  So our laundry ended up with a gross cost of  $23 Euro.  However, we did get two unexpected cappuccinos in the process.  And Shannon's inheritance is nicked once again unnecessarily!

As we settle in for our last night in Bruges, we're still laughing about the dog, the extra train ride and our self-inflicted laundry experience--life's good!

Happy trails,

TNT