Brugge...Brugge....Bruggggge

Aww, Brugge. What can I say about this magical place?

We learned that it is called "The Venice of the North", and it's not a stretch to figure out why. This was the view directly across the street from our B&B. It felt almost too good to be true. 

Like many European cities, it's old, with it's "golden age" running from the 12th to 15th century when Brugges was a major trading center. Many of the buildings hale from that time period.

We toured a lot of old buildings, including the Belfry. It is a medieval bell tower that was built in 1240. We walked the 366 steep and winding steps to the top of the building and were inspired by not only the views, but the vicious wind that cut through the open windows.

"The Belfry of Bruges"

In the market-place of Bruges stands the belfry old and brown;

Thrice consumed and thrice rebuilded, still it watches o'er the town.

-Henry Wadsworth Longefellow

Probably my favorite place of all was a little bridge walkway next to the Church of Our Lady. If you look in the picture, you can see the little foot bridge. It looks old, but it's not. It was built in the 19th century. Only in Europe is that considered new. We couldn't get enough of this place.

Of course, one cannot go to Belgium and not try the food. Did you know that French fries were actually invented here? They fry them twice and they really were good. And then there's chocolate. We had a running debate. Josh preferred the Dutch chocolate that we had tried in the Netherlands. Dixie preferred the Belgium. Uncle Lamar settled the debate when he gave us Norwegian chocolate, the hands down best, but that's for another post.

But let's not forget waffles. The waffles are different than "Belgium" waffles that we've always eaten. Yes, they looked the same. Yes, toppings can be added. But that's about where the similarities stop. They are a sweet, doughy treat that can be eaten plain or with chocolate and whipped cream on top. They were so good, that I found this recipe to try out:

Real Belgium Waffles

1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp white sugar
3/4 c lukewarm milk
3 eggs
1 c melted butter
2 tsp vanilla 
3 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c pearl sugar (such as Lar's Own)

Directions

1. Sprinkle the yeast and white sugar over warm milk in a small bowl. The milk should be no more than 100 degrees F (40 degrees C). Let stand for 15 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam.
2. Whisk the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract into the yeast mixture until evenly blended; set aside. Stir together the flour and salt in a separate large bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour the egg mixture into the well, then stir in the flour mixture until a soft dough forms. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Gently mix in the pearl sugar.
3. Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
4. Place a baseball-size ball of dough on the preheated waffle iron. Cook waffles until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Allow waffles to cool for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

And I learned that pearl sugar can be ordered online from here. Good thing, because I need a sugar fix. Now. So maybe I will order some pearl sugar. Right now. 

Okay, now that the shopping is done...