A Trip Back in Time

Last Friday the CUBC student body headed to the small town of Brugges (Dutch) or Bruge (French) for a short day trip. The quiet, slow town appears to have been dropped out of a movie centered around Arthurian Legend due to the preserved Medieval architecture and seldom sight of anything modern. It's egg shaped borders, encircled by winding canals, meandered through the city doing nothing to speed up the pace of life for this sleepy town.

Brugges is Beglium's most visited tourist destination. Everything seems to be stuck in time and from what I can tell, the residents like it that way. We took an organized tour with a native Belgian who happened to also be our guide for the tour of Brussel's during the first week abroad. His knowledge gave us a very indept insight into the city's past and why it appears to have never moved forward.

The city was 'rediscovered' in the late 16th century and dubbed a romantic and restful place. Due to city laws and strict limitations in real estate, the city's architecture remains a testament to the work of engineers long past.

Despite all of the sights, tourist traps, and beautiful scenery the one experience I enjoyed most about Brugges, was the chocolate. There is literally a chocolate shop on every corner and all of them sell 'the world's best chocolate'. Honestly though, it does taste like the world's best chocolate. They have every flavor, every variety, every assortment you could ever wish for. Its so good you'll probably end up eating so much it makes you sick. I know this from experience.

By my book, Brugges is definitely a worthy day trip for anyone in the area. See the sights, check out the architecture, and eat the chocolate; day well spent.

All good; all the time,

Thomas